The Servant: The Wyvern Battles
by Piccolo Sky
Summary: The untold story of Bahamut. In this third installment, the epic battles between Bahamut and his traitorous brother Wyvern are chronicled throughout history...as the espers fade and a new world rises.
1. Pax Terratopla

Hello! It's Piccolo Sky again. Time for another installment in my ongoing epic.

Before we begin this time around, I need to give you warning. This part of the story is only partially complete. I'm still writing it. Hence, I may have to be a little less liberal about the updates. I'd like to make this stretch so that they can come out fairly regularly.

That said, enjoy.

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**THE SERVANT

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_THE WYVERN BATTLES_

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_One Thousand Years Later_

In the time of great prosperity and peace, of great advancement and promise, and power descending to all remaining races in the world...the espers suffered the first event that marked their inevitable decline.

No one would have suspected that, four thousand, one hundred and fifty years after the end of Crusader, when the Age of the Espers had begun, that at the point in time in which the race was arguably at its strongest would signal the beginning. But such was the way of civilizations. Only when they reached their zenith did they hit their decline. And such was an apex of time.

Men and espers had lived in a great period of peace for centuries. In the past thousand years, there had been conflicts and wars. Occassionally, a true threat would arise that would threaten to ruin the life of the world. Yet the espers no longer needed to respond to such threats. Humanity triumphed over each one themselves. Each time a foe had arisen, it had been struck down by the few upstanding people of humanity who came forward and fought back. And each time, the forces of darkness had eventually failed and the calm of the world was restored. This played itself out time and time again throughout history, but always in the end humanity had triumphed. And so the world remained at peace.

Humanity truly began to develop now. The race continued to grow in strength and power as time wore on. What had started as a few specialty skills and barbaric civilizations had become something new. Now, the various peoples had moved and branched out. New kinds of warriors outside of the basic bludgeoning barbarians emerged. Warriors like ninjas began to arrive and became the staple for some kingdoms. Others formed classes that didn't use swords just as clubs, but turned them into deadlier weapons. They called themselves samurai. Then there were races that focused on cultivating their own strength and power, and learned advanced battle techniques and skills for close combat. They made their own bodies weapons as they struggled to develop their spiritual sides and grow more in tune with the way of things. They were the monks. Some humans cloistered themselves away and devoted themselves to learning. Others set up in towns and formed guilds. However, combat was only one feature. Many were beginning to study how to combine elements together. Others specialized in replicating large structures that had existed in earlier time, and how to build new ones. Others devoted themselves to art and music, so that soon humanity began to have another culture outside of survival. A new culture emerged in which humanity tried to increase its own faculties and to create new works in the world. And in doing so, they were reaching new levels of power.

The elvish race had finally died out. They had been doing so for centuries, but those that had not already interbred with humans until their bloodline ran out. There were still some races that had the blood of elves in them, but they were few and far between, and their race was weak. Dwarves still remained, although they had reached the point where they left the surface all together. Now, they formed their own civilization deep under the world, where through working and tunneling through the magma interior they had managed to carve out a whole separate underground realm. There, they flourished, and continued to develop their own technologies, thereby avoiding dying out as the elves had. Even though the Age of Chaos had never come to be, however, selective breeding of the horse races and extrapolation of the wild horse races had led to a genetic bottleneck. The result meant that when an especially lethal disease swept the species, they all fell victim to it. Horses, as the first species that faced the consequences of human involvement, had gone extinct. With that, it seemed that the ability for fast transport and cavalry was dead. But that was before humans had learned how to harness an esper offshoot race: the chocobo. By this time, the line of the original Chocobo had grown more animalistic and simple, but they were still kindly disposed to humans and consented to serve them. They became the new mount of choice for the world, and soon it was not unusual for the human race to ride great birds instead of other mammals.

In addition, what had started as mere mages of black, red, and white were now full wizards. The original white and black wizard had recalled all that they had learned, even after the timeline had changed. They led to a new range of magical innovation, and caused people to learn and develop more powers than ever thought possible. Entirely new spells were devised...and some became so powerful that they were deemed almost unnatural, or even deadly. The greatest of those, Meteor and Ultima, were so strong that they bore the chance of killing the caster. And they bore so much power that even espers were shocked at them, and weaker ones could potentially be destroyed by them alone. Even old and strong espers like Odin were unable to master their full range. He himself spent one hundred years training how to cast Meteor. At the present time, the two spells were so powerful and overwhelming that no human alive could cast them without destroying themselves. And so, for the moment, they existed outside of the realm of human knowledge and possibility. Nevertheless, it didn't change the fact that humanity was learning and developing a whole new range of magical powers, ones that placed them above even the espers in terms of power. And so...it was little surprise that a new race soon emerged.

Espers still represented the ultimate in power. They had full control over their abilities, and their magical strength was natural rather than forced. While some espers began to grow uneasy about humanity and how strong they were becoming, most were calm about it and actually happy to see an old race to which they bore such affection grow in power and strength. And as the humans went about performing mighty deeds and casting out evil from the world, some of them even desired to assist in this. They were bored of their old way of living isolated in Terratopolis, and sought to go out and mingle in human affairs and in the world. Furthermore, a new breed of wizard resulted when the last of the elvish race began to interbreed with wizard humans. Following centuries of their isolation and development, the new wizard came forth...the Summoner.

Summoners were a powerful and mysterious race. Due to their elvish blood, they stayed close to nature and concerned themselves with natural things. They cared little for technological development, but rather sought to be closer to the planet. They dwelled in the wildest places in the world, making friends with the birds and the fish and whatever roamed within the forests. They followed the ways of the seasons and lived out a mostly pastoral life, free of disruption and involvement. Nevertheless, many took up the cause of good and evil alike throughout time. And they did bear magical powers far stronger than those of any normal mage or wizard. Their strongest power, however, was tied directly to the espers. These powerful individuals were actually hooked up mentally with the great beasts. In this current age, they interacted frequently with them. Rather than being myths and monsters, the espers became the closest friends of the Summoners. They now were the only human race that the espers frequently interacted and conversed with. But they were also the closest friends of the espers, more so than any other race or species. They formed special bonds with them through time, bonds that were united not only externally but internally, uniting flesh and spirit as well as hands, and creating a great union between the two that facilitated the great powers of the Summoners.

Though Summoners were eternally friends of the espers, and all of the great creatures treated these humans as friends and even espers themselves, a Summoner only obtained the power of an esper through a special ritual. An esper, quite essentially, would challenge the Summoner to a battle. Under the rules of engagement, a Summoner could bring any friends into the combat, provided that they were true friends and that the esper allowed it. They would then battle. If the Summoner succeeded in defeating the opposing esper, than the esper must submit to the beck and call of the Summoner. The two would then unite themselves to one another, in a process in which both of them exchanged a bit of their own life force, thereby uniting them to one another. This bond facilitated the spell. From then on in, whenever the Summoner wished the esper to come and fight for him or her, she would call on that bond to open a gateway between the place of battle and the esper itself. The esper would then appear and fight on behalf of the Summoner. However, such was a highly dangerous business. The bond that had formed between the two, the Summoner and esper, could not be broken lightly. While the bond was in effect...in other words, while the esper was summoned to fight...both of their lives were tied to one another. If the Summoner died, the esper would die as well, and that was a strong possibility because the Summoner, while bringing forth the esper, was helpless to do anything but cast. As for the esper, if it died while in battle, the Summoner too would die from the breaking of the bond. For this reason, not only did espers usually shield their Summoners on arrival, they also usually used the moment of surprise just to cast one attack, and then flee, easing the bond between the two again. For an esper to risk standing and fighting it out was dangerous for both parties.

If that wasn't enough, the stronger the esper, the longer it took for the call spell to bring him or her forth. Furthermore, some Summoners could actually force an esper to come forth in which a bond hadn't been made. But such was extremely dangerous to the Summoner, lasted only seconds, and left both helpless for a while. As such, it was a dangerous business, but still had given great power to one set of members of humanity.

The world was divided into individual kingdoms at this time. Each one was divided, but was also balanced against one another. As such, there was no fear of war at this time or of great conflict. For once there was no turmoil to fear in a time in history. The world had changed from the past age. In ancient times, one great kingdom of men had ruled under the banner of Odin, and the Four Crystals were scattered around the world. However, times had changed since then. The race of the Lufenians had revealed themselves at last, and had departed after exposing their true natures, seeming to leave the Planet all together. The elvish races had failed, and the other races of the world too had seemed to pass into obscurity and legend, even to the espers. Mankind was now the ruler of their own individual age. And they were the keepers of this world and its power. To that end, the Four Crystals had gradually found their ways into the hands of men.

The Earth Crystal was eventually exhumed from its earthly prison and taken to the surface. Once there, anywhere it touched it made fertile and alive. Even the dankest wasteland became a fruitful paradise, and the area was blessed with plenty. It had found its way onto the opposite side of a rainshadow currently, and it turned the area from desert into a vegetative miracle, sending the human kingdom nearby into a period of peace. The Fire Crystal was removed from Mt. Gulg ages ago, for fear it would one day create another eruption. It was placed in the center of another kingdom. It turned the surrounding world into desert, but it also supplied the energy and power both to sustain the people's way of life, but also to empassion and drive the heroic members of their race. The Water Crystal surfaced when the mermaid race dwindled, to be kept in the safekeeping of the human race. To that end, the great wizards of the world took it and bore it away to Mysidia, not so much to use or to harness its life-giving powers, but to keep it from those who would consider it mere jewelry. In the ages that followed, Mysidia endured and its people prospered under the Crystal. Finally, the Wind Crystal was taken to the north, to a land of monks and discipline, where noble men kept it safe and reaped the benefits of its power in always having a favorable wind when at sea. No one power had all Crystals, and so they too were balanced against each other, so that they could not be used against one another.

But the Lord Bahamut had deemed this too little. He greatly feared that one day the Crystals would turn to darkness in the hands of men, and their powers would be corrupted. To that end, each of the Four Crystals was fractured, and broken into two. Using all of their power, the espers separated the two natures of each Crystal in doing so, allowing one to burn with the light of peace and prosperity, while the other fell into darkness and shadow. In doing so, the Four Crystals became Eight, four of them light, and the other four dark. These "Dark Crystals" were handed to the dwarf lords under the earth, and they were buried deep within their vaults and strongholds so that none might ever obtain their power, or risk evoking an evil from them. With the Eight Crystals established, and the two worlds balanced, peace reigned throughout the world, and all was well.

Small wonder no one suspected the doom about to befall them.

* * *

"Lord Bahamut, you will be in human form today as well?"

Bahamut didn't respond right away. He looked himself over in the looking glass. He still couldn't quite get used to his human body. It looked too...unnatural. He had tried to work on it, but the power within him made it too much. One could still tell that either a powerful man or a different being stood there. Of course, wearing smooth, shimmering, long purple regal robes around himself did little to help. It only made him more conspicuous. No human could possibly wear such things, for they were beyond the skill of any man to make, too perfect. And so, he sighed and brushed back a strand of his perfect white-blonde hair, and adjusted the white trim around his garments.

"I prefer to stay in this form nowadays, Khan." Bahamut calmly replied, making some last adjustments. "I prefer to keep my true form concealed. It keeps me from revealing too much of myself, and makes me more inconspicuous around potential foes."

He heard a loud sigh from behind him at this. "What foes, master?" A half-grumble went out. "There hasn't been a danger to this world since Odin destroyed the Temple of Chaos."

"What about that incident with the Emperor of Palamecia? And the-"

"Oh, the humans handled both of those. We espers don't even need to meddle in things anymore. Even the Summoners don't need us."

"Well, this is something entirely different." Bahamut simply stated, giving a sigh to himself. There was one more piece to his ensemble, and after fifty lifetimes he still disliked this part of it. As Lord of All Espers, he was required to be crowned. And as he turned to his right, he saw it. A great purple crown matched his robes. It was a dark purple and regal like the rest of his attire, and was more of a band that fit around his head. But resting on top of it were seven great spires, one for each of the original espers: Bahamut, Odin, Ogopogo, Leviathan, Starlet, Phoenix...and Wyvern.

_Wyvern..._

Bahamut felt a part of his heart falter at that, but he ignored it. He had to. Something had befallen his brother at this point. He didn't know what after four thousand years, but that was the only explanation. Why else was he gone? Why else had they not seen or heard from him in so long? After all this time, Bahamut would have thought he had forgotten him. But he hadn't. His memory was still fresh...as was the memory of how they had parted. In all this time, he still had not gotten the chance to say he was sorry. Leviathan told him to let it go. Later injuries must have kicked in and finished him. Or he had trapped himself and died somehow. But he was gone, and not coming back. Yet Bahamut could not let him go. He knew somehow he was still out there. But if so...then why wasn't he back? At any rate, he shook this off. He couldn't worry about it. He had to think of now.

"I wish to talk to this Kluya and ask why he has come here." Bahamut explained. "And I don't want him to know the full measure of my strength before I do..."

It was now a thousand years since Bahamut had realized that this planet was not alone in the universe. However, the people who had come to his planet were unwelcomed guests. The Terrans had arrived seeking conquest, and meant to take over this world and use it for their own ends. They had been driven off, yes, but not before nearly causing a terrible future to occur. And not before promising that they would return. To this day, none had come back. But Bahamut was ever vigilant about them, and he eagerly awaited the day they would attempt to return. On the day, he would destroy them once and for all.

However, a new premonition had come. The Terrans may have been gone...but something else had arrived. About one hundred years ago, the planet had obtained a second satellite. A second moon had arrived into its orbit, and had begun to encircle the planet opposite the original moon. Bahamut had been apprehensive to this, as had Leviathan. The great serpent immediately researched it, and discovered to his surprise that creatures were on it. This aroused the suspicion of all espers, and they feared that some devilry would come from this. Much of the rest of the world feared the same. However...nothing came. The moon drew no closer nor farther away, and it stretched forth no danger to the planet. Because of this...the humans eventually dismissed it. The primitive astrologists of the time said it was merely a drifting satellite that had somehow got caught in the orbit of the planet, and that now it had become a second moon for the world. The espers were not so sure, and kept a watchful eye on it, but did no more.

Then, only a few months ago, Leviathan noticed a change. A great blue shape emerged from the moon, and sailed straight to the planet to rendezvous at Mysidia. He immediately dispatched himself along with one hundred espers to see what this was, and stave off any possible attack. On arrival, Mysidians had already come forth as well, and caution was needed to not interfere with humanity. Bahamut was not there, and did not know what had transpired. But Leviathan gave a good report. Apparently, the great blue shape was some sort of grand airship, beyond the technology even of the Terrans. On board had been a strange creature. He had appeared humanoid, save for a great arched eyebrow across his forehead. However, he was incredibly well versed in the powers of magic. To Leviathan's astonishment, he excelled in both white and black spells, deemed impossible for any human. He could even perform the powerful spell Meteor without straining. His body was old, much older than any human, and he was wiser even than they. However, and Leviathan accented this, he probed the man's mind clearly, and saw that he bore no evil intentions. As a matter of fact, the man prostrated himself before the espers and greeted them warmly.

He explained that he was another alien race, one that had an unpronouncable name but Leviathan dubbed the "Lunarians". They had never heard of Terra or its people. They themselves were homeless entities, and claimed that they had once been neighbors with this world, long ago in the First Age of the Planet. However, their planet was destroyed, and they converted their own moon into a gigantic craft designed to fly through space in order to escape. Then they sought to flee to the Blue Planet, which was what they designated the world of the espers. Yet on arrival, they saw that humanity was far too underdeveloped compared to them, and they feared that their presence would eventually lead to the eradication of the species or them using their knowledge for war. So they set themselves adrift and waited for a time in which they could arrive on the world. At this, naturally, Leviathan asked if they were planning on conquering, to which the Lunarian, Kluya, claimed that they didn't. They merely wanted to "move in" onto the world, if the inhabitants would let them. The moon had returned to this world for a "checkup" to see how humanity had progressed. Kluya's brother, FuSoYa, waited aboard the moon and guarded the rest of the survivors, who were in a state of suspended animation, while Kluya investigated. However, Kluya had reached a different conclusion. He wanted to try and "push" the people of this world a bit forward. He wanted to bring them technologies and achievements that would enable them to advance quicker. He saw only altruism in this rather than selfish motives, and wanted to help regardless of the danger it could mean. To this end, he asked if the great powers of the world, the espers, would allow it, and awaited their answer.

Bahamut didn't know what to respond at the moment. For now, he wanted to meet this Kluya and see what kind of man he was. He didn't trust aliens anymore. He would never trust them again after what Garland had attempted. He would probe him to find out if he truly meant what he said. And even if he was proved to be honest, that was no guarantee that he would allow them to live on this world, much less let Kluya teach any technology to the native inhabitants. But for now, he would simply meet this person and assess the danger he might represent. After that he would decide. And he wouldn't let this one visitor dominate him either. This was supposed to be a momentous occasion. It was the time for the espers' mating as well as a meeting of the world's powers, and he would preside over it.

"Sir, I understand perfectly your desire to wish to hide your true nature." Noonian calmly addressed in her smooth voice. "But...I guess Khan and myself don't see why we have to do the same."

As Bahamut set the spire on his head, he cracked a smile and turned. Sure enough, right behind him, blushing and frowning, were his two attendants...now in the bodies of a little boy and girl. They were dressed quite nicely by human standards in linens and silk, but they didn't seem to care. They only hated that they were no longer in their monstrous forms. Khan looked in disgust at his now-five-fingered, skin covered hands, and Noonian kept playing with the tails that her now-red hair had turned into. Both of them looked positively unhappy, and Bahamut almost had to laugh at them.

"Well, I keep my entourage in the same form as me." Bahamut simply answered, trying not to smile. "And it looks bad on me if I am to be a man, and I have two great wyrms at my side as my attendents."

The two merely grumbled in response.

Bahamut wasn't miffed. He merely gave a chuckle in response, and then walked forward to the two of them and gestured forward. "Come on. We will be expected soon."

His attendants sighed and then turned to walk with their master. Soon, they left Bahamut's room and entered the halls of Terratopolis.

* * *

Times had changed in the dwelling of the espers. Much of it now had been redone by the latest espers, who planked the stone halls and walls to make it look like a real town. Personally, Bahamut thought it made the place look darker, because it had blotted out some of the windows. But espers had taken to human tastes. Many of them had built small homes for themselves where they slept in human-like beds and even had tea time. Some had begun to set up stores to act as merchants. More began to take to wearing clothes, and, to a bit of Bahamut's disapproval, some covered themselves up so that one would not realize that they were merely humanoid and not human. That just seemed silly to him, that they should regard the humans as something to be worried about in that sense. But overall, it was a great place to be. Espers filled the halls of Terratopolis now. It eventually became so full that they expanded down into the underground, and just last week Leviathan had finished crafting a giant tunnel through a magma-filled cave that led to the Underground world. Unfortunately, it was surrounded by lava save for a small tributary that scarcely any could fit through, and those that would would be drowned. Leviathan, however, could use this to go all the way up to the surface world, and there play in the oceans...and cultivate his reputation as being a mythical sea monster. Anyway, with that new entrance, some espers wanted to blockade the above ground entrance so that Terratopolis would once again be a mountain. Bahamut didn't approve of that either, for it would truly seal them into a dark world at that time. However...they could build new entrances, and set up an artificial sun. And the humans were advancing so much it was only a matter of time now before they built devices that would lead them into their world, so perhaps it was for the best.

Bahamut enjoyed seeing the espers fill the halls and walk through them. He enjoyed seeing the children play and his people prosper. However, he rarely saw such sights now. Many espers now regarded him as something mythic, considering how long he had been alive. Most of them stood to one side and bowed when the halls were filled, and did not resume their normal activities until he had passed. That robbed a bit from the experience. And there were no people out today either. Only a few of the stationed guard espers were about, dressed in royal attire and armed for potential threats and battle. As Bahamut passed through the mostly empty halls, they merely stood erect and saluted him. He grimaced and waved to them as he went, and made his way for the main assembly room.

As Bahamut passed along, he gradually hear more echoes coming up the chamber. He smiled to hear it. The others were assembled, and soon he would get to see his kindred gathered together again. He drew closer to this as he continued to wind through the halls. On the walls, flowers and garlands were hung, decorating the chambers and filling them with signs of gaity and celebration. The guards grew thicker, and clicked into position to salute them as they continued. Some of the few remaining windows in the place began to shine sunlight over Bahamut, bathing him in sunlight. Bahamut smiled at this as he continued. It wasn't just his source of power. He enjoyed the feeling of the sun.

Finally, he came to the exit. Ahead of him, framed in a tunnel entrance, was the exit to the gathering outside. A blue curtain was stretched across it, separating it from the outdoors. Several other guards were gathered in front of it, as well as someone else. Hearing Bahamut arrive, the additional member turned to the side, giving Bahamut a smile to see her. Nowadays, his immediate family so rarely got together. Yet he was glad for any moments that they could. He and Starlet came right up to each other and met before the curtain.

"You're late again." His sister reminded him. She was dressed in all of her regal glory as well now. A spectacular golden circlet rested on her head, studded with diamonds. A long gown that shimmered like stars covered her human-like body, and she looked more glorious than the greatest of all queens. Her face was washed and shone with a glowing aura, and all of her features gleamed like jewels. Her face was eternally pleasant, and she gave him a soft smile as he arrived. "You know we won't start without our king."

Bahamut merely snorted in reply, as Starlet reached up and began to adjust his collar. "Maybe next time, I'll have Leviathan handle it. He seems to do this easier than me anyway."

Starlet merely smiled in response and finished. "He's finishing introducing you. You better not disappoint."

"What's to worry about? People just bow before me whenver I try to say anything to them."

Starlet looked up and heard something, then turned back to him. "That's your cue. Go on."

Bahamut nodded, and as his sister stood aside he took in a deep breath. He clenched and released his fists one more time, and then stepped forward. His two attendants quickly stood to one side as they approached the door frame, and pulled the curtain aside as he walked forward. Soon, he felt the rays of the sun pour down on him, and after adjusting a moment he walked out and into the light.

Bahamut stepped out onto a balcony in the mountainside, looking down over the people far below assembled in the great clearing of Terratopolis. Banners hung down around him, glorifying the King of All Espers, and trumpets and musicians sounded as he came out. Flanking him on either side were high espers of incredible power and rank. Included among them, in human form, was Chancellor Leviathan, Keeper of the Mountain Ogopogo, and King Odin. But other high espers included Tritoch, Ifrit, and Shiva, flanking him on either side. More espers were gathered below and stood at attention before their king. Before them the rest of the espers were assembled within a large crowd. Included were various groups of the civilized monsters of the world, such as chocobos and moogles. A few other representatives from other races and peoples were also there. In one place, the Lunarian Kluya waited in the crowd with the rest of the multitude. In another, two Cetra stood together and applauded the king as he arrived. However, there were no more large human groups. Most of them didn't believe in them anymore, and some didn't wish to draw too much attention to themselves anyway. For the most part, humans were allowed to operate seperately, as were the dwarves. This was a gathering reserved for very few non-espers and magical creatures. Still, they filled the entire area. There was a great crowd here indeed, and a very diverse group.

Bahamut waved to the people as he stood out on the balcony, and moved forward until he reached the railing. Once there, he paused and gestured to the people for a moment. Many bowed down to him as he appeared, while others merely nodded in respect or gave their admiration. The music continued to play, and Bahamut continued to pause as he stood there. At last, however, Bahamut gestured that he wished to continue. On doing so, the music trailed off. The people began to rise, and the applause and cheer quieted. Soon, everything was silent again, and the crowd had returned to being attentive once more.

To this, Bahamut gave a nod. "Welcome, dear friends, to the 83rd Esper Gathering."

* * *

"But master...are you sure that you should be doing this?"

"I mean...no one has ever tried..."

"Perhaps we should make a better plan first..."

"...Are you questioning my authority?"

"Oh no...no! No, of course not!"

"Then shut up."

The two attendants went silent at this, and dared not say anything else as they continued to walk forward.

The three passed through the great halls of Terratopolis. It was dark down here, and empty. All of the remaining espers had already gone in to the ampitheater in the center. It was toward this that the three of them now marched. No one hindered them or even noticed that they arrived. They saw neither high nor hair of any other creatures until they finally reached the last hall. Once there, the attendants, one a great lizard, the other a flying creature, hesitated and swallowed for a moment. However...their master passed on without hesitation. As he passed...they felt a strong, cold wind rush by them. Their skin crawled as the energy of the creature radiated off on to them. It was terrifying...more power than they had ever conceived or witnessed. It struck them deep in their souls, and made their hearts turn to ice. They couldn't pause. They had to keep moving, and so they did. They followed their master straight to the opening.

At the end of this hall, a short staircase led outside. The sunlight was pouring in, and as the three drew closer they saw people standing outside with their backs to them. More and more were revealed as they closed in. There were also two guards standing at this doorway. They turned and looked to the three as they approached. They didn't move to stop them, but they did face them and waited for them to reach them. As they came in contact, they addressed them.

"Welcome, fellow espers. Lord Bahamut had begun his address, so I am afraid you will have to-"

That was the last word they got out before the third person placed a hand on either one and gave a light push. Immediately, the two were flung violently into the nearby wall, with so much power and force that their bodies smashed straight through it. Both were thrown into craters, and the entire wall collapsed on top of either of them. The two attendants froze and recoiled in fear for a moment, shocked at this event. But their master kept walking, now reaching the stairs and beginning to ascend them.

However, they had alerted the two next guards further up the stairs: powerful espers. They turned, and they saw this individual and his approach. Immediately they turned around and made to intercept him. One reached first and struck at him with a clawed fist. The individual shrugged it off easily, and then flung the esper over his head behind him. He sailed down the entire length of the hallway in a blink of an eye before being smashed into the wall in the same way the other two had been. The other hesitated at that, beginning to regard the new arrival with fear, and that was all that he needed. The individual reached forward, seized his arm, and broke it with one clench of his fists. The esper cried out in pain, as he reached out with his other hand and did the same to his opposite leg. The esper cried out further in agony, grasping its appendages as they began to bleed from underneath. The arrival, however, merely kicked this esper out of the way like garbage and continued.

Within a few moments more...he was entering up into the light.

* * *

Bahamut was cut off in mid-speech. One moment, he was acting plainly...when the next second it hit him like a flood. The power was so great it nearly made him swoon. Abruptly, he fell back, and raised a hand to his head as if dizzy. On seeing this, the espers in the crowd reacted with surprise. Leviathan noticed this, and quickly reached over and supported him. But as for Bahamut, he merely continued to marvel at what had done this...

An aura had struck him...one that waited until now to present itself. But now that it had come...Bahamut had a hard time thinking of anything else. It overrid the rest of his senses. It commanded his other faculties. It was, in one word, _strong_. Far stronger than any other energy signature he had ever encountered... Hades was a wimp compared to this. Chaos was nothing. Even Griever...was far, far inferior. All of them combined would not be enough. But it was more than that too. For the first time in over four thousand years, Bahamut felt the unusual sensation of true, mortal fear for himself...because this signature was stronger even than _him_. For over four thousand years he had stood untested and unmatched in true strength. Even the horrors of the old world had to rely on cunning and tricks to be able to surpass him, for in terms of true strength they were nothing compared to him. But that was not so now. This thing...this power...was mightier than he...and the power of it was so strong that it overwhelmed him as a blast of steam overwhelms a dizzy person.

But there was worse...far worse.

This aura...was evil.

Within it...Bahamut felt something that chilled him to his very heart. A feeling of hatred...pure, inadulterated malice...the likes of which perhaps none alive had ever felt, was within this aura. It governed everything about it and was dripping from every inch of power that it had. It made its spirit blaze like fire, and threaten to consume all that drew too close. It had long since killed all other emotions and natures, sacrificing it all to the flames of an all-consuming anger and rage. Even if this thing hadn't such power, Bahamut would have feared it for simply the amount of anger it had. He didn't think that so much hate could exist in one person. But combined with the power to do terrible things with such hatred, this was truly a fearsome creature.

But despite that all...Bahamut sensed something else.

He sensed something familiar.

Something he had longed to feel for thousands of years.

"...Lord Bahamut." A deathly cold voice sounded, hushing all murmurs to silence and commanding the attention of everyone.

The crowd, as one, turned and looked to the source of the disturbance. Some invisible force seemed to part them in the middle, so that a path was opened right from Bahamut's balcony all the way down through the square to the very back, where in the frame of one of the cave entrances a human stood. On either side of the man were two great creatures. One was a long lizard-like being of the Basilisk order, creatures that could turn their victims to stone just by looking at them. Opposite was one of the Drake order, reptilian creatures that could effortlessly glide in the air. They both drew to either side, and showed themselves to be the attendants of this human. Bahamut didn't look at them long, for they weren't the source of any real power. Instead, he looked to the man in the center.

He was very pale, almost as if he had never seen the sun. He was dressed in clothing that was robe-like, such as Bahamut's, but was blood red and black. His hair was long and slicked back, and was blacker than a grave at midnight. It seemed to almost draw in the light from around it, for the man bore a dark aura around him. Those who were near could sense it radiating off of them, and felt it numb their skin and make their flesh crawl. They pulled back from the man as he stood there, regarding him with fear and anxiety. Then there were his eyes. They were a burning red color, not like blood or crimson. They looked like red flames, echoing the passion of the hatred that Bahamut could sense from the person. It didn't take Bahamut long to realize that this was no man. It was an esper in human form.

It didn't take him long either to recognize just who it was. Even in another body, there was no mistaking it. The eyes didn't lie. They had that same confident expression, that same mischievous glare...even though they had been vilified by what was centuries of anger. He had that same air around him. His scent was still the same. The way he carried himself was the same. And at once...Bahamut found himself struck dumb. The celebration was immediately a million miles from his mind. So was Kluya, the moon, his family, his attendants, and anything else. He cared nothing for them, just about who he saw now. And at the same time, memories thought to be long forgotten after a veritable eternity of time returned. His feelings of fear and apprehension to the anger of this new arrival was replaced with his heart breaking in longing and joy the likes of which he had never felt. His emotions betrayed his senses, so that rather than guard himself against potential danger he opened himself up to happiness and love. Slowly, barely loud enough for those nearby to hear, let alone everyone else, he announced the visitor.

"...Wyvern..."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Megapyron

Wyvern's eyes continued to burn. None of the hatred was lost from them. When he spoke, his voice was laced with a venomous tone harboring that deep hatred. All besides Bahamut felt their spines shudder at the sound of it and began to subconsciously back away. "I see that you haven't forgotten me, Lord Bahamut, in the past four thousand years."

Bahamut was speechless. He could only stand there. But then, he gained control of himself. Blinking in astonishment, he abruptly put a hand on the rail and leapt over the edge of the balcony. He sailed to the ground and landed nimbly on his feet, and continued to stare at Wyvern. Nothing in the world could make him look away. "Brother..."

Wyvern snorted, and cracked a sardonic smile. "Yes, it is me. Much as you may not want it, Wyvern has returned to Terratopolis. And believe me, Lord Bahamut...I don't intend to leave for a very, very long time."

Bahamut didn't pick this up, nor the malice that was in it. He only continued to stare. And yet...he couldn't move forward. He could only look at him in stunned shock, still unable to believe that this was true.

"For four thousand years..." He echoed aloud. "I have prayed without ceasing that I might see you again. You have come home at last...and now I don't know what to say. I...I..." A pause from the great esper. He was quivering now. His majesty was gone, and now he had become a small shaking figure overcome with emotion. A smile began to spread across his face, and his eyes welled with tears. "Welcome home, my brother..."

Wyvern, however, did not change. Instead, he gave a short, sharp snort in reply...and the blast of air rippled throughout the field and down the courtyard, until it smacked Bahamut right in the face. When he felt it...and smelled this...he sensed a great and heartless evil on it, much stronger than before. It overrid his emotions and restored his logic, and it told him the danger that the man before him represented. Immediately, his smile vanished and his tears dried up, and his emotion turned to bewilderment as he stared at him.

"Welcome?" Wyvern sneered. "You grant me welcome? A precious thing indeed, I'd wager, to come from Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers. I'm sure not many others have received such a mighty gift. Although, despite this simpering, quivering, excuse of a greeting that you give me now, I am sure I know what you're really thinking. The great Wyvern has returned at last, and now my throne suffers a mighty contestant who vies for it. If that's what's running around in your brain this instant, then your fear is well founded, I assure you."

A stunned silence rang over the court at that. The wind blew by, cold and sharp. Bahamut stared in surprise at this, shocked at this turn of words.

"...Brother?"

Wyvern gave a cold laugh to this. "Brother...you use that name freely now. But from you, it sounds like a great and mighty child lording it over the scorned and spurned offspring. You are very fond of that little title so long as it is with someone who is not your equal. Then you would cast it aside and show your true feelings and desires. You have other brothers and sisters here, but I see that there is only one title for you now: Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers. Therefore, to borrow some from the Lunarians, and to dignify myself better, I think I shall assume a better title than simply 'brother'." Here...the dark aura intensified, and the beast pulled himself up and beat his own breast.

"I am Lord Wyvern, Emperor of the Blue Planet."

Now, Bahamut was very unnerved. He felt the coldness and rage radiating off his brother...and it was growing more violent and terrible yet. It made him shrink a bit.

"Brother...what has happened to you?"

Wyvern gave a cold snort to that as he lowered his hand. "Nothing, _Lord_ Bahamut, King of All Espers, than a realization. A change. But that change was not the first, oh no. It was begun on our last parting, four thousand, one hundred, and fifty days ago to this day." He sneered. "Do you not keep track of such things, _Lord_ Bahamut, King of All Espers? I'm sure you remember it well. That was the day when you secured your kingdom and domination. That was the day you set yourself up as the new god of this planet, and banished the one true danger to your power. I'm sure you celebrate it yourself each and every year with ever mounting joy. And now, when I return, I see the fear in you as you struggle to mask your growing terror with this faux happiness. This is the same day that a new change came to the world, and you betrayed me. You sought to increase your own power and superiority, and you were a traitor to your own blood." Wyvern's eyes narrowed, and his voice grew darker. "That day, you proved that you were truly a greedy and contemptable creature, as base and foul as the foe we destroyed. You cared nothing for family or brotherhood...only your own power."

Bahamut blinked at this in response. Never had he heard such bitter words aimed at him, and in such an angry, violent voice. They made him recoil further in fear and shock.

"Wyvern...I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play the fool with me!" The esper violently snapped...the power radiating off him causing the nearest espers to fall back. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! You took lordship over the espers for yourself! You snubbed me, your best friend, your only true brother! You became so arrogant and greedy that you cast me off! You drove me away! All so that you alone could be the King of All Espers, and thereby be the king of the world! You wanted to dominate all life so badly that you forsook your twin brother!"

Bahamut was astonished at this, and gaped in surprise. He furiously shook his head. "That's not true! I never wanted this position! And I never wanted you away!"

"Liar!" Wyvern roared back. "You feared me since the day you met me! That was why you were always dragging your feet! That was why you withheld from me the secrets to true power! That was why you drained my power to kill Griever! You knew you couldn't do it yourself! You needed my power, the greater strength and might that I possessed! I was better than you, and so you seized my energy and made it your own! Then once that was done, you took the crown for yourself and banished me! Even then, you realized you'd never be able to kill me, so you drove me off instead! Otherwise, I'm sure that you would have simply spilled my blood at the first chance!"

Bahamut couldn't believe what he was hearing. His happiness faded as a cold fear shot into him. All of his joy was turned into horrified shock. His brother had changed, been twisted and turned by a terrible, horrible grudge that now consumed him. It did so much that the esper had altered history, creating lies in his mind that Bahamut had feared him and driven him off. He couldn't believe it. This was what was festering in Wyvern's mind for the past four thousand years? This was what had ate at him and wore away his happiness and joy? This whole time...he thought that Bahamut had ruined him? Had believed himself better than him? Had given him all of this evil? Bahamut was totally overwhelmed at such a history.

"You're wrong!" Bahamut retorted. "I never banished you! I've been waiting endlessly for you!"

Wyvern hissed furiously. "More of your foul lies. You thought I was a danger ever since the first day we built this mountain. You were overcome with greed and avarice and jealousy for my might. Don't try and paint a rosy picture to delude yourself, _Lord_ Bahamut, King of All Espers. Or is that the only way you can stomach your own foul soul? By making everything work out for you in the end? Repainting history so that it suits your own needs? I'm sure this is what you have been telling all of these people for generations...about how your hot-headed brother spurned you, so kind and noble, and ran off, and that you've been weeping endlessly for millenia eagerly awaiting his return? The only thing you prayed for is that this day would never come! That I'd never return to take what was rightfully mine!"

Bahamut's face lost its color. Wyvern was mad. Everything about him had turned from true events to being the attempts of Bahamut to ruin him. He couldn't believe it. This was his brother? His best friend? His faithful companion? The person he loved as much as himself?

"Wyvern, you must listen to me. I never wished for any of this to happen. I never craved this throne for myself. You've created all of these fantasies in your own mind. The only thing I ever wanted was for you to return so that we could live together. I wanted the chance to apologize for what happened to us on that day, and I have had no peace in my heart about it for that time. I wanted was for us to be a family again."

But this only cause Wyvern to laugh, and laugh bitterly. It was like daggers in his heart as Bahamut heard the malicious, cold sound of Wyvern's voice in reply.

"Live together?" He echoed. "Live together indeed...but with you as the great and mighty king of all life, and I as your foot-licking slave. That was what you wished for our 'family'." He paused again at this, but then shrugged. "Very well, _Lord_ Bahamut, King of All Espers." His tone was now nearly snarling whenever he said that title. "If you want us to coexist, then here is the conditions. Right now, you must come forth and place that diadem on _my_ head, where it has rightfully belonged for over four thousand years, and then you must thrust yourself down at my feet and wallow in the mud at my pleasure. There you will spend the rest of your days, being my personal amusement, to kick and to beat and to shove into the slime of the ground whenever I wish. Then we will have our peace, _Lord_ Bahamut, King of All Espers! Then will I give you justice for four thousand years of banishment and your malicious selfishness and greed! Then shall I accept your arrogant, selfish apologies! Then we shall have a family as it was meant to be, with the greater brother at last in his rightful position over the lesser! When I am rightfully proclaimed Lord Wyvern, Emperor of the Blue Planet!"

Bahamut was overwhelmed. Wyvern had come so far to actually be saying these things. He was struck dumb for a few moments, all the while his heart breaking and his mind swimming with shock at this.

"Wyvern...what has happened to you?"

"I came to obtain what was rightfully mine." Wyvern coldly returned, his voice quieter. "Take off that self-given crown and give it to me. Then I shall be king over all life on this world. Then I will end this sickening state into which our people have fallen into, a state that _you_, Lord of All Espers, allowed to happen! We are becoming the playthings of humans! These Summoners dare to put us at their order, as if we were some sort of dog following its master? Under me, all shall know that espers are the true power of this world, and we shall make the people of this world subject to us, as they were meant to be. We will end their petty struggles and strife, and we shall establish the way they are to live. We will teach them true respect and fear for those over them. That was your responsibility, King of All Espers. But you neglected it. You are allowing us to fall under the heel of worthless creatures. You are having us fade into nothing, when we should rightfully command this world! It is our right as children of the planet! To use this power that is rightfully ours, and teach the other races of this world their proper place!"

Bahamut still couldn't believe this. It brought horrible memories to mind. However, at this time, he finally changed. The mention of the danger to the rest of the world came forth. He could not and would not allow such a thing to happen. That had been the mistake of Crusader, and it had almost led to the destruction of the world. Bahamut thought that Wyvern would remember that. But he did not, and now...to Bahamut's shock and fear...was beginning to sound like Crusader itself. That reckless pride eventually led to feelings of superiority over all life...and then to reckless evil as worthless lives were destroyed. That must never happen again.

"If you wanted anything else, brother, perhaps I could consent." Bahamut replied, his voice still filled with surprise. "But...I cannot let your rule over the espers if that is your desire. We cannot rule over the other races. We never could. If we do, we would become the same as Griever. We would eventually become enemies, and ruin this world in our arrogance."

"Do you speak out of concern for humanity?" Wyvern challenged. "Or are you rather afraid to lose your power? You tell me you fear arrogance, but your greed makes you far the more arrogant. You let these humans do what you want because you fear they can take your power from you. You won't expand our realm beyond this grimy hole because you feel that to do so might unclench the iron fist you hold these people in!"

That was too much for Bahamut, and his voice turned angry. "You're spouting nonsense!"

Wyvern snarled in response. "That's your default response, isn't it? The lower brother can't think of anything, because he's not as wise or strong as the King of All Espers!" Wyvern paused after this, hissing and snarling. But then...he suddenly lost his anger. His face twisted into a crooked smile, and his eyes burned with not only anger, but malice as well. Now the people really did retreat, and Bahamut himself began to sweat. His own angry face faded, and he stared at Wyvern as he felt his aura suddenly rise dramatically in power. As for the esper, he drew himself up and crossed his arms, and flashed his white teeth in a menacing grin.

"If you want me to take the crown by force, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers," Wyvern smoothly continued. "Then I will. In all honesty, I like it better this way than by you becoming my slave. I can't stand your ugly face anymore. Each look at it makes me want to rip it off. You see, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers...while you have been sitting here glutting yourself on your own power, greed, and pride..." Here, he narrowed his gaze and grinned wider.

"...I've been evolving."

Bahamut sensed a deep hidden danger in that reply, and something told him he should take it very seriously...and be afraid.

"You see, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers, I found a way to reach the very life blood of this planet, the river of spirits that flows through this world and is constantly feeding life and being refilled by death." Wyvern coolly explained. "I knew you were stronger than me. I knew I'd never be able to surpass the strength that you reached. So I found an entrance to this river of spirits and placed myself there. And there, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers, is where I have been while you have been so desperately waiting for me. That is where I have remained, with infinitely more patience than you thought I was capable of. I have spent an eternity deep in the ground, wading in a stream of endless voices, emotions, and life experiences. It was a struggle for me to even maintain my sanity there, especially for what to all others was infinite time. But I did it. I did it because as I stayed there, I began to change. The spirit energy slowly flowed into my body, and as it did it slowly began to change me. I was charged with the energy in the stream. My cells were adapted and enlarged to become stronger, healthier, and mightier. Power flowed into me slowly. But still I waited, and still I held on in that chaotic place. And still I gained more and more power. The events of the world flashed by me in bolts in lightning, and I was barely able to focus on it. But I saw it none the less, and I stewed over it with my own thoughts. I slowly began to truly unlock my powers as I continued to gain more. Finally, now, at this time in history, I was satisfied with my power. And now I have come. Now, after eons of waiting, I will have what is rightfully mine."

Another astonishment went through Bahamut's mind. He knew what Wyvern spoke of. They called it the Lifestream. But to get into it was dangerous. Few people could spend even a few minutes in it without being driven insane. Others were hopelessly lost in it. Many tended to gain more power if they spent long in it, for they were flooded with the life energy of the Planet until it warped their bodies to accomodate it. It explained how Wyvern's eyes were shining forth...they were always the first to change. But spending too long in there was hazardous. They could get poisoned by the energy, becoming hopelessly lost in their own minds. No one on record had ever spent longer than a day in the Lifestream. But Wyvern...he had spent over four thousand years... Could that possibly be true? Could one possibly be in there that long? For century after century, could he have really been in there? Could his obsession with Bahamut be so complete that he would do that to himself?

"That's...impossible."

That made Wyvern smile even more. His eyes flashed to malice. His eyes blazed.

"...You want to test me?" Pause, and then a shrug. "Very well..."

At that, Wyvern slowly unfurled his wings from his human back, first one and then the other. He planted his feet on the ground afterward, and stretched out his tail, sticking it out from his human back, to balance himself. With that, Wyvern inhaled deeply and then leaned his head back. After that...he began to focus his power. Almost immediately, Bahamut sensed a horrifying thing. Wyvern's power began to shoot up tremendously. Far faster and far stronger than anything he had seen in eons. Around him, the air began to crackle as energy gathered. It grew so strong that sparks actually began to encircle the esper and crash. The air began to wave around him as a tremendous amount of heat began to burn. But it only got stronger. The bolts became larger and more frequent, encircling him. The heat began to wave faster and faster, and the grass at Wyvern's feet spontaneously began to smolder. Some of it actually burst into flame. A wind picked up around him, and soon it began to pull and whip up around the espers surrounding him. Even more so, it began to push on wings of espers and threaten to push them down.

Bahamut gazed at this in awe. For the first time in centuries...fear came into him. Terrible fear. He was actually going to attack him. His brother, his best friend, was really going to attack him. They had been driven that far apart. And this wasn't going to be a small attack either. It was a new one, far stronger than Wyvern's old moves. Bahamut swallowed. He still didn't understand how this had happened, but he didn't have time. He quickly crossed his arms in front of himself and planted his feet. However, Wyvern's power only grew. The electricity grew so bad it began to snap at surrounding espers, and they cried out and fell back. The others shielded themselves. Fear ran throughout the group, and they fled back farther and farther. Soon, a wide open space was right before Bahamut. The great esper feared any further strength to this attack. Yet right at that moment...the power suddenly stopped building. Bahamut saw this, and for the briefest moment was perplexed. It was obvious that Wyvern could gather a lot more power, but he stopped it there. Yet that was all he could think, for abruptly the thing opened its mouth, revealing a blazing burning light inside.

"Mega-_pyron_." Wyvern calmly said.

Moments later, everyone was blinded and forced to look away as a terrible attack fired from Wyvern's mouth. Bahamut alone endured it, and he gaped in terror at it. It was right there...the huge balls of fire erupting from the mouth, gathering together in one concentrated blast, forming one massive strike. But they were larger than ever before. They burned and blazed hotter than any other breath weapon. And they sailed forward far faster than Bahamut's own attacks. They rushed straight for Bahamut, tearing up the ground and burning the remains. But through it all, right up to the point where the blinding light struck him, Bahamut gazed in terrible shock...for this attack was a far stronger version of his own Mega-pyrin attack.

The blast connected right where his arms were crossed, and immediately erupted. In a flash, the other balls of fire rushed in and exploded. Bahamut's body was instantly bathed in flame. Terrible raging fire swept over him and consumed him. This magical fire didn't simply bathe him and roast him as Bahamut's did. Instead...the terrible fire penetrated him and consumed him from within to outside, burning its terrible heat through in and through out. Explosion after explosion occured, each one adding to the overall intensity of the blast. And that made it burn him more, consuming him in a red flame that burned hotter than the core of the planet. And through it all...Bahamut struggled not to scream. Mind-numbing pain penetrated throughout him. His muscles and bones threatened to turn to ash from within. His flesh began to tighten from being roasted. His brain felt like it would melt out from within his skull. And still it burned hotter. Bahamut felt his feet lifted off the ground. His arms buckled and the bones threatened to shatter. His whole body shaked. Each and every last ounce of power was poured into withstanding this attack...but to Bahamut's horror it wasn't enough. It kept pushing...kept burning... Bahamut stretched and groaned, and began to cry out in pain. He couldn't hold it any longer...

But then, at that moment, the Mega-pyron died. All was quiet again. The espers continued to gape in fear for a moment, but then slowly they began to inch forward and gaze at what had happened. They were shocked at what they saw.

A great burning trench led from Wyvern to Bahamut. The trench was blackened, smoking, and partially still on fire. But the worst part was Bahamut. Around him in a great semi-circle burn painted into the ground was the sign of the blast. Fires were on either side of him, and the ground had been upheaved and burned in that semicircle crater. But as for Bahamut himself, he was a mess. His forearms now had great black burns on them where the flesh was now peeling and bleeding. The outer skin had been burnt to charcoal. His clothing was nothing more than burnt rags now, dripping off of his still-smoking body. His diadem had melted over. Most of his body was not burned, but was stretched to the limit. All of his human muscles were bulging. His eyes were open and blazing, showing he was at his full power. He panted raggedly, and sweat poured from every inch of skin on his body. Somehow, however, he still stood.

Wyvern, on the other hand, didn't look winded at all. He calmly retracted his wings and tail, and they vanished once again into his human body. He straightened up and calmly crossed his arms and smiled menacingly at the esper. "Did you enjoy that?" He mocked. "That was just a taste of what I have become. I wasn't even trying that hard. That blast alone nearly finished you, but I assure you I can go up to ten times that strength. So don't you see, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers? I have no reason to fear you any longer. I have far surpassed you. And I could take what I want from you right now."

Bahamut couldn't react. He could only pant. He was too out of breath. The flames had burned the air out of his lungs. He continued to wheeze hold, struggling to stay standing. But deep within his mind, in the midst of all his pain and shock...hecontinued to feel fear.

Wyvern at last raised a claw and pointed at him. "I'm going to cut you a break, though. You have three days to give up your throne to me. If you don't, I'll simply kill you and take it anyway. You're welcome to try and fight me, however. I'll be waiting for you at the NorthernValley at the end of the three days, at this time exactly." A pause, and then a sneer. "Oh, and don't try running from me. I'll hunt you down and kill you if you do. In the meantime, you might as well prepare your people to bow down to their new king."

The esper lowered his claw at that, leaving Bahamut to pant and breathe. After that, he turned his head to either side. His attendants had shrunk away now, cringing in fear of their master's power. But when he looked to them, they immediately swallowed their fear and looked up. He gestured to either. "Zola... Noonian... We're leaving."

With that, Wyvern turned around and calmly began to walk out from Terratopolis. His attendants, Zola and Noonian, paused a bit longer, but then they managed to get up and follow after him. Soon, the three of them were walking out from the area, and back into the tunnel. They descended the steps, their footsteps echoing throughout the courtyard, and then entered the hall and walked on. Soon, they were totally gone, and left the people in the square in peace.

No one dared say a word. The espers slowly recovered, marveling in shock and awe. Many of them had only heard of Wyvern in legends, if at all. Now that they saw him, there were mixtures of shock and fear at the sight of his terrible power. They looked to each other with confused expressions and began to talk mentally to one another. The older espers were mortified. Ogopogo quivered with fear on the balcony, grasping his own chest in terror and leaning back from the rail. Odin tightened his fists and grit his teeth, and glared hatefully out at Wyvern. Inside, he hated himself for having fallen so far behind, and for having seen himself and the others so helpless before him. Indeed, no one but Bahamut had dared even speak to this terrible power. Leviathan's brow was soaked with sweat. He was aghast with shock, his mind running through hundreds of horrifying possibilities, and taking all of this into consideration. Starlet had stepped out onto the balcony, and she looked down below to Bahamut as he stood, her mind racing with fear.

"Bahamut...are you alright?"

In response, Bahamut exhaled a blast of air. His arms dropped down to his sides.

Then, he passed out.

* * *

To be continued...


	3. 24 Hours

Bahamut's sleep was not well. He had endless dreams of Wyvern. They all began the same. They would be reliving some joyful moment from their childhood, carefree and playing. But always, Wyvern would morph into a terrible monster. He would lash out angrily at Bahamut at the slightest infraction...and then he would blast him with that terrible attack, and Bahamut would scream as he burned away. This replayed itself again and again, and each time Bahamut begged his brother to stop. But he wouldn't. His rage was all-consuming and insatiable... But then, somewhere in one dream, as Wyvern lashed out at him again on another tirade, a mysterious voice called out into the darkness.

"Bahamut! Wake up!"

At once, the infuriated image of Wyvern twisted and faded away. His burning eyes vanished away into a mist, and then disappeared into darkness. Everything took on a solid and real quality to it. His senses seemed stronger, and the world seemed heavier. Then, awareness gripped him again. And at once, he became conscious that he was asleep. And now, he had just awakened. Slowly, he began to open his eyes.

He quinted as he did, and more slowly finished opening them. It was daylight still, and though he could see immediately that he was indoors, he saw that there were plenty of windows to let light in. He realized that he was in his room. The decor and wall carvings were all his own, and the shade in which the sun came in came only from his chambers. What more, the light was more reddish, showing that it was afternoon outside. He saw that he had to have been asleep for some time. He was aware that he was laying prone, and still in his human form. He reclined on one of the couches in his room. Espers had little need for sleep, and when they did they had no need of large beds. Many took them none the less, but Bahamut was not one of them. This was the closest thing he had. Lastly, he was aware that he was not alone. Hovering over his head were his brothers and sister. Leviathan and Starlet both closely looked over him. Ogopogo was cringing a bit at the foot and looking uneasy. Odin was back against a wall, teeth grit and arms crossed. Finally, Khan and Noonian poked their heads in nearby and looked at him. When they saw him open his eyes and look at them, they immediately beamed.

"Master! You are alright!"

Bahamut grunted a bit in response to that, not sure if that was so. However, he felt much better now. Before, his strength had nearly been drained. He had been helpless. A human child could have bested him, and he was sure Wyvern knew it. Weathering that attack had taken everything he had. Not a drop less. And he knew, to his fear, that the attack did not represent Wyvern's best. He knew that he wasn't joking about the full power. He really could do better. At least now he felt replenished. His reptilian ability to regenerate no doubt helped, but there were plenty of healer espers there as well. He looked down to his arms and was pleased to see that not the slightest trace of a burn was there. They were flesh and normal again, not even scarred. He exhaled for a moment, but then began to lean up.

Starlet immediately reached down and grasped him. "Maybe you shouldn't move so quickly..." She warned him.

"I'm feeling alright now. My strength seems to have returned." Bahamut answered, and continued leaning up until he was in a seated position. The others backed off, and soon Bahamut had a good view of the area. He looked around and exhaled. There was so much on his mind right now that it was hard to even know where to begin. And so, he tried not to right away. That would only bring more pain. He needed time to get his bearings...to understand how things had turned so dark in such a short time. "How long have I been out?" He finally asked.

Leviathan frowned at this in response. "Two days."

Bahamut's mind was soon gripped with another surprise. Almost immediately, he snapped around to Leviathan and gazed at him in open-mouthed shock. "...Really?"

Leviathan glumly looked up, and the others shrank away uneasily. "It's true. We managed to heal your body easily enough, but your energy had been nearly totally drained. I calculated the energy on that attack. I don't know if he did this intentionally or not...but that blast was just under enough to break you. It was a warning, in my opinion."

Bahamut turned away at that. He sighed again and looked to the ground. This forced him to think again of Wyvern. He still couldn't believe it. How could he have done that? Could that one mistake, that one argument ages ago...could that really have caused this? Could he really have become so bitter? Did he really see him as such a cruel tyrant? How? How was this happening? His brother would never have said such things to him before. But he had been so warped by the past centuries. He couldn't believe it...he almost refused to. The brother and friend he hadn't seen in generations wanted him dead. While he had endlessly loved him and hoped for his safe return, his brother had only been plotting his destruction and growing in hatred for him daily. Had what he done been really so foul that it deserved this? Was it so wrong that even four thousand years of time could not lessen the sting to Wyvern? It was almost impossible to believe that this was even his brother. He had changed so much. He wanted to think it was some evil imposter. That would have made it better. But he knew in his heart it wasn't. No...this one who had cursed him and injured him two days ago was the same who had once promised to always be friends with him.

But that promise was broken now. Bahamut didn't know what to do. He wanted to faint. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. But none of it would remedy this horror that had transpired. None of it could take him back in time to erase whatever had led to this moment. Yet it was true. His brother...his twin brother...was now an enemy. And now he wanted him dead. His madness was consuming him, and now it hungered to consume Bahamut as well. How had it come to this? Was there really no other way? Had this rift between them really reached this point?

"...Where is my brother?" Bahamut finally said.

The others looked to each other uneasily at that. In truth, none of them had ever truly liked Wyvern. Bahamut had taken charge as the more controlled and stronger of the two early on. After Crusader had perished, they all grew closer to each other out of necessity. But Wyvern was not there for that process. All they had of him after thousands of years were memories of his tricks, his arrogance, and his temper. And his negative aspects just stood out more in the face of this latest act.

"He's waiting about one hundred miles from Terratopolis." Odin flatly responded at last. "Not that any of us can do anything about it. His power exceeds ours by far now. We couldn't risk doing anything without you. We found guards that he attacked. He'll smash anyone who tries to stop him without pity or mercy."

Bahamut didn't answer. He kept his head bowed. So...it had come to this. He wasn't going to be reasoned with. He already knew that. He wanted to try and get him back. He wanted him to understand what had happened. But he wouldn't. He would only obey the path he had already set up. He had been plotting this for thousands of years. He wouldn't stop now. And he wouldn't listen to Bahamut either. He would never believe a word he said. But as for Bahamut, he knew already that he couldn't give in to his demands. He couldn't hand the kingship over to Wyvern now. Wyvern hadn't the experience, the knowledge, or the wisdom. He hadn't the control to be able to keep himself in check, and he hadn't the ability to be responsible. Much of him still hadn't changed in these four thousand years. He was still too emotive. But most importantly, he couldn't let him carry out his grim plans for the future. He couldn't let him take the kingship if he would carry out these plans against humanity. He knew it would be the makings of another Griever. But if reasoning was out...and conceding was out...that only left one horrible possibility...

"S-s-surely...Bahamut could defeat him, right?" Ogopogo suggested from his low position. "I mean, this is Bahamut we're talking about. He beat up Griever and-"

Leviathan sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible. Bahamut permenantly changed himself when he rejected his power component. This new body will never be able to achieve the power of its old form."

"And Wyvern has managed to push himself beyond the limits of his own body." Odin threw in darkly. "Even if Bahamut was at maximum, he would still be behind this new Wyvern."

Ogopogo swallowed and began to tremble in reply again.

"Tell me..."

On hearing this, the people in the chamber quickly forgot about their current discussion, and turned and looked to who had spoken. What they saw was Bahamut. His head was still bowed. His look was grim, and his tone was faraway.

"...Am I really such a tyrant? Am I really so arrogant?" He softly asked.

Bahamut continued to look down after that, for there was a brief pause afterward. However, it didn't last long.

Abruptly, he felt a hand slap him right across the face.

On feeling hot pain shoot through his cheek, and his head be flung violently one way, Bahamut snapped out of it. Instinct took over for emotion, and he was shaken out long enough to wheel his head back around and look up to who had done this. His eyes were open and he was alert now. However, he found himself looking right into the face of Starlet. Her eyes were bold and vibrant. Her cheek was hard and her features strong. At once, she had taken on all the quality of being a grand and regal queen, and she still held her hand out from where it had struck Bahamut's cheek as she glared at him.

"Stop that at once, you hear me?" She coldly retorted to him. "Don't you _dare_ buy into his treachery and lies. Don't believe them for a second. You have had your faults as king, that much is true. But the espers have prospered under you. And so have the people of this world. You made the right decision years ago. We all did. Wyvern was the only one that didn't. We all knew that to rule the humans risked the chance of them becoming dependent on us. But furthermore, we knew that it meant risking becoming another Griever. You have made yourself more humble and lowly than any of us desired for the sole purpose of making sure that you would _not_ give in to arrogance and greed. You've only ever truly delighted in the happiness of others. Can he say the same? You have never executed a single esper, but have treated all with more mercy than they deserve. You've only interacted when you've had no other choice. Would he do the same? You may debate me on that, but you know deep down it is true."

Bahamut paused at this. He didn't say anything in response.

"Bahamut," Leviathan added. "Wyvern is mad. That is clear now. He is projecting himself onto you to avoid facing what he has become. He was speaking of himself, not you."

Bahamut looked up and wheeled violently to Leviathan at that. No matter what had happened...it was an insult to his brother, and he wouldn't stand for it. His brother was his best friend. He had always tried to help him. It was their decision to help the humans. Perhaps he was something else now, but he had once been a great and noble esper. He wouldn't hear this against him.

But Leviathan saw this. In fact, he expected it. Bahamut's love for Wyvern was great, and he knew that he would not let it go easily. And so, raising his voice and insisting, he continued.

"And everyone knew it even if you did not." He flatly stated. "Wyvern hungered for power. He did that since we began to strike against Griever. And he was arrogant. It was because of him that you got injured in the first fight with Lich. Later on, his insistance on you teaching him a Pyron delayed you from coming to the fight with Griever. And right down to the end, he was holding out on giving you the power you needed to finish him. He used you. He manipulated your love for him in order to get you to teach him the Pyron. And when the time came, he held out on you because he was so afraid to lose his own power. It was his arrogance that allowed Griever to beat him. And in the end, he tried to manipulate your love for him again to give himself lordship over all espers. And because you refused, because you stood against his own greed and ambition, he was faced with what he truly was. And he wasn't mature enough to accept that about himself. Now, he has projected it on to you."

Bahamut glared back at him angrily in response. He fumed and began to grow angry.

Leviathan, however, was totally calm.

"Search inside yourself, Bahamut...and you too will find things you were unwilling to admit. You will know what I say is true."

Bahamut continued to stare, and buckled for a moment. His mouth curled up. His head looked away and he clenched and released his fists. He brimmed with anger and a willingness to defend his brother. But in the end...he simply exhaled and relaxed. His head bowed slightly.

Leviathan...was right.

Bahamut had grown apprehensive of Wyvern for some time before their break. He had noticed the change in him. He noticed how arrogant he became when he learned his true powers. He saw how hot-headed and uncontrollable he was, and how he abandoned him multiple times because he thought he could handle things on his own. His mistakes...much as he hated to admit it...had cost them more than once. And he was a liability more than an asset on several occasions. He had known this...and had thought of it all the while throughout those early conflicts. And ultimately, knowing that, that was why he knew that he couldn't vote for Wyvern. He would only lead the group into ruin. As for himself...yes, it was true he had voted for himself. But that was not out of arrogance as anyone could assume. Bahamut knew he was the most knowledgable and strongest from the start. He knew that Leviathan and Ogopogo were too weak at the time, although if it had been now instead of then he probably would have nominated Leviathan. Starlet was too scatterbrained and emotive. Odin was too cold, and he didn't want the position. In the end, he knew that he was indeed the best choice. But he still didn't feel good about it. And he especially didn't feel good about snubbing his brother.

But in the end...he feared more about what Wyvern would become.

"...He's my twin brother..." Bahamut finally exhaled. "...I love him as much as myself."

"But he doesn't share that sentiment, Bahamut." Odin coldly stated, causing the others to look up to him. "He won't be thinking anything about blood when he sees you. He was the one who betrayed you. He was the one who abandoned you first those years ago. And now, he's merely finishing it. In four thousand years he hasn't given up this grudge he had created between you. Three days...or one day now...won't make a difference. When he meets you, if you don't agree to his demands he is going to kill you."

But this only made Bahamut upset again. And that turned him to anger. He looked up and glared at Odin. "So you all want me to kill him first, is that it? You want me to kill my own brother!"

The others were silent in response to that. Ogopogo cringed a bit and looked weakly up to Bahamut. But the others stared plain and hard, not yielding.

"You are the king." Leviathan simply answered. "You are responsible for more than your feelings. If you want to keep your kingdom secure, then you must kill him."

Bahamut spat in disgust. Now he wheeled around and glared at them all. "Well, you all make it sound so easy!" He snapped. "You make it sound like I've been plotting on axing him for all these years like he has, instead of praying that he'd come back! He's still my brother, damnit! Why can't you all understand that! I don't want to kill him! I don't even want to fight him! Even if he wants to kill me, I can't make myself want to! Why are you all unable to see this! He's your brother too! How can you just write him off as some other thing to kill! How can you just treat him like some damn monster!"

There was a pause of silence again. But none of them changed. Starlet looked down for a moment, but then looked back up. The others remained.

"...Griever was also our brother." Leviathan calmly said at last.

Had Bahamut been a more tempermental creature, he would have punched Leviathan out right then and there. His hand clenched into a fist, and he began to rise. Leviathan saw this but didn't react. He stayed as immotile as the truth itself inevitably was. And on seeing that...Bahamut continued to fume but he didn't change. He slipped back down onto his couch and cursed under his breath. He swung his fist into the wall instead, and immediately punched a hole in it. This was inevitable too, and he knew Leviathan was telling the truth. It didn't matter in the end, no matter how close they were. Starlet had been closer to Crusader than anyone, yet she hesitated only a moment before attacking her. In the end, they all had to turn against the mother they knew and loved to destroy the monster that she had become. But to accept that about Wyvern...that meant he would have to admit the same thing that happened to Crusader happened to him. That meant he would have to admit...that he too was beyond saving...that he too had fallen into darkness... And no matter what stared him in the face, he couldn't do that. Because that would mean giving up on his best friend...

He hated this. He hated everything about it. And yet...it couldn't be stopped. None of it could. He had only two choices: surrender or fight. The former was not an option...not if he claimed to be a truly responsible king. Wyvern would think him stingy and unwilling to give up power. The truth was that he would be protecting his people. But in that case, then he knew what would come. Another fight. In the end, he would have to battle him, and more than that he would have to win. That meant he would have to disable Wyvern. However...Crusader hadn't consented to be disabled in the end. It had chosen death instead. Would Wyvern do the same thing? Would he be forced to do that to him or die himself? This was like a nightmare, and every turn was another choice he hated. But finally, he bowed his head and sighed.

"Alright...alright, I'll do it. I have to. It's still my responsibility."

The others stayed silent, but gave a slow nod to this.

"But...but how?" Ogopogo suddenly whined from his position. "How can he do it? You saw what happened two days ago..."

Bahamut sighed and rubbed his temples. "I'll just have to train some, just like before."

"But...you only have one day, master..." Khan protested.

"I'll use the hourglass." Bahamut simply replied. "I'll be able to train for years in there in a second in real life."

"Not to be pessimistic, Bahamut." Odin answered to that. "But I don't think it will matter. The hourglass will only allow a maximum of ten years. After that, it will take ten years of real world time to refill. Wyvern has been bathing himself in the lifestream for millenia."

Bahamut merely frowned in response. They weren't making this easier on him. He turned and looked over to Odin. "If you have any better ideas, I would love to hear them."

No one said anything. Everyone in the room merely looked down and hesitated. Most looked uneasy or uncertain of themselves. But in the end...it was Starlet who actually raised her head.

"Actually...I might have one idea."

* * *

_Two Days Earlier_

"Hmph...so why have you come to me?"

"He always is giving credit and honor to Leviathan, but he's given none to me. We are equals and we deserve an equal share."

"And you think I'll give you Leviathan's old office, is that right?"

"W-w-well...if you want to, that is... Of course, the word of Lord Wyvern will be law."

"Hmph."

"I can do more for you too! After what they saw, the espers are being thrown into confusion. They know that you're the new power among our kind. Some are ready to side with you. Give me two days, and I swear a hundred espers will proclaim you the new king once you have finished Bahamut."

"Will you now?"

"I swear I will call you master if you show me this bit of kindness, and I will help you secure the throne."

"It will take more than that, worm. Very well. You round up your hundred espers. Then, once Bahamut is dead, I want them all to immediately slay their kindred who would follow him. I don't want so much as one subject following him. As for you, you will slay Leviathan. Is that understood?"

"Um...er..."

"You proclaim loyalty to me...and now you question me!"

"No! No! I swear it will be done! I will give them the command..."

"...And?"

"...And I will kill Leviathan."

"Good. In three days then."

* * *

"I know what you're going to do, Lady Starlet!" Noonian suddenly outburst. "You're going to teach Lord Bahamut how to transform!"

Starlet, however, only frowned and looked downcast at that. Bahamut did as well when he saw that. He had hoped that Starlet would have taught him that. Then maybe he would have had a chance. But at the same time, he was a bit relieved. That form was too wild and uncontrolable. He might kill Wyvern...and if he could he would avoid that.

The espers from Bahamut's room had reassembled, and were now walking through the halls. They were going to the fusion chamber, which seemed a good a place as any in which to use the hourglass. Along the way, Bahamut, though distracted by thoughts of Wyvern, noticed the espers that passed him by. They all still thrust themselves down and bowed to him and his company as they walked, but at the same time they also had other emotions. Some looked nervous. Others grimaced. The hanging thought of what had happened two days ago dwelled on them all, and all of them had the thought that they would soon lose their current master in favor of another. Bahamut paid this no mind but kept walking.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Starlet ruefully admitted.

Khan and Noonian both frowned at that. "Why not?"

"First of all, the ability to transform is tied into my own innate abilities." Starlet explained. "It's a specific power to me. Second, to be able to transform requires a huge emotional push. It has to be something really strong and really forceful. It has to override everything about you and penetrate you. That's why my husband nicknamed it a 'Trance'. Finally...I don't think that espers like Bahamut can do this. It seems that its specific to only one type of esper, mostly humanoid ones."

Odin snorted in response to that. "...Then how come I can't transform?"

"Probably because you aren't the same Odin that we grew up with." Leviathan reminded. "Remember? You broke off a part of yourself."

Odin merely grumbled in response to that and crossed his arms.

However, at this, Ogopogo suddenly brightened up. "Hey...I got it! Why don't we have Starlet and Odin fight too? Between Starlet's Ashura form and Odin's Gunge Lance..."

"No."

The espers wheeled around to this. What they saw was Bahamut, glaring forward and stone-faced.

"I do this alone." He flatly stated, not giving any room for dispute.

None of the espers ventured to argue with him. Nor did they feel inclined to. He was right. This was his battle, one that he had been called out on. What more...none of them would hesitate to seriously injure or kill Wyvern in a life-or-death struggle. He was the only one who felt emotively tied enough to him to stop himself. And this was his twin brother and his friend. In the end, it could only be him.

"...Besides," Leviathan threw out. "I'm afraid we won't make much difference. Odin is only at about half of Bahamut's strength, and Starlet is even lower. I myself only have one good attack in me, and I doubt that Wyvern will stand still long enough for me to use it."

Khan pouted. "So what are you going to do, Lady Starlet?"

"I've been working on a technique for some time with Palidor." Starlet responded. "Palidor would probably be the better teacher, but I'm stronger so I'll have to go in with Bahamut to try and give him a good workout. With my Ashura form, it should be easier. Anyway, it's a special type of spell that boosts one's speed and power for a short time. If Bahamut has the chance to cast it on himself, he'll get a great increase in strength and speed. Hopefully, that will be enough to beat Wyvern."

"Have you ever tested it in battle before?" Odin ventured.

Starlet blushed a bit at this. She nervously swallowed. "...Well...not really. I haven't been in a real fight since Griever. And there's nothing really to test this technique on. So I'm not sure how effective it will be exactly..."

"In other words," Odin coldly continued. "It might not be good enough at all."

Ogopogo swallowed at this again, seeming to grow even more nervous.

"Nevermind that." Bahamut simply answered. "It's the best we can do, so we'll do it. My mind is already in good condition, so I'll spend this time trying to improve my body. And I'll need to throw around a few Sol-pyrins too, just to make sure I can still do it."

Starlet began to sweat after hearing that. "...Just make sure I'm out of the way first..."

At that moment, the group reached the entrance way. Immediately, they passed through and entered the fusion chamber. This room hadn't improved much in the past thousand years. It had been decorated a bit more, and some even painted the great fusions on it. But it was still essentially two platforms between a center platform. The door had already been open, because it was still the esper gathering time. One opening still let a slight amount of light down into the chamber. But other than that, it was empty for right now.

Bahamut exhaled a deep sigh at seeing this. "...Well, I guess let's get this over with."

With that, Bahamut began to walk forward. Starlet hesitated a moment, but then turned to the others and took the hourglass from Leviathan. She managed a light smile to everyone else. She had agreed to go with Bahamut, but at the moment she wasn't relishing staying with him this long. She wasn't one for this sort of thing. However, she knew she had agreed, and she was the only one who could help him out. Finally, she sighed and turned back to walk to the center of the room as well.

"See you in ten years, I guess." Starlet somewhat glumly stated.

Bahamut reached the center and turned after that. He stood straight and tall and waited, not showing any expression of fear or expectation. Starlet reached him and turned as well. As she did, she took up the hourglass and began to adjust it. Seeing this, the other espers sighed and began to walk back out the way they had come. One by one, they left the room until all were out and Leviathan stood holding on to the doorknob.

"Good luck, Bahamut." He called back in. "And Starlet...thank you."

"I can't wait to see how strong you get, master!" Khan cheered.

Bahamut didn't smile in response, or give any acknowledgement. But it didn't matter. Starlet prepared to turn the hourglass over. As she did, Leviathan pulled the door to the chamber closed, and Starlet and Bahamut both vanished behind it as it shut and clicked into place. After that, the group looked earnestly at the door, and gave a collective slow exhale. Then, a bit hesitantly, Leviathan turned the knob and opened it up once again.

Starlet's clothing was in tatters, and had been mostly tied around her body by strands of her own hair that she had cut and made into rope. She looked much more like a warrior queen in this form, and her face was hard and fierce after years of battle. The rest of her long, flowing hair, which had grown much longer in that time, was tied back, and she exhaled a loud sigh. Her flesh quivered as she reentered reality, having left the cold, heavy world behind and taking everything in. As for Bahamut...he too was different. Now, his massive body filled the chamber, for he had fully turned into his esper form. He wasn't nearly as dirty as Starlet was. However, his muscle size had increased, and his activity was up. After ten years of getting in shape, he once again was the great and powerful esper he once had been. In fact, he actually looked stronger. He had never really worked on his body until now, but now that he had he was rippling with power. Leviathan could sense it already. He wasn't making any effort to hide it right now. It flooded over them and shadowed over their own powers, so that one could sense only the strength coming from him. His max power had doubled.

There was only a brief pause to take in this latest sight before Odin spoke up. "...Well?"

Starlet frowned at him. "Nice to see you too after so long." With that, she turned and rushed right up to Leviathan. To the esper's shock, she suddenly wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big kiss on the lips. She seemed to enjoy it pretty much. Leviathan stood in stunned surprise for a moment, before he realized that to Starlet, the moment he had spent away had been a very long time to her. And so, he returned it. Starlet held for a moment, before she pulled off of him and leaned her head against him with a smile.

"I missed you."

Leviathan swallowed, because he honestly couldn't say the same. He couldn't miss her that much after five seconds. And so, he merely turned a shade of red and patted her. "I...um...missed you too."

"Alright, now that greetings are out of the way..." Odin flatly responded, growing annoyed. "What happened?"

Starlet's innocent gazing into Leviathan's eyes was cut off as she looked down and glared at him. She managed to extrude herself from her husband and stood up to face him. "Well, if you're going to be impatient about it..." She inhaled a bit and smoothed herself out, taking on her regal appearance again. "Bahamut is back in shape, and he's managed to get a bit stronger as you've probably noticed. I also managed to teach him my new technique. However...he also managed to improve on it a bit, and we worked out the kinks to make an even better version of it. They both take only a second to unload."

Noonian smiled at this. "Wonderful!" She called. "So the master will be able to easily beat him now, won't he?"

On hearing that, Starlet paled a bit. She swallowed and bowed her head slightly. Leviathan himself, already sensing the power, likewise licked his lips and bowed his head. After all, he already sensed the truth. And Odin only had to look around once to realize what this all meant. Ogopogo too saw this, and he too began to grow fearful again. At last, it became obvious to Khan and Noonian. They looked around hopefully at the espers...but the silence was more than enough to give them a straight answer. Their hope diminished, and turned into fear. They both turned and looked over to Bahamut next. But the esper merely stood there, still in his reptillian form. Yet he slowly inhaled...and then began to work his power. His limbs shrank, his scales were replaced by skin, and his wings vanished. Hair and clothes materialized over him. Within a few moments, he was back into his human form...small and pathetic compared to his true body. He exhaled slowly then. His look had a faraway glare in it, and he stared at no one.

"...I need time to be alone." He simply said. Then, without another word, he dismounted the central platform. Without even beckoning the others to clear the way for him, he simply walked forward and out through the crowd. The others stared at him and watched him go, but he didn't respond. Soon, he was walking out of the main door and into the hallway. Khan and Noonian began to step forward for a moment...but then stopped. They realized, unspoken, that Bahamut included them in wanting to be alone. They could only hold back with anxious eyes as their master left.

The group was left alone in the room, with nothing but their anxiety and thoughts.

* * *

Bahamut had the most restless night of his life that night.

He did not return to his room. Instead, he went into one of the private meditation chambers of Terratopolis. It was also one of the more secret ones, so there was no chance of anyone coming. And there he sat. There, he thought about all of what had happened...and all that was to happen the next day. He did not sleep, but truly he didn't need to. He struggled just to clear his mind and make sense of what had happened...what was about to happen. Again and again, the same question rolled through his mind.

_How did it come to this?_

_How did one injury lead us to this point? How did he grow to hate me so much? How did this much time only increase his rage? _

_What am I even doing here?_

_I still can't believe that I'm sitting here, waiting for this. Tomorrow...he's going to try and kill me. My best friend wants me dead. And me? I'm going to have to fight him to save myself. Maybe even kill him. And why am I just taking it? Why am I not doing everything in my power to stop it? Why am I not refusing to come out? Why am I setting upon this road? This is what everyone else wants, but not me. In all the years I spent training, I only went through the motions. I mastered that attack simply because it was expected of me. But in truth...I've just been in apoplectic shock ever since that day. I can't accept it. Nothing will make me accept it. My brother... I love him so much, and yet he wants to kill me. He thinks me so evil. That's all that has been on his mind for generations, until he's been consumed by his own grudge. He doesn't even have a life outside of wishing for my death anymore._

_And yet...I can't do it._

_I can't go through with this. My world has turned into a nightmare, and I can't let it continue. I can't...and I won't kill my own brother. I can't even raise a fist against him. I still love him. I can't just let what we used to be go._

_And if I don't...he's going to kill me._

_But do I really care? What is a kingdom? What is a kingship? What is it compared to love? Is it really worth all this? Is the world worth this? I never cared for possessing the world or its people. But I do care if he forgives me. So why am I holding on? Why am I keeping this up?_

_How did it come to this?_

Bahamut found neither answers nor peace to these questions. The only answers that could come, ultimately, were from himself. And he had better decide on them soon. He was almost out of time...

* * *

When day broke, Bahamut arose from his chamber, and walked forth through the halls of the mountain. People still bowed to him as he passed...but their worry and concern was greater. Others, however, stared at him in bewilderment. For Bahamut was a shell of an esper. He moved like a man already dead, or to one going to an execution. He took so long that the sun had time to rise in the sky. But he didn't care. It bore him no pleasure or merriment today. He cared for nothing anymore...except for the terrible events that would happen today. He still had time, but he knew it was inevitable. Time was running out.

Bahamut at last came to one of the balconies. He slowly walked outside, and let the cool morning air strike him. The sun was still orange in the sky, and much of the mountain was still draped in shadow. But he inhaled the cool air none the less. The birds had gone. Their song had vanished...for they knew a great calamity would come soon. No espers were out either. All of them were staying inside, some offering prayers on behalf of Bahamut...while others began to contemplate dark behaviors... But Bahamut didn't care. Had his senses been about him, he would have sensed that a great calamity was building right under his feet. But he didn't. All he cared about was what was to be, and what he had sought so desperately to avoid. And right now, he only drank in the air and waited.

"...Breakfast is served."

Bahamut was not surprised. He hadn't noticed anyone out there with him, but he was too downcast to show surprise. Instead, he simply turned his head to the side. There, standing on the other side of the balcony, was Leviathan. He was back in his human form. He gazed at him softly from his aquamarine eyes, his face full of concern. In front of him, on a little wheel tray, was genuine silverware arranged in a high-class style. A silver lid covered the main plate on the tray, but Leviathan reached over and pulled it off, revealing some of Bahamut's favorite food: deer and bear meat with a side of pineapple slices. In all the time since he first left Ultima Nexus, it hadn't changed. He couldn't help but smile a bit at it, and gave a chuckle. It did, for a brief moment, get his mind off of things.

"...Did you pester Starlet to wake up and make it?"

Leviathan pouted at that. "What? You think simply because I'm the Chancellor and male that I am unable to do this? They don't call me Leviathan the Wise because I only have knowledge in books. _She_ has _me_ cook for her usually."

Bahamut smiled a bit at that. However, after holding a moment, he slowly let out a sigh. In truth, he hadn't been able to eat in days. And then, it had been only kupo nuts for the past ten years. Had it been any other time, he would have dug right in. But for now...his appetite was still gone. Yet he realized he had to try. Even if he couldn't much, he had to eat something. And so...with much hesitation...he reached over and tore off a small mouthful from the deer with his bare hand, and then raised it to his mouth and put it in. He reminded himself to chew, for humans couldn't swallow their food whole like him. The flavor soon hit his mouth, and he smiled a bit more again.

"...It's good."

Leviathan nodded in reply with a smile of his own. However, as Bahamut began to slowly pick at his food, his own smile faded. This little exchange didn't change the reality of what was going to happen. He held a bit longer, and then slowly exhaled. Still nothing was said between the two of them, but the merriment began to die all together. Soon, the grimness settled in as Bahamut continued to eat. But then, at length, Leviathan exhaled slowly and spoke up again.

"...I always knew I wasn't a good substitute."

Bahamut paused at eating when he heard that. He turned his head up and looked to him afterward. "...Excuse me?"

Leviathan kept a tired look on his face and grimly continued. "You don't have to try and hide it, Bahamut. I know. I've known it since the day that happened. Back when we fought Griever, I started getting closer to you. Until that day, I always thought I was smarter and better than you were. But when Palad came...I started to change. I started looking up to you, and I found out you weren't such a bad guy like I had always thought you were. I really started to appreciate you being around. And I _knew_ you were the ideal choice for king when we elected. After that, I tried hanging around you more. I tried being more pleasant with you. And we did break down a bit. We got together, we enjoyed ourselves... We grew unashamed to call each other brothers." Leviathan paused there after saying that. Then, he slowly sighed and shook his head.

"...But I was never him, was I? I was never an esper modeled after you. I was never the kid who spent every waking moment with you when you grew up. I was never the one who went down with you to the real world. I was never the one who went with you to the Cetra. And no matter what I did, no matter what I tried...I was never going to be that person. Not unless I could turn back time and put myself in his place. In the end...I can't be there for you like him. I never could fill his void." He paused for a moment after that, and exhaled again. Slowly, his head bowed. "...And I can't do it now, either."

Bahamut stared at him for a moment. And for the first time since that day, he let Wyvern go for a moment. He stared at him and watched him as he kept his head bowed. After a few moments, Bahamut turned and slowly put the piece of food he held down on the tray. After that, he turned back to Leviathan and walked up to him. He came to a halt right in front of the downcast esper. Then, after a bit longer, he raised up his hand and put it on his shoulder.

"...You can't." He flatly started, yet in a gentle voice. "No one can be. No one can ever replace what he meant to me. I loved him more than myself at times." He paused for a moment afterward. "...But you, Leviathan... I have always relied on you for support. I have always depended on your wisdom. I remember how you used to be, but you have changed so much since then. You were a child before. But now you are a great man. You are the most compassionate, the most wise, and the most just out of all the espers in this realm. Since the day when we returned Palad to Ultima Nexus, I have not been ashamed of you. Rather, time and time again I have been proud of what you have done for others and for the world. You've comforted me when I was weary, and you were always at my side when I needed someone. I have trusted you more than any other members of my family. I have always known that I could depend on you, and place my faith in you. You can't be Wyvern to me...but I do not desire you to be. I desire you to be Leviathan to me. Because that is the kind of person I want to have in my life. That is the person I am proud to call my brother."

Leviathan raised his head at that, and stared back at Bahamut for a moment. The two old siblings stared at each other for a long time. But then, they broke for the moment and embraced. Out of all the family members that Bahamut had, none had his trust and respect like Leviathan. He did not have the same amount of love for him as his brother, but that didn't cheapen it. One can have great love just the same for other people, even if they can never outrank others in their lives. They held a moment longer, but then broke up and looked at each other once again. They held and sniffed for a moment, although no tears came out between the two of them. There was otherwise silence.

"Bahamut...let us help you today."

Bahamut's face immediately lost its softness, and turned hard. "No."

"I've gauged your power and his. I don't think it's enough. You need us."

"No."

"Why?" Leviathan shot back, nearly insisting. "Why can't we help you? We're your family as well!"

"But you're not him."

"This isn't just about you! This is about the kingdom and the future of this planet! You heard what he'll do!"

Bahamut was silent at that. He couldn't answer...and he didn't want to. In all honesty...he didn't even know if he cared about that anymore. He cared only for one thing now. And he couldn't let Leviathan ask him that question. Not now. Leviathan stared at him, waiting for an answer. But he didn't give one. He only stared back softly. Finally, Leviathan realized there would be no answer. Slowly, he sighed as he stared at him. He finally turned away slightly, and began to look regretful. He rubbed his brow and his side in growing concern. But then he turned back to Bahamut again.

"...If you do have any love for me, as a brother, then grant me this one request." Leviathan stated. "Don't let him win."

Bahamut merely stared blankly in reply, as fear crept into his heart.

"...I can only do what I must."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. The Grudge

Thousands of years ago, in an age that was before espers came to rule the world and humanity was still weak, the Cetra had a legend about the Promised Land. Such a place was a world in flux, an area where life existed in its raw form. The earth around it was indeed a type of "proto-earth" rather than true living soil. It was here that all Cetra eventually went to, to aid the Planet in making this into a new place suitable for life. Through research, Leviathan had eventually concluded that the Promised Land was indeed not a single fixed place, but something that actually appeared from time to time during injuries on a Planetary scale. There were very few of them, but those areas tended to be remote and uninhabited.

The area that Wyvern selected was such a place.

Within that area, an eternal winter loomed. It grew only colder as one got closer, until they crawled into the greatvalley itself. For the world there was dead, and not even the Crystal could bring life to it. Only the long, slow passage of time would change it. Until that day, a frozen wasteland surrounded it. But deep in the center of the valley, there was still warmth...warmth from the great heat of the planet core fuming up into the surface. And within, there was a mixture of long, flat tracts of land and broken, haphazard areas. Both were made of solid rock, for soil had long since been leeched to nothing there. It was a barren wasteland, terrible and ravaged. It looked very similar to how the battlefield with Griever had looked like over four thousand years ago. However, that area had recovered. This had yet to.

Only in this place on the planet could two titans possibly attack without killing hundreds.

Bahamut took his time getting there. He stayed in human form, utilizing his ability to levitate and fly his own body. He didn't want to reveal his true power until it was time. The cold air blasted him, threatening to suck the heat right out of his body. It continued to blast and rage against him as he went ever north, frosting his eyebrows and hair. But then, he passed over the rim and into thevalley. The wind broke, and instead a scent of energy and power hit his nostrils. Here was one of the few areas on the world where the Lifestream gushed forth. It was the blood of the planet, and like in any wound it was rushing forth from this injury, bringing life to it in an attempt to heal itself. But it was not a pleasant scent. Here...the planet itself was full of anger and rage. It was infuriated at that which had injured it...and next time it would not be so docile when something dared to destroy it. Already...Bahamut felt a powerful force growing deep within the world...one that greatly upset and worried him. Yet he could do nothing about it but feel unnerved about it...and right now was the worst time for it.

The great esper looked around below him. He wasn't alone there. Those two attendants, Zola and Noonian, were on the rim on one side of the field. Had he better hearing, he would hear them jeering him as he flew out on the battlefield, as if this was some great game. Resting on his side of the rim, however, was Khan and Singh. They cheered him on, but their praises fell on deaf ears. On another side, Bahamut saw that others had come. Starlet, Ogopogo, and Odin were arriving to watch this take place. Leviathan was on the opposite side, having appointed himself to act as judge for this event. Yet none of these held his interest long. Very quickly...an extremely powerful energy source overran the rest of them, making itself known deep in the bottom of the valley. Bahamut looked to it...and saw that Wyvern was there.

The great esper swallowed, and then halted himself. Afterward, he readily dropped himself down to the surface. The heat grew as he closed. Much of this area was still blazing forth with fire from the volcanic portion of the planet. Steam vents dotted the landscape, and a few of the pits that were in the stone were filled with red light from lava. All in all, this was not a pleasant place to be. It soon made him uncomfortable even with his esper body, and as he touched his feet to the ground he felt his human flesh nearly burn. But there, however, he halted. He exhaled loudly, and then looked up. Around him, he could see the rim of the crater. But perched on one of the rock pinnacles jutting forth from the ground, he could see his target. Wyvern was there, still in human form. Arms crossed and glaring maliciously down to him. An eagerness was in his eyes this time. He looked to be almost smiling at him.

"I've been waiting for this for centuries, Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers." He purred.

Bahamut looked back and neither said nor showed anything.

"If it is a duel you want," Leviathan called out from his position, letting his voice echo throughout the crater for miles, all the way to the other side. "Then you will abide by rules! The conditions were this! Lord Bahamut, King of All Espers, must surrender his crown to Lord Wyvern and accept his terms of surrender...or they shall battle to determine the ruler of the espers! In the case of battle, the winner shall be determined if his opposite opponent flees, surrenders...or dies. I will chronicle this event here in the presence of these witnesses and proclaim it to the assembly on returning!"

No one said anything. Thevalley became silent. The audience looked fearfully around. Wyvern, from where he was, glared confidently and wickedly at Bahamut. Bahamut, for his part, stared back at Wyvern coldly and showed no emotion.

"That's it, little brother." Wyvern sneered, at last using that title. "You heard your new best friend over there. What's it going to be? Do I get lordship, or do you get killed?"

Bahamut didn't answer. He stared back at him for a long time, not changing his face. But then, at last...he did speak.

Something he had been waiting to say for ten years.

"Wyvern...contrary to what you believe, I love you. You're still my brother. No matter what you say, I've spent some of every single day expecting your return. In every passing shadow, in every rumble of thunder, in every smell that caught my memory...I wished and prayed that it would be you. I never expected to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you. And I've hated myself every time I thought about what I had done." A pause to swallow for a moment. "...But, I did hurt you. And I did make a big mistake that day. You were right, I did keep the throne from you."

To this, the surrounding espers froze in surprise. None of them, even Zola and Noonian, had really believed Wyvern's angry statements. But right now, to everyone's surprise, Bahamut admitted it.

"Do you know why I did it? I did it because I saw what you were becoming. I saw that you were growing more reckless and tempermental. I saw that the more power you gained, the more arrogant you became. Your reckless behavior put us all in jeopardy more than once, and you know that is true. You had to be revived by Phoenix because you left before I could come with you. If not for her, you would have died. And that night, when I saw you come to me requesting that we rule together, I saw that light in your eyes. I sensed your true feelings beneath you. You hated Griever...but inside I knew that you yearned to become like him. You yearned to wield the same power over humanity that he had, the power to bend others to your will. Regardless of what ends you had in mind, for good or ill, I would not allow that to happen. Griever had become warped by his own power and prestige, and I knew that you'd only grow in strength from then on. I knew it would hurt you. I knew it would make you angry. But at the time...for a brief time...I cared more for humanity and the future of the war-torn world than I cared for you. I took the throne myself, and I refused to share with you...because I didn't want you to become that way. I didn't want to see you turn into that monster, and I didn't want the world to suffer for it."

A strange silence was around thevalley now. Everything had become still. Wyvern showed nothing, as did the others. Steam blasted from the ground, and the wind whipped by more strongly. Bahamut inhaled deeply once again.

"...I made a mistake though, Wyvern. I hurt you. I broke us apart. And inside, that was the only thing I really cared about. As new responsibilities came on me, I forgot that. But no longer. I will prove to you once and for all who I really care about. I consent to your demands. I surrender the crown to you."

Leviathan dropped his mouth in shock. Odin gasped out a "what" in response to that. Starlet actually cried out a "no", and was joined by Khan and Singh. Even Wyvern's attendants were surprised at this. His other siblings couldn't believe it. He was giving it up. Leviathan immediately blared a mental message for Bahamut to think about what he was doing. Wyvern would bring a chaos greater than Griever if he had his way. For the sake of the future, he couldn't let him. But Bahamut blocked it out. He didn't care about that anymore. Now that his brother was back, he cared only about that.

"You win. You have all of the power and prestige. And I will do what you say. I will become a dead dog in your presence. I will diminish into nothing. I don't care. The only thing I care about is you. Maybe this will show you how I truly love you, and that I am truly sorry for what has happened. Perhaps in time, after you have reigned for a while, after you have seen me submit to you for years without complaint, you will realize what I want for us and what I truly care about. Perhaps then your anger will diminish. Maybe then...we can be brothers again."

Leviathan swore and cursed under his breath. Odin clenched his teeth in rage. Bahamut was making the biggest mistake of his life, and they knew it. But Bahamut didn't care. All he wanted was for his brother to love him again. He wanted to be with him once more, to erase what had happened. He couldn't fight him. He could only do as he said. And in the end, to avoid that fight, he was willing to give it all up. He didn't care. To accent this, Bahamut slowly dropped himself down to one knee before his brother. From his higher position, it looked as if he was truly beneath him now. That done, he raised his hands to his own head and grasped the seven pointed spire. With that, he took it off and set it before him, keeping his head bowed and not looking up. After he set it, he became quiet, and moved no more. The wind slowly blew by. The steam continued to blast. But for the next minute, all were silent. They stood there and waited, waiting to see what would happen next. They expected that soon, they would have to bow down before Wyvern. He was the new king now...by Bahamut's own hand. Everyone waited for the next move.

Finally...it came.

"...No...No..._No!_"

Bahamut's eyes widened at that, and he looked up at this. Wyvern, however, had changed. Now, his flesh face had turned red with rage. His eyes blazed with renewed fire. His dark aura blazed around him, whipping up his clothing and his hair. He clenched his teeth in rage, already making them into incisors. To Bahamut's shock...his surrender had only doubled his anger, and now it was pouring out from every fiber of his being.

Bahamut blinked. "...W...Wyvern?"

"You bastard! You wretch!" He hatefully spat. "How _dare_ you! You insult me like this! You admit your treachery, your greed, your evil...and as always, you paint yourself as the perfect brother! You make yourself the grand martyr, even as you confess your sins against me! You turn yourself into the great hero...the supreme altruist...don't you! And now you plan to use that, don't you! To steal support from me! To keep the kingdom from me! You'd like that wouldn't you, being my slave? You'd like me to abuse you and torment you without end, while you silently endured it! Then you would rise higher and higher in the esteem of other espers, while giving me the image of a cruel and ungrateful tyrant! Even now, you plot to take this kingdom away from me! So long as there is a place for you in my kingdom, no matter how lowly, you will conspire to stab me behind my own back! What is this? This pseudo-surrender! This slap in my face! This does not even begin to excuse the injuries you have dealt me! Prove yourself to me! Bow down before me, kiss my feet, and do so as I slice off your head! Your death is the only surrender I will accept!"

Leviathan spoke out at this. "That is in violation of the terms of the deal! You said you would accept Bahamut's surrender if-"

_"Shut up you pathetic worm!"_ Wyvern roared at him. "You were always totally worthless! You, sitting there with your miserable rules! The only rule is what _I_ say! _ME!_ Emperor of the Blue Planet! You think I would let you live in my kingdom either? You'll be the lowest of my subjects..._assuming I don't kill you in the next five minutes to vent my rage!_"

He wheeled around violently back to Bahamut. "Here's how I will forgive you! Stand still as I rend you to pieces and burn your skeleton! Then we will have peace! And as for your lies and tricks, I will never, _ever_ call you brother again, you miserable traitor!"

Bahamut stared at this, as the vicious words of Wyvern cruelly cut into him. Each one sliced into his heart, and drove him into more pain while the rage of Wyvern increased. He could feel the hateboiling off of him, growing more by the second. And he was stunned and still, unable to do anything about it. But then, as he sat there...the obviousness at last struck him and became clear.

_...He never expected me to surrender._

_He _wanted_ to kill me._

_He was lying the whole time. He threw out that condition thinking that I'd never accept. And now that I did, it threw all of his plans awry. He wanted me dead this whole time. Right from the start, he wanted to kill me. He didn't want me banished or enslaved. His anger is too great. The only thing he wants now is me dead. He'll never forgive me. He's been consumed by this grudge for too long._

_And now, he's let his anger totally consume him. There's nothing left of the Wyvern that I knew. As he's grown in power...he's only grown in arrogance. In pride. Leviathan was right. He did see the worst in himself and project it on to me. Already, he's talking like he's king. He's not tolerating any disobedience or logic. He's overthrowing his own edicts to suit his best interests. I can sense it now...his real purpose in coming back. He never wanted to be king. He never wanted to rule the Blue Planet. The only thing he ever truly cared about...the only reason he returned...was revenge. _

_I was wrong this whole time. It wasn't a grudge. It wasn't a past hurt. That was why time didn't heal it. It was because of jealousy. He saw how I beat Griever. He saw how I was established over the rest of the espers. He saw how I kept gaining more and more power, and he kept falling behind. That was why he wanted me to make him stronger. That was why he ran off. He wanted to prove he was the best. He wanted to prove he was greater than everyone...including me. When he first tasted of power...he began to forget about me. His jealousy remained. And now it's reached the supreme point. If he can't be the strongest...the best...the highest of all espers...then there won't be any other ones stronger than him. That's what has driven him on for this long._

_...I thought that he was hurt. I thought that I had wounded him. ...But I lied to myself just as he is lying to himself. Ever since the day he first began to awaken his power...he began to see me as a rival. Every time I went past him...in his heart he hated me a bit more. He wanted me around...he kept appealing to me...not out of love but because of power, because he wanted to bide his time until he became strong enough. He wanted to be king...simply so that he could surpass me and hold something over me. But I stood in his path. I refused. I confirmed my status as over him by taking the king position. And because of that...he became consumed by his own jealousy. Since that day, he's been wanting to become strong enough to beat me. Strong enough to kill me. Then...he'd be the best._

_...I was a fool. I thought he once loved me._

_...But he hasn't really loved me since the day we met Jadea._

_Now his reckless jealousy is flaring up higher. After it kills me...it won't stop there. He'll kill the others after that, because they are other rivals. Then he'll kill the strongest of our children. He'll never be satisfied, until he is in control. And he won't attack the humans out of a desire to put them in order. He'll do it...because he won't want them alligning against him. He won't want them as strong as him. Nothing will be able to contest him. And then..._

_He'll be just like Griever._

_In the end, that was what motivated him as well. He feared the humans because they could stop him. His rage only truly exploded when he saw that we could hurt him, perhaps even destroy him. His jealousy of that power drove him mad and killed him, but only after he took millions with him. And now, Wyvern is the same._

_My brother is gone, and he's been gone for over four thousand years. In his place...is just another evil madman. _

_...And I can't act like he's my brother._

At that moment, Bahamut's heart changed. The tenderness for Wyvern suddenly left...and he was transformed. Since he had seen Wyvern again, he was once again the frightened, young esper he had once been, doubtful and uncertain in a world. But now, he had returned. At once, his age and power came over him. His face turned from meek and lowly to strong and hard. He seemed to suddenly grow in side as his regal expression returned. At once, he was a mighty, powerful king again, the true King of All Espers, the mighty Lord of All Dragons, the great esper Bahamut. As his will steeled and his fury returned, his thoughts of not wanting to hurt his brother vanished. Now, his animal instincts returned, and readiness for battle came over him. He slowly drew himself up once again...but only on taking the crown up with him. As he stood once again, he crowned his own head once more, and glared powerfully at Wyvern. Though he was still beneath him...Bahamut suddenly was over him in terms of prestige and power, and his own mighty aura began to blaze.

"No." He coldly stated.

Wyvern, for a moment, hesitated at this. He didn't expect this sudden surge of power. And for an instant...doubt covered his own face. But then, he recovered, and steeled himself as well. He grit his teeth at him and hissed. "So...you picked the road most violent after all? You won't stand and let me kill you? Hmph...and where is that love you spoke of not long ago? Is it consumed by your true feelings?"

"I submitted to you because I loved you." Bahamut snapped back, his voice now powerful and rocking the air. "But I was a fool for doing so, because you have grown incapable of loving anything but yourself. And yes, my true feelings have arisen. My true feelings to preserve this world from evil and hatred, to keep it from being dominated by a weak-willed creature with evil ambitions. I offered you the crown freely and appealed to your mercy. But now that you have thrown that back in my face, you will have to take it from me. And I swear to you, this crown will not leave my brow unless my head leaves my neck. Now, I issue my demands to _you_. For the crime of attempting to upsurp the throne, threatening my people, and plotting evil against the peoples of this world, you will surrender to _me_. And as you refused to show me pity or mercy, so will I unless you agree to my demands at once."

Wyvern hesitated yet again. For the first time ever, Bahamut spoke to Wyvern as if he was his king and commanding him. That made him hold for a moment more, but eventually it only fed his anger. In the end, he grit his teeth and clenched his hands into fists.

"So be it. I shall enjoy watching you die."

With that, Wyvern's clothing shreaded. His long red wings unfurled, and he craned his neck out as more vertebrae snapped into place. His horns grew as scales covered his body. He grew larger and larger, until he finally revealed his true form. The massive red reptillian creature that he was had only grown worse with time. Now older, his scales were rougher and sharper. His muscles were much bigger. A shadow began to encircle him, swirling around like a black cloud. The ground began to ripple underneath, and he beat his huge wings once to cast up dirt and gravel. Bahamut didn't hesitate. Immediately, he snapped his own neck out, tore his own clothing asunder, and unfurled his own wings. Immediately, an aura of light energy erupted around him, and soon he too was bursting with newfound power as he adjusted into his great blue form. Soon, the esper was standing straight and tall, still erect and regal appearing, but now in his full glory.

Leviathan watched all of this. A part of him was glad that Bahamut finally saw the truth. But another part of him was sad that he at last had to accept that. In short order...he knew he would have to accept something hard as well. Worse, however, was that he could sense their strengths. Bahamut had gotten vastly more powerful...but he realized in fear that he was only a little over half as strong as Wyvern. The other's power vastly dominated the first's. He didn't know how this was going to fare, but he prayed that Bahamut's new powers would work... At any rate, he drew himself up, and raised his human hand into the air for both to see.

"When I drop this, the fight will begin."

Neither said anything. They merely glared at each other. Wyvern's eyes burned cruelty and malice. Bahamut's eyes burned determination. He couldn't lose. Somehow...he had to bring him down. Not just for himself, but for everyone else as well. He couldn't let Wyvern's madness go any further. He didn't look away, but he sensed Leviathan. He knew his hand was up, and quivered in the air as the sea serpent looked over them and nervously anticipated what was about to happen. His siblings likewise prayed and held, as did Bahamut's attendants. In a few moments...the greatest fight in the history of the Planet would play out since the days of Griever. Finally, however, he let it fall.

The match was on.

In a flash, both espers took off. Wyvern shattered his rock pinnacle as he tore straight for his enemy, and Bahamut likewise fractured a large crater into the ground as he took off. In a blaze of speed that was too fast for any other esper to see, they shot straight for one another. They only saw what happened when they connected...and a shockwave ripped out from their wake. It shattered the nearby rock pinnacles to dust, and the blast of wind that resulted nearly pushed the other espers off the rim. But as for the two opponents, they both sailed away from each other as fast as they had come together.

However, Wyvern spread out his wings and halted himself in mid-air. As for Bahamut, he shot straight to the ground and connected with it, and proceeded to slide against the bare rock. He did so for a few moments, before managing to flip over and right himself. But just as he was straightening up and stood to look out, he was violently snapped over and hurled face first again into the ground, this time by Wyvern's foot as he shot down and connected with him. This time, Bahamut plowed into the ground and dug into it as he slid forward.

The esper king managed to stop yet again, however, and somersaulted off of his back back onto all fours. Next, he quickly flipped himself up into the air to get out of the attack path. But as he turned himself upright again...Wyvern was already on him. His face was violently slammed one way as Wyvern bashed his claw against it. The great red esper smashed his face the other way a second later. After that, he put his fists together and brought them up to slam them down and send Bahamut back to the ground again. But before he could...Bahamut suddenly swirled around in mid-air and slammed his tail into the side of Wyvern's head. His neck was twisted painfully one way, and he began to fall back and to the ground. Not giving an inch, Bahamut dove on him to hit him again. But right as he pulled his fist back to jab him in the face...Wyvern suddenly sprung to life and swirled in a mid-air back somersault, thrusting his two feet up and bludgeoning Bahamut on the chin. The impact sent him flying into the air, and Wyvern tore after him.

The dark esper attempted to thrust his fist forward, meaning to strike Bahamut again and sending him further up into the sky. But before he could, Bahamut righted himself again and crossed his arms in front of him. The fist smashed into that instead. Wyvern quickly tried to follow up with a jab over the block to the face, but Bahamut put his head to one side before it could. Wyvern then decided to hook from underneath instead, and drove his fist into Bahamut's exposed side. The blow soon resonated...and Bahamut heard one of his ribs give a crack from the power. But he used the pain to his advantage...spasming forward with the added force from the pain and drove his crest into Wyvern's face. The red esper was stunned and fell back. Bahamut attempted to follow up besides his pain, ignoring it and jabbing at Wyvern three more times. However, the red esper was also able to recover, and threw his head to either side before throwing it back, dodging each one. Wyvern then reared back and attempted to give a kick to Bahamut's face, but he managed to raise an arm and intercept it. Wyvern tried following up with a tail sweep afterward, but the great blue esper barely managed to sweep back in time. However, that was too much. Wyvern still had his other foot ready to kick, and he drove it into his now protruding stomach. The force made Bahamut collapse over the foot, and he was thrown violently forward in the sky. Seeing his opportunity, Wyvern rushed forward, made both hands into one fist again, and swung them down to hit Bahamut in the back.

The esper king was soon flying to the ground again. Wyvern, grinning wickedly in delight, used his speed advantage to rush past him as he fell, and hit the ground first. He waited for Bahamut to come close enough, and then swept his tail out and smacked Bahamut as he landed, sending him flying across the ground backward. He shot after the blue esper, readying his fist for another blow. He brought it around and behind his head, looking to drive it down on top of his skull. Bahamut, however, somehow managed to right himself in flight, and hovered upright as the fist came down. He quickly seized it with one of his hands...only to have Wyvern bring up his other fist in an uppercut. Bahamut was soon sailing up once again, and Wyvern flew up after him. He was soon even with his body once more, and he spun around again to swing his tail down on him. This time it landed on his weakened side, and Bahamut gave a cry as he shot back down and slammed into the ground as well. He hit so hard that he bounced back up again, and Wyvern was there. Without hesitation, he made both hands into a fist and swung them up against him again. Now, Bahamut spiraled wildly out of control as he went back into the sky.

After sailing up a few hundred feet, Bahamut managed to stretch out his limbs and halt himself. He began to pant and sweat as he looked back down. Far below on the ground, arms crossed and grinning evilly, was Wyvern. He barely looked phased from that interchange, and he definitely didn't look tired. Bahamut, on the other hand, was already beginning to tap into his stamina reserves. He spat to one side...and was disappointed to see a bloody tooth fly out. His mouth was full of blood and he was letting some of it run off his lips. One of his eyes was already swelling. His left kidney, where he felt a broken rib, was starting to hurt. They hadn't even begun using their breath weapons, and Bahamut already felt himself lagging behind in this fight. In that case...that meant it was time.

Bahamut paused for a moment, taking advantage of Wyvern letting him fly there. He exhaled sharply, and then closed his eyes and crossed his arms in front of him. He folded his hands and made a gesture, and began to tap into his own spiritual power. He called to mind the technique he had spent years learning...and slowly the words began to come. He felt them fall out of his mouth. After a moment, he was finished, and he opened his eyes and glared downward to speak the spell's name. "Hyper-velo."

Immediately, a red aura blazed around him. It grew strong within seconds, and a ring of light formed around it. After a moment longer, it began to encircle him, moving faster and faster as it did. Small flames of energy began to appear around the ring, taking bizarre shapes as if they were numerals. The ring spun faster until it was running in a continuous circle, and blured the flames of energy as it did. But then, abruptly, the circle broke and scattered around him. When it did...Bahamut immediately felt like a million gil. His body was now working faster. His muscles increased in size. And he felt so light that he could move in the blink of an eye without expanding any energy at all. He paused a second longer, concentrating this new power. Then he looked down. To his surprise...Wyvern was still calm. He wasn't even flinching. Hoping that wasn't a bad sign...Bahamut took off for him.

Wyvern's eyes soon bulged in surprise as Bahamut was on him within a fraction of a second. One moment he stood with arms crossed, and the next he was nearly bent in half as Bahamut smashed his fist into his face, knocking him off his feet and away from the great esper. Not stopping, Bahamut quickly dove forward and began to beat his stomach. His arms moved so fast that they became a blur, and eight powerful bashes were driven into Wyvern's belly. His head was bent back over as he was violently thrown inward, but Bahamut continued to pound. Finally, Bahamut swung in a somersault and smacked him in his head with his tail. The impact sent Wyvern sliding back along the ground, his heels digging in as he went sliding. Not wasting his advantage, Bahamut dashed forward and past him. As he did, he seized the tail of the red esper, and then used the momentum of his movement to raise him off the ground. Within seconds, Bahamut was swinging Wyvern around in a massive circle, building up more speed and momentum. Finally, he hurled him straight into the nearest pinnacle. Wyvern helplessly flailed about as he shot straight toward it, and moments later he connected. The impact immediately shattered the stone column, and it collapsed down on his body in a flash of smoke and debris. Soon, he was buried beneath it and surrounded by a cloud of dust.

Bahamut touched down and paused for a moment. He gazed into the cloud of dust, and watched it slowly settle, preparing for any surprise attacks. Slowly the dust cleared after a few moments, and revealed what was left. Standing in front of a pile of stone debris, perfectly erect and strong-looking, was Wyvern. On seeing this, Bahamut felt himself sweat a little. He could barely sense Wyvern's energy diminished. He deduced in short order that his assault hadn't done much damage. In fact...he didn't have a single serious mark on him. He struggled to hold together as Wyvern tilted his head to one side and spat out a single drop of blood. But after that, he turned back and grinned menacingly.

"My turn."

With that, Wyvern opened his mouth and fired a Pyron. Never before had Bahamut seen a Pyron fired that quickly. He didn't think it could be done. However, he still had his great speed, and in a flash he took off into the sky. No sooner had he done so, however, than Wyvern shocked him again. He raised his head up and fired off another Pyron. Bahamut's eyes enlarged. He really didn't think that anyone could fire off a powerful attack like a Pyron twice in succession. He was totally unprepared for this move. Immediately, he did the only thing he had time to do before the attack hit him. Focusing his aura in his hand and struggling to keep himself from breaking, he slapped his palm out as the first of the Pyron balls connected. The force burned his hand a little...but then managed to twist the path of the attacking balls slightly to one side. The Pyron raged onward and shot by the great esper afterward.

However, it was at that moment that Bahamut realized he made a mistake...for a pair of feet suddenly smashed him in the back and sent him flying down at an angle. The moves weren't serious, just to distract him long enough for Wyvern to attack again. The attack didn't hurt as much as it should have though, and Bahamut quickly spun around to intercept the follow up move. But on doing so, he saw nothing...right before another fist smashed him in the side of his face. Soon, he was sent flying once again through the air. Gritting his teeth and struggling, Bahamut managed to halt himself and look back up...but Wyvern was already gone. Seeing this...he quickly tried a different tactic. He tried to sense the oncoming blow from where it would come next. Soon after, he felt a presence coming up...right from under him. A moment later, Wyvern appeared right in front of him, swinging around and aiming a kick against his head. Quickly, the esper king raised his hand and blocked the kick, only to have Wyvern's leg snap off of the block within an instant, and smash into his face instead. Bahamut was soon sent sailing away again. Yet once more, more slowly this time and grunting all the way, he managed to right himself...just in time to have Wyvern drive his foot into Bahamut's throat. Soon, the great esper's eyes bulged, and he grasped his throat in pain. That gave Wyvern enough time to open his mouth and discharge a Pyron blast point blank in his face.

A cloud of flame soon erupted and filled with explosions. Soon after, Bahamut's body went flying out of the cloud and shot straight to the ground. He smashed in hard, fracturing the stone and sending up another cloud of dust. Debris rained down everywhere in the wake. As the dust settled, Wyvern calmly crossed his arms and touched down about a hundred feet away on the stone bedrock. Bahamut himself groaned. He coughed up more blood. His whole body was aching now, and was covered with bruises and bumps. One side of his face was swollen at this point, and he felt that more than one bone was broken now. He stiffened, but then slowly began to pull himself back up. He realized now that the Hyper-velo wasn't good enough. It had caught him off guard, but now that he had recovered, he had more than enough power of his own to overcome it. And he was losing stamina fast. He was already falling behind, but soon he wouldn't be able to keep up at all.

_I know what this means..._

_It might not work though. Even if it does make me stronger than him, which isn't guaranteed...I haven't practiced using it enough. The one time I did I was too much for Starlet even in her Ashura form. If I'm too out of control, I'll burn through my stamina in wasted moves. Well...I guess there's no choice any way you look at it. I've not nothing else left._

"Nice try, little brother." Wyvern sneered at the esper. "But I'm afraid I've had a man on you this whole time. I knew all about your special training with Starlet, and that Hyper-velo move. Too bad you're tiny little back of tricks looks exhausted."

At the time, Bahamut didn't bother to catch this. Instead, he once again prepared himself. Now standing, he slid his legs together and stood up straight. He folded his wings down over himself and held them there. Then, once again, he crossed his arms in front of himself and held up his hands. The great esper closed his eyes, and once more began to focus his power.

Wyvern merely snorted. "Not this again."

But Bahamut wasn't trying another Hyper-velo. There was a way to boost his speed and strength even beyond that. It was much more powerful magic, however. He actually grunted for a moment as he focused. Perspiration began to dot his forehead, and he felt himself growing tired as he siphoned off the greater amount of power. Finally, he opened his eyes, and stared hard ahead at his opponent.

"Supra-velo."

Wyvern reacted to this in puzzlement, but soon got his answer. Abruptly, the red aura blazed forth again. This time it was stronger, taking a wave-like nature around it and seeming to form flames. As it did, three rings of light appeared around Bahamut, and each formed more distinct flames around them than before. They all began to rotate at once, and all soon spun faster even than the last one. A great blaze of light began to erupt around Bahamut, and suddenly his aura was multiplied in strength. The bright color shone forth and dazzled all the observers for a moment, and they were forced to look away. As it did...Bahamut felt his entire body working harder. More energy was consumed. His heart beat four times as fast, and his breathing became rapid. At once, everything in the world slowed down to a snails pace, and his muscles began to swell again. This time, they pushed against his skin a bit, growing tight and hard within his body. But he felt even lighter than before now. It seemed he was one with the wind itself. Bahamut inhaled deeply...hoping it was enough...and then again launched his attack.

Bahamut took off and rushed right for Wyvern. The red esper once again gaped as he saw the terrific speed of the esper king. However, he was ready this time. He brought up an arm and blocked Bahamut as he kicked at his face. But a split second later...Bahamut reappeared at Wyvern's _side_, thrusting his foot into the side of his face. Wyvern's jaw was painfully wrenched in one direction, and he was sent flying away again. However, he only sailed a few feet before Bahamut vanished and reappeared over the top of him, this time driving his feet down deep into Wyvern's gut. Immediately, he collapsed around him, and was shoved down into the ground. As Bahamut smashed him into it, another crater was bashed into it. It was so deep and hard that steam vents burst out from around it...and some magma even began to bubble out of the surface.

Wyvern stayed still for a moment, before suddenly springing back up, hurling Bahamut off of him as he did so. But Bahamut went with it, quickly dodging back. In a flash, Wyvern followed suit, leaping up to his feet as well. But at that moment, Bahamut fell on him again. He dove forward and punched Wyvern deep and hard twice in the gut, before uppercutting him, causing his head to fully extend upward. Not finished, Bahamut quickly swung his foot back around and kicked him once in the face, turning his head back to the side. He followed up with his tail, this time hitting him in the neck and wrenching it. He finished with his heel, smacking it into Wyvern as hard as he could. The result took Wyvern off of his feet and shot him into the sky.

The red esper, however, was far from finished. He caught himself a second later, and quickly braced for an assault. Bahamut, on his part, didn't attack head on. Instead, he took off, and swept around in a large circle, far from Wyvern and shooting around to come in from the side. Wyvern saw this, and immediately responded by firing off two Pyrons at the king esper. Bahamut watched these come as they fired. He allowed them to intersect them, before he suddenly snapped around and swung his tail at them...before disappearing. Wyvern gaped in surprise at this...before a powerful blow in his lower back arched him forward and made him cry out for the first time in battle. The impact threw him forward as well...right into the path of the Pyron waves that Bahamut had knocked back with his tail a second earlier. Unable to dodge, the two attacks connected and soon Wyvern was being blasted by his own attacks. The sky erupted into a fireball.

Bahamut didn't stop. Not waiting for the smoke and flames to clear, he shot forward and dove into the eruption. Moments later, he emerged with Wyvern. He was forcing him back out of the cloud, tearing into him relentlessly. His fists and claws swung wildly, smacking Wyvern's head right and left and beating into his body. Bahamut hit him more and more furiously as he went on, getting dozens of hits on the red esper within a matter of seconds. Finally, he ceased for a moment, long enough to fully extend his claws and tighten his palms. Then, in a combination iron palm clawing attack, he smacked down on the dazzled Wyvern's back as hard as he could. The blow rocked like thunder, and Bahamut's claws sank deep past his scales and into his flesh, digging talon wounds into it. The red esper himself sailed for the ground head first. Bahamut let him sail a moment until he got close enough, but then shot down in a blaze to meet him there. Right before he hit, he swung his tail around with all his might and struck Wyvern again. Another thunderclap went off, causing the ground to fracture under his feet. Wyvern was sent back into the sky, head first again. Finally, Bahamut finished up by shooting past him a considerable distance. Then, he locked his legs together, extended his toes and the base of his feet, and then drove back as fast as he could. Wyvern sailed to him with equal ferocity, and a moment later Wyvern's head connected with Bahamut's feet. A shockwave rippled again, this time causing the observers to shield themselves from far away, and Wyvern went back to the ground. Seconds later, he struck, and the entirevalley shook as he smashed into the ground. A huge pillar of stone broke off from the ground and was upheaved into the air from Wyvern's head impacting. It spiraled in the air gracefully and unbelievably for a moment...before falling back down and shattering. A huge cloud of dust followed in its wake.

Bahamut panted as he stared at this. He was dripping with sweat now...and he began to feel a bit light-headed. Immediately, he lowered to the ground again. His muscles and hands were getting sore from throwing all these punches and hitting another body. He was throbbing in his extremities. He was also still covered with his old injuries, and each one of his gasps caused him more pain. He felt his stamina beginning to buckle. He wondered how much longer this had to last. Wyvern was in pain now. He knew that. But he didn't know how much longer he could keep up with him. If he could surpass him in stamina, it was hopeless anyway... He should have done the Supra-velo from the start to have a real chance... He was shocked at how strong Wyvern had become. At this point, he could have killed Crusader's fourth form with one concentrated blow. But he was still holding up. His worst fears began to creep in...perhaps he couldn't beat him after all...

"GrrrrAAH!"

Abruptly, an explosion happened from the dust cloud. Bahamut perked up his head, and was just in time to see Wyvern come out. His forehead was bleeding now, and he looked thoroughly enraged. However...to Bahamut's fear...he realized his strength was higher. He didn't look disabled or tired in the least. It could only mean that until now he was just playing around and taking it easy. Now...the real fight was beginning...and he was attacking full force. That was all Bahamut could think of, however...before Wyvern was on him and smashing the side of his face in.

Bahamut's head was wrenched painfully to one side at that. However, he merely bit down, struggling to keep himself from getting dizzy, and wheeled back to drive his fist into Wyvern's gut. The red esper collapsed onto his fist a moment later, and gagged as he bent over it. Blood dripped from his mouth. Yet soon, his gag turned into a snarl, and he snapped up to give Bahamut an uppercut in response. The king esper had his head snapped painfully back...almost enough to cause a real injury. But somehow, Bahamut held on...and as he shot up he darted his claws out and seized Wyvern's crest by the horns. With a huge effort, he yanked him off the ground and stretched his muscles in his neck, managing to violently pull his head back and smash it into Wyvern's as hard as he could. It struck the already bleeding injury, causing Wyvern to cry out in pain in response.

The red esper recovered quickly, though, and as he opened his eyes and sneered in rage, he flipped his feet up and struck Bahamut's middle section as hard as he could. Bahamut was soon sent flying straight up into the air. Wyvern braced himself and then began to fly after him to try another move. Bahamut, however, managed to drive through the pain again and fired a Pyrin as he closed. Wyvern snarled and plowed right through it, extending a fist, letting it explode on it, and then bursting through the explosion. Bahamut only saw an enraged, red creature burst from the flame with fist outstretched before it smashed him right in the face, sending him flying up again.

A second later, however, Bahamut vanished. In a flash, he recovered and used his speed to counterattack. But just as he dropped behind Wyvern's back...the red esper vanished as well. Bahamut's eyes bulged for a moment as he saw this. But then, the true fear struck him. He was right. Wyvern was just playing until now. In reality...he was just as fast as he was _with_ the Supra-velo. He had no further time to consider this, though, for he too had to move again. It was a good thing too, for Wyvern reappeared a moment later, and his foot hit empty air where Bahamut's face had been. He looked up in surprise, and then vanished just before an uppercut whizzed past where his chin was. The attacker disappeared too, just in time to miss an axe kick planned for his weakened side. The two espers performed this deadly dance again and again, both narrowly missing the other. Both pushed themselves to the limits of their power, struggling to avoid each other and be the first one to land a hit. Both strained their stamina to keep going...feeling the burn in their body from the terrible speed...

But at last, Bahamut reappeared and missed one of his claw slashes. He gaped, and prepared to move again...but too late. Abruptly, a massive reptillian mouth swung down and clamped on his shoulder. Wyvern sunk his teeth in as deep as he could, and abruptly blood gushed forth from his shoulder and began to pour down his body as Wyvern's knife-like teeth sliced into him. Bahamut cried out in pain, for the teeth drove in deep and all the way to the bone, hoping to wrench the shoulder out of its socket. Before it could, Bahamut managed to twist the arm up and into an elbow, and drove it back right into Wyvern's throat. The monster soon spat out Bahamut's shoulder and gagged. He clutched his throat and began to back away. As he did, Bahamut swung around violently and struggled to hit him again. Yet despite choking and bleeding, Wyvern retorted by seizing out his fist and intercepting Bahamut's hand, and then followed up with his own punch to Bahamut's face. Bahamut snapped back, and this time was not able to recover so quickly. The blow sent blood flying from his nose. But he did recover...and managed to bring up his foot to Wyvern's face, kicking it back as well. Wyvern reared back and bellowed in pain...but also drew one of his claws and extended his talons. A second later, he snapped back and drove his five fingers into Bahamut's exposed abdomen, digging each talon into his flesh and drawing blood. Bahamut roared in agony again, before bringing up both feet and kicking Wyvern hard in the gut, pushing him away from him and causing him to rip his talons out. But that only made Wyvern more furious, and in a flash he righted himself and launched forward again, and proceeded to give a right cross to Bahamut's face. Immediately, part of Bahamut's jaw turned to jelly, and one side of his head went numb from the blow. Before he could even pull his head back from this strike, Wyvern returned with a backhand. Bahamut's head went back the other way...and he was sent flying to the ground.

As Bahamut sailed on, he began to feel his strength ebb. His body began to grow heavy again. His heart and lungs slowed down. His muscles shrank. Dizziness began to come over him, and he started to feel nauseous. He began to realize what was happening. The Supra-velo was wearing off. He was losing his powers. Soon...he'd be back to his base level, and easy pickings for Wyvern. What more...his stamina was nearly gone. He was using everything he had to keep up with Wyvern's ferocity...but it wasn't enough. He was stronger even than he had sensed. His new power made him a juggernaut...unrelenting and unstoppable. None of Bahamut's blows had even slowed him down yet.

_I have to finish this soon...or I won't finish it at all._

Bahamut finally gave a grunt and was able to right himself. He spread out his wings and looked up to Wyvern, and then gave a gasp. Wyvern had unfurled his own wings, and now was firing Pyrin after Pyrin in Bahamut's direction. The esper hestiated a moment, but then dove forward along the ground as fast as he could. Great blasts of fire erupted around him as he did, punching into the ground and upheaving lava in the wake. Smoke and ash surrounded him as he flew forward through the chaos that Wyvern left in his wake. Yet he kept his wings out, and charged as much as he could. His shoulder was throbbing, and the wounds were doing damage to him. But still, he began to focus and ready himself for another attack...

Abruptly, however, as he passed through another column of fire and ash...Wyvern dropped down right on top of him. He struggled to react, but due to his speed and his attempt to try and focus his power he didn't have time. Wyvern landed as hard as he could right on the uninjured arm...and a loud crack resulted. Horrible pain shot through his arm and into Bahamut's head. He grit his teeth in misery, and nearly cried out. His focus slipped, and he nearly lost the building energy within him. But somehow, stretching his will to his limit, he held on. He began to fall down, away from Wyvern...but as he did he glared at him, opened his mouth, and aimed it right at his face. "Mega-pyrin!"

Wyvern gaped in shock as the massive attack ripped out of Bahamut's mouth, snapping his head back violently and sending him falling to the ground faster than ever. He was barely able to control it, between his loss of stamina and his injuries. However, to his horror, he looked through the blaze and saw that Wyvern was still too fast. He shot up in the air as quickly as he could, and the attack sailed underneath him. The blast still managed to hit his tail end, however. The result was a blistering blast of heat, causing the fluid within his flesh to boil and blast out of the surface. Within a moment, the end of his tail was blown off entirely. But that was a minor injury, easy to regenerate within days. Wyvern gave a mild indication of pain, but that was it. In the end, all he managed to do was increase his rage. The red esper only hesitated a moment, before flinging his injured tail out of the way and then diving for Bahamut.

The king esper, summoning what stamina was left, quickly pushed himself out and began to fly back, away from Wyvern and into the chaos that had resulted from his blasts. The ground was fractured now, and lava began to ooze out from parts of it. Others even had minor eruptions, and black smoke poured everywhere. Yet it was also concealing, and Bahamut was out of breath. He flew through this, struggling to get enough time to do another Supra-velo. But Wyvern, right after missing, promptly took off after him. Soon, more Pyrins were whizzing by Bahamut's body, embedding in more rock and blowing up more columns of stone and steam. Bahamut grit his teeth and struggled to fly faster. But his stamina was almost out. He tried shaking, but that too was inferior. He couldn't keep up considering Wyvern's speed. He could only push on, struggling to avoid the shots as they blasted closer and closer to him...

Then, as Bahamut began to fly out of the blasts, one hit. Right between the shoulder blades, a Pyrin hit dead on. A hot, flesh searing pain flooded out around Bahamut's back, and immediately his wings went rigid. He was clipped in mid-air. And he couldn't perform the Auto-aero technique either. Every spell was a drain now. Left with no other option, and smoking all the way, the king esper fell out of the sky. His wings helped him to glide a bit forward...but in the end he ran into the ground incredibly fast, and he smashed chin first into it. A painful jolt ripped through his skull. His bad arm was twisted horribly, and he slid across it for a few moments before coming to a halt. There, he lay for a second, unable to get up through the trauma and agony.

Yet he didn't get himself up in the end. Abruptly, a painful set of talons dug into his neck, drawing more blood. Then, he was ripped off of the ground and to his feet, and turned around to stare right into Wyvern's hateful face. His brother greeted him with a powerful jab right in the stomach, making Bahamut lose what air he had left and nearly forcing him to vomit. Yet despite this...Bahamut swung his own bleeding, swollen face forward and bashed it into Wyvern's head, right on the injury and cutting in a deeper gash. Enraged, Wyvern seized his head and brought it down as he brought his knee up...and crushed it into his throat. Now, his windpipe was closed. Blood oozed from his mouth, but Bahamut began to choke. And he was already out of air. As he struggled to gasp, Wyvern pounded him in the stomach three more times, crushing into his organs and snapping another rib in the process. He finished with an uppercut that ripped Bahamut off of his feet...but he didn't let him sail into the air. He reached out and grabbed him by his tail, and yanked the battered esper back to the ground. Once he was back, he seized him by his horns, and proceeded to smash his claw into Bahamut's face again and again. The other eye was beaten, and began to turn black and puffy. His beak nose was smashed and began to trickle blood. He felt one of his bone nostrils smashed in. But somehow...as Wyvern swung his fist forward again, Bahamut wrenched free of Wyvern's hand and let his fist sail harmlessly past his head as he dodged to one side. Then, with all the power he had in his weakened body, Bahamut gave Wyvern his own right cross with his one good hand. The blow echoed louder than any of his previous ones, and a tooth went flying from Wyvern's mouth as he swung his head to one side. Bahamut didn't let up, but quickly swung back, propped himself up on his tail, and then brought both of his legs up. In a flurry of kicks, he smacked Wyvern's face one way and the other with his claw feet, scratching into his skin and bashing him around until he was senseless. Then, pulling both back and concentrating for a moment, Bahamut thrust both forward and hit Wyvern in the chest with all his might. A thunderclap sounded as the two bodies connected, and Wyvern's body went flying away into the air.

Wyvern limply flew forward for a moment...but then raised his head up. Balling his hands into fists, he froze himself in mid-air and stopped yet again. He looked down and glared hatefully at Bahamut. He was sweating now, and his energy was definitely being taxed. But he still had plenty of power left to spare.

Bahamut, on the other hand, wheezed. His throat hurt, and blood kept coming out of his mouth as he exhaled. His body was a mess. His broken arm was numb and his arm with the bleeding shoulder was tingling. His wings were tired, and it hurt to flap them now. His face was swollen so puffy that he could barely see. His stamina was gone. Somehow, he had managed to counter Wyvern just now, but another attack run would leave him helpless. Even if he could pull off a Supra-velo, which would sap what was left of his strength, his body would be too weak to be able to fight in that condition. He blinked and struggled to clear his vision. Fear began to come into him. He had never expected this much power from Wyvern. He met his worst fears and exceeded them. He was simply too weak to continue. He realized now he had made a mistake. He should have tried harder to get stronger. Because now, there was too much at stake. If he didn't win, the world was doomed under his evil and selfishness. And he realized now that victory might be impossible...

Then, as his vision cleared, he managed to see Wyvern more clearly. He noticed he hadn't moved, but he also noticed something else.

A black aura had surrounded him again...and his power was skyrocketing.

Wyvern was already insanely strong, but now it was increasing. Already, it had doubled, and soon it would be beyond that as well. Bahamut began to quiver with fear. His heart raced and his stomach turned to knots. He was doing it. This wasn't going to be a halfhearted attempt this time. He was firing a full strength Megapyron. His wings were outstretched. His body was tightening. Now, his muscles seemed to bulge out as he tried to withstand the power. A fire like hell was burning in his mouth, and heat had already surrounded him. The ground was already beginning to quiver. Black lightning started to encircle him.

Bahamut realized he had only one chance. He had to beat him. But already...he feared he wasn't strong enough. His Sol-pyrin was the strongest force on the Planet, but today he began to fear that it had met its match. Nevertheless, there was no other choice. He could never survive this attack regardless. And so, he quickly prepared himself. Bahamut took in a deep breath, and forced his pain back. Though he hated doing it...he realized he needed all the power he could get. And so...he performed another Supra-velo. The red aura blazed around him again. The rings encircled him. His body bulged and ached, for it was pressing against numerous injuries now. It was calling on reserves he didn't have. But his power did increase. As the rings broke and he shone red, he felt faster and stronger than ever before again. Then, he quickly dug his feet into the ground. He lashed his tail behind him and spread out his wings. He closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and struggled to gather what solar energy could be found in this grim wasteland.

The lightning grew stronger around Wyvern. Pebbles on the ground began to rise. The winds started to form a small whirlwind beneath him. The heat around him continued to grow. His red eyes blazed with fire, and he began to grunt and cry out as he summoned. Sparks leapts from his throat as if he had a bellows within it. As for Bahamut, rays of light began to radiate around his wings. An ethereal glow came around him. Heat and wind began to whip up around him as well. The ground shuddered about him, fracturing more and pushing more lava forth. But through it all, a ball of burning light like the force of the sun began to form in front of his mouth. And it continued to swell and grow as Bahamut poured not only the sun's power but his own power into it. He had to give this everything he had. Both continued to summon their attacks, growing mightier and mightier as they did so.

The entirevalley began to shudder. It threatened to collapse. On one side of it, the world grew dark around Wyvern's aura. On the other, it began to grow light from Bahamut's. The observers were frozen in shock. Any of the blows that had been thrown would have killed them instantly. But now, the two titans were putting everything they had into this. The energy was massive, both chaotic and controlled at the same time. The few pinnacles left began to fall, and deep rifts were cut from faults in the rest of the crater. The steam vents were pushed down by the force, and the world began to exude more lava in the wake. The edge of the rims crumbled and fell into the main crater. Seeing all of this, the espers gaped in fear. Both attendants for both sides began to quiver. They shielded themselves, while defensive spells were thrown up around them. This was going to be big.

Then, at last, both of them reached their peak at the same time. They glared at each other for a moment, their eyes fierce and enveloped with their own energy. But then...they fired.

Massive balls of energy rushed together in a black, fiery cloud right for Bahamut, exploding out of Wyvern's mouth one after the other. As for Bahamut, his body was bathed in the sun's rays as he fired off the massive, comet-like Sol-pyrin right at Wyvern. It continued to streak and burn more ferociously as it thundered right for Wyvern's massive wave. But after a few fateful seconds, the two collided. A shockwave ripped out that was actually visible. The energy waves themselves blasted out and wiped the surface of the Crater smooth as glass. A huge mess of dust and debris thundered past both titans, but they didn't stop. They endured the pain from the shockwave and began to push more into their attacks. The espers at the rim had their barriers obliterated, and then were violently flung over the edge to the opposite side. A maelstrom erupted between the two combatants, casting up dust and smoke and energy bolts everywhere. But still, in the center, the two attacks locked. The burning orb of Bahamut blazed against Wyvern's wave of power. The wave continued to pour from Wyvern's mouth, while Bahamut struggled to channel more into his Sol-pyrin. The attacks buckled. The energy clouds between them grew larger and larger still, and the waves dug into the ground and blazed a larger and larger trench. The sky seemed to break open as the two forces clashed. Both espers sweat and strained. They groaned and cried out, using everything they had to keep control and keep pushing.

Bahamut screamed in pain. His body was on fire. The energy seemed to want to tear him apart. The rush of heat from the Megapyron washed over him, but still he pushed. He felt like jelly. His head became dazzled. He couldn't think or concentrate. Pushing his body on through sheer will, he continued to blast the Sol-pyrin. The light burned stronger and stronger, blazing brighter and brighter against the Megapyron as Bahamut held and pushed with every fiber of his being.

And then...it happened.

The Sol-pyrin shattered, the Megapyron rushed forward and enveloped it, and its energy dissipated into nothing.

Wyvern, in the midst of all of his agony, gave a triumphant roar. Bahamut collapsed to his knees. His strength was gone. There was nothing left. The rays vanished around him. He did weakly manage to look up...and saw the huge wave of death headed right for him. Then, weakened and helpless, not even able to cross himself, he realized he was finished. Wyvern was too strong. Even his Sol-pyrin was powerless against him. And performing a Supra-velo had exhausted the last of his chi energy. He was finished. He could only weakly stare through swollen eyes as the huge wave sailed right into him.

Then, he vanished into black and red flames as the massive explosions thundered around him.

* * *

To be continued...


	5. Traitors in Our Midst

By the time the espers had recovered and gone back to the rim, it was over. They had felt it, of course. No one within 1,000 miles hadn't felt it. The very Planet shook in its wake. But the Megapyron had dissipated. A mushroom cloud now blocked out the sun and flew overhead. Underneath it, being bathed by the ash and fallout that gently rained down like falling snow, the espers looked up over the edge and watched. Their faces were strained and fearful, but still they had to see what was left. They desperately hoped that Bahamut had caused the blast, and that he now stood victorious. However...they were in for a bad surprise.

Thevalley was deeper now. The very ground within it had been pushed lower in the wake of the esper's battle. Only one, vaguely humanoid shaped pinnacle still protruded... The rest was either deeply fractured or smoothed out again. The entire basin smoked. Fires burned on the metal ores within. Everything was black and ashen. After a moment, segments of the crater cracked and fell open, revealing pits of bubbling lava underneath. The rock fragments fell in and were consumed, and soon a blazing red light began to form all around the crater. But that didn't hold the espers' attention. They looked only to the center.

Wyvern hovered just above the ground. He was wheezing now, and he was covered with sweat. He flapped his wings for his energy was nearly gone. But still, he was full of power, and still he stood. He managed to cross his arms and glare down over his foe. There...almost motionless...was Bahamut. The only reason his body was still there was because his Sol-pyrin had managed to take the brunt of the Megapyron, leaving only a third of the energy to hit the mark. But that was more than enough. The energy from the Supra-velo was burned off. Now, he lay on the ground. The scales on his chest were blown away. The horns of his crest were jaggedly broken. Third-degree burns dotted his body, and the thin parts of his wings had been totally burned away. Some of his scales were fused. His lips were curled back from being burned, and all of his injuries were smolding and leaking blood. Bahamut was barely able to breathe. That was about all the energy he had left. Only his tail, which had been behind him, had been spared the damage. And now, that slowly swished like a worm on land.

Starlet burst into tears. Odin's face turned grim and his head bowed...even as he began to sweat. Leviathan held his hand to his mouth and dared not breathe. A part of him told him to go down there and attack, strike Wyvern down while he could. However...he knew it was hopeless. Even though his own chi energy was gone, Wyvern still had more than enough raw power to kill all of them without batting an eye. The horror sank in. His own heart sank, and his stomach turned into a stone. He wearily collapsed to his knees. It was over. The mighty king of the espers was beaten. Their kingdom...was doomed. The world itself could be doomed.

Wyvern slowly set on the ground. His own body had been stretched to the limit in that attack, and movements made him ache. But he was still standing and still strong. And now, he grinned menacingly at Bahamut. His wicked eyes flashed as he held his talons up in glee.

"Yes...yes...good!" He cheered. "It's over! It's finished!" With that, he suddenly arched his back and turned his head to the sky. He raised his talons in joy and let loose a massive, cruel laugh. It sounded throughout the whole crater, and to the espers it sounded like death bells. Khan and Singh began to cry as they saw their fallen master. Zola and Noonian were stunned...but began to smile and weakly cheer as well. But Wyvern didn't care. He looked back down at his foe and blasted him with more laughter. "At last! At long last! I am now the true King of All Espers! I'm finally the greatest! Nothing..._nothing_ can withstand the power I now possess! The world is at last mine! Now begins the Age of the Emperor of the Blue Planet!" And with that, he laughed more horribly than ever.

Odin grit his teeth in anger. He slapped his hands together and began to focus. However, Starlet merely put a hand on his shoulder in response. He stopped at that, and looked to her. Her own eyes were filled with tears now, but she shook her head at her older brother. Odin froze a moment, but then snorted and did as told. It was true. Even a Gunge Lance wouldn't finish him. Fighting was hopeless. It was all over. Their brother and king was dead, replaced by his hated and insane twin. Leviathan grasped his head in horror. How could he not do anything? Bahamut was laying there dying, and all he could do was sit back here and watch. If only he hadn't devoted himself to just learning! If only he had trained himself better! Maybe he could have helped now...

Wyvern laughed loud and long over his victory. But then, he finally calmed. He glared evilly back at Bahamut again and grinned. He looked up and past him a bit. Not forty feet away was an open lava pit, bubbling and churning within. He grinned in response to seeing it, looking back to his brother. Immediately, he walked forward to him and bent down. He seized Bahamut painfully by the neck and the calf, making sure to dig his talons in, and then with one mighty effort raised him over his head. He held him there for a moment, brandishing his body like a trophy.

"But first...to dispose of this traitor's body. No burial for this worthless king. I don't even want a shred of him left. When you get to Hell, little brother, tell Griever I said hi."

With that, Wyvern turned and began to walk over to the lava pit. Bahamut's eyes creaked open weakly as he did so, but he lacked the energy to even speak. He merely stared forward, and saw what was happening. Soon, Wyvern was at the edge of the pit. Bahamut felt the powerful heat rushing up over him, even from his distance. He saw the bright light right next to him, burning over one side. In another moment, he realized that Wyvern was going to throw him in. Then it would be over. He would be dead...and Wyvern would control the Planet.

_No..._

_I have enough...for one last move._

Bahamut grunted and strained a moment. Wyvern let him, thinking that this was his death throes. He wanted him to struggle as he threw him in, after all. He grinned in delight and relished holding the beaten Bahamut over his head. So confident and arrogant was he...that he didn't see Bahamut's tail suddenly swing with more life. Bahamut focused the very last bit of strength he had into this. If this failed...it was over. But he would leave one more mark on him.

Abruptly, the tail suddenly whipped once and became strong and lithe. Wyvern heard this, and his victory glare turned to puzzlement. But it was too late. Abruptly, Bahamut's tail swung back, his spiked end turned forward, and with everything left he drove it forward and into Wyvern's back.

The red esper yelled in agony...even as he felt a stabbing pain in his lungs. Immediately, his strength broke. Bahamut drove his barb in deeper and deeper...until it protruded from the other side. Wyvern looked down in rage, and saw the end of Bahamut's blood-soaked tail erupt from the lower left of his abdomen. Then, Bahamut nearly passed out. His strength was gone. He couldn't even extract his tail from Wyvern's side. But he felt it had hit true. The tail had sunk in, skewering one of Wyvern's kidneys and tearing through part of his intestines before emerging through on the other side. These injuries, likely fatal to humans, were possible to survive and regenerate from for espers like Bahamut and Wyvern. But that didn't make them any less serious injuries when they were inflicted. Blood began to pour from Wyvern's side, and his entire lower torso erupted into painful fire.

Wyvern's arms uselessly fell to his side. In the process, he dropped Bahamut behind him. The blue esper fell to the ground hard, but his tail was pulled on and yanked within Wyvern's wound. Wyvern bellowed in more agony and collapsed to his own feet, nearly falling off the edge and into the lava himself. He curled into a ball and continued to bleed. Blood oozed from his mouth. He gasped raggedly, for the tail made breathing painful. He began to writhe against the ground, nearly toppling into the lava. He dragged himself away with great effort, continuing to writhe and scream. He drug himself all the way to Bahamut, and without a thought pulled his body over him. More blood splashed onto Bahamut's body as he yanked himself over him. The artery in his kidney was flowing freely now. His yelling stopped, but still he cried out in endless pain. He felt dizzy and nauseous. At last, he fell onto Bahamut's opposite side, and nearly collapsed.

The red esper continued to flail about. But as he did, his bloody claws dug into the ground. As he pulled back, he yanked off a smoldering piece of rock with him. He held this firmly, and in the midst of all his pain he took his other hand and held it behind him. He seized Bahamut's now lifeless tail, and yanked it out with one rip. Instantly, he cried out in more trauma and agony. Blood poured forth faster than ever. And yet, through that, he managed to take his other arm, twist behind him, and press the smoldering rock against his gaping wound. Immediately, his flesh began to burn. Some of it even caught on fire. He stiffened and spasmed in pain, and grit his teeth tight in order to try and stop himself from going into shock and breaking his own neck from twitches. The wound was burned closed, albeit horribly and raggedly. He brought the rock back in front next, and did the same to the other end of the wound. After that was done, his bloody burnt hand loosened and let the rock topple out of it. He had sealed the wound closed...at the price of driving himself into mind-numbing agony. His internal injuries continued to ache and bleed within him.

Wyvern, struggling desperately to keep breathing and not go into shock, turned his smoldering carcass over onto his opposite side. He pushed himself on all fours, and struggled to put himself up. But it was too much. Then, he looked up, and saw his totally motionless brother. But still, he sensed a spark of life in him. At once, Wyvern began to fume in rage. But only part of it was due to the fact that Bahamut had grievously injured him with his last move. The main part of it was that, despite all of his strength and power...he couldn't finish him. Every move sapped at his strength and ability. He was losing power constantly now. The Megapyron had exhausted his chi. He'd be lucky now if he could drag himself to a place to recover before the pain made him pass out. Even if he did spent the tiny amount of power needed to beat Bahamut...he was now in terrible shape to fight the others if they decided to step in.

His victory had just been snatched away from his grasp. He hadn't proven himself the strongest. He had only managed to tie him in power. And that made Wyvern more enraged than anything...

But his adrenaline wasn't able to be wasted on anger anymore. It was pushing itself to the limit to keep his injured body alive. Burning the wound closed had only given him more injuries. He realized it was over. Slowly, he managed to drag himself up to his knees. He spread out his wings and glared furiously down at his fallen brother. He was unconscious now, his power gone. But Wyvern didn't care. In his twisted mind...Bahamut was smiling confidently at him with eyes closed, knowing he had tied him...maybe even won.

"Damn you..." Wyvern sneered. "Damn you to hell... This isn't over, Bahamut. I swear to you this isn't over. I won't rest until you're dead...you hear me? I'll heal... I'll return... I'll beat you..."

Then, not wasting anymore energy talking, Wyvern moaned again and stretched out his own wings. Turning away from his fallen brother, he used what power was left in him to take off into the air, and slowly began to fly away. Bahamut, motionless and unaware of the end of the fight, simply lay there and let him go.

* * *

_Three Days Later

* * *

_

Bahamut was brought in a conjured stretcher back to Terratopolis. His body was still covered with burns and lacerations. The espers gaped in shock at this, horrified and overwhelmed at how their great king had been beaten so badly. However, Leviathan nevertheless told them that Bahamut was the victor. Wyvern had been driven off, and he was still the rightful king. Seeing this seemed to throw some espers into confusion, but they held their peace as Bahamut was taken into the medical wing. The greatest healers, Starlet included, were brought in to assist Bahamut's recovery. Working night and day for three days, they worked on his ravaged body. They reconnected his bones, brought down his swelling, and repaired his burned flesh. Some of his scales were fused and had to be ripped off and their wounds healed. Bahamut's horns and other scales were then allowed to grow back, and the filament between his wings managed to regrow half of their length within the three days. His chi slowly began to recover as well. He was still far from optimal condition, but he was as healthy as magical powers could make him at the end of three days.

The esper king now reclined on a great dias made for his type of species. His horns were still lopsided although smooth again, and much of his body was covered with bandages until his regeneration could fully repair them. He was tired, for his energy was only a tenth recovered, and he was still tired after three days of rest. His look was grim now, grim and bleak. It was not sad and devastated as it had been before. No...he was past that now. But despite everything that had happened, despite his final turn to battle, he still couldn't change the fact that Wyvern was his brother. And he couldn't erase what had happened...especially the fact that if not for some act of chance he wouldn't be anything but molten ash at this point. Though the end of the fight was vague and clouded in his memory, he had the intellect to remember _that_. And now, in the wake...many new things came to mind.

The other espers had cleared out. Those that had healed him left him in his room to ponder over things. His head was in front of one of the windows here, letting the sun bathe over him...not only making him feel pleasant but refilling some of his power. He drank in the fresh air and watched the outdoors. No espers had come out, however. All were inside or in mourning, waiting for their king to emerge. The birthing ceremonies were canceled for the first time in millenia. Now, everyone awaited Bahamut to come out and address them again. The only esper that was left in the room to speak with Bahamut was Leviathan. The Chancellor stood at a distance from him and upright. The door was closed, and all was silent within.And now...there were matters to discuss.

"Has there been any sign of Wyvern?" Bahamut asked, his tone only sounding like it half cared.

Leviathan frowned and shook his head. "Scouts have been sent everywhere. Our greatest minds, mine included, have talked endlessly with the Planet and stretched out to try and discover him. But he must have lost more energy than we thought. We can't pick up his signature anywhere. Neither can we find the esper-like creatures with him, Zola and Noonian. However...I feel that they did pay us a visit. The Masamune and Ragnarok..." He paused a moment at that, and swallowed hard. "...have both been stolen."

Bahamut didn't remark to this. Perhaps Wyvern planned to get strength from them. He didn't know.

"Wyvern had exhausted most of his energy." Leviathan continued. "And he was badly injured. He had no healing espers to help him. It will take him some time to recover. However, when he does return, I plan to have a counter force assembled. He is now an enemy of the king, and I am already beginning to-"

"There is no need."

Leviathan stopped at that. His eyes widened a bit, and he looked in puzzlement. "...My lord?"

"Wyvern isn't interested in attacking Terratopolis, and he isn't interested in being king." Bahamut simply responded, his voice emotionless. "He wants power. He wants to be the strongest. He wants to kill me so that he can have the title of the strongest. He will come after me and me alone."

Leviathan blinked at this, and frowned. "But my lord, you are _in_ Terratopolis."

"I will take care of that." Bahamut simply answered, in a finishing tone.

Leviathan would have pressed the matter, but he recognized that voice. It meant that the subject was closed and Bahamut didn't want anyone prying. And so, Leviathan was quiet about it. Yet he still frowned, and soon spoke up in a darker voice.

"We have another problem. I discovered a spy. One of the wind espers: Typhoon. He attacked some of the other espers the moment you arrived. When he was stopped, I questioned him. He is of slow wit...and it appeared that what he did was launch an offensive that was only supposed to take place if you lost the fight with Wyvern. He spilled everything. It appears one of our own sided with Wyvern, and he was planning to stage a revolt the moment that Wyvern returned in victory. They were planning on killing every last supporter of you. The traitors have vanished back into the multitude now, but I have names. They will lead me to the rest of them once they are taken. How should we proceed?"

"Pardon them." Bahamut simply answered.

Leviathan's eyes expanded at this, and genuine shock went into him. "Excuse me, my lord?"

"Pardon them." Bahamut restated. "I have had my fill of the word 'traitor' and all of this violence. I have had my fill of Wyvern and the rest of this mess. I am tired, Leviathan, and I am growing ever so more tired than I was during the battle." His voice began to grow cross here. In the end, he sighed and waved one claw behind him. "Just...leave me."

Leviathan grimaced. He looked anxiously back at his king. But in the end, Bahamut would not budge. He knew how he was about these things. And so, he sighed and began to turn away.

"Wait."

Leviathan froze at that, and turned back to Bahamut.

"...Prepare a meeting." Bahamut simply ordered. "A gathering of all espers. Meet in one hour. I shall address them."

The Chancellor nodded. "At once, my lord." With that, he turned, and with somewhat less downheartedness he walked the rest of the way to the door. He soon passed through and shut it behind him, and his footsteps vanished as he went down the hall. Bahamut was left alone in the chamber, staring out the window. All was silent save for a few birds chirping outside. Slowly, the esper king began to think.

_If I lost?_

_I _did_ lose._

_And in all honesty...I can't help but feel a little like Wyvern's predictions. I'm supposed to be the king. I'm supposed to be the strongest of all espers. For thousands of years, I've been uncontested in strength. In truth...I've never really feared death in that time. I always felt that I'd survive. Even when the planet was facing destruction, I believed I would survive. I would triumph in the end. Nothing had been around in that time that could really hurt me, after all. And now...now I remember what death feels like. Now I know what its like to live in uncertainty and fear. Now I remember what it means to be aware of one's own mortality. I have an opponent...one that I couldn't beat in the end. I was beaten into a bloody pulp by an opponent. I met one that I couldn't outclass...who even outdid my Sol-pyrin. And now...I don't feel much like a king anymore. I don't feel regal or strong or powerful. I feel...weak...fragile...mortal. _

_In the end, my emotions got the best of me. If I had stayed focused...if I had managed to accept the truth about Wyvern...I would have trained harder. I would have tried harder. This wasn't a personal issue. It concerned everyone. And I let myself be partial. I nearly made a dreadful mistake. And I didn't have my heart in it until the end. That was irresponsible. Leviathan knew the whole time I had to be ready to kill him. He tried to tell me that. But he couldn't in the end because I wouldn't hear it. It nearly got me killed. And then what? Wyvern would have dominated the espers and consumed who knew how many else in his wrath. I shouldn't have let that happen. No...as king I _couldn't_ let that happen. Power may not have once had anything to do with it, but it does now. I have to be able to defend my realm and my subjects. I have to be able to beat people like Wyvern. And now, he's still alive. Now he's healing. And he'll return here...and he'll be looking for me. Then who knows what else will happen. Maybe he'll raise another insurrection. Maybe I should have let Leviathan punish them...and I would have if it weren't for the fact that I was emotionally distraught. I once again failed..._

_This...is too much for me._

_I've made one mistake after another since this happened. I could have costed people their lives. And in the end...I wasn't strong enough. I should have kept myself strong in case something like this ever happened. It might not have been Wyvern...but what of the Terrans? What if they came back with something stronger? Would I have been ready then? And if I hadn't, the Planet would have suffered... Damnit...I've wasted so much time thinking about what I should have been doing that I didn't think of what I _had_ to do. The world is not an ideal place. I should have been more ready. I should have acted impartially. But in the end, it was one failure after another. And there can't afford to be any further failures._

_...I have to do this.

* * *

_

Again, the great assembly was gathered. All of the espers came together and entered the courtyard. Some of it was still scored, despite efforts of great and powerful espers to repair it. But the people were able to fill in none the less. There was no celebration this time. No great garlands or banners. Just the royal symbol extended over the edge of the balcony. Once more, the guards filled out...some of them replaced with bigger and stronger espers. The balcony filled with the entire royal entourage. King Odin, still in human form, Keeper of the Mountain Ogopogo, Lady Starlet, and Chancellor Leviathan were all there, flanked by guards and by Khan and Singh, both standing at attention. Starlet and Leviathan stood on either side of the main doorway. The group waited there for a few brief moments, letting the crowd quiet down and focused up on the balcony. But then...out came Bahamut.

He looked more tired now and older. He was in human form again, but now his royal attire seemed to weigh down on him like some sort of punishment or chain. His head sank under his great spired crown. Parts of his face were still scarred from the fight, having not healed yet. The powerful light in his eyes had faded somewhat. But he did make his way out, slower, and reached the railing. After that, he looked down on the crowd. The rest of the espers gazed at him for a moment, a bit stunned. None had seen him since he had returned, and some even believed he had died on returning. But he was alive now, but they could all see that although his body had recovered, his spirit and mind were still weary and weakened. He looked over them a moment, but at last began.

"Over the past week, unfortunate events have come to pass. In the last assembly, you saw how my twin brother, Wyvern, challenged me for the throne. I answered the challenge three days later. And as you have already heard, Wyvern fled the battlefield at the end. Per the conditions of the challenge, he lost the match, and is now an enemy and traitor to the espers. But know this...although Wyvern did lose the match, I did not win. As you may have guessed, we both critically injured each other. My brother, having a grievous injury, was forced to flee even though he was of the superior power. It is for that reason, and that reason alone, that Wyvern lost."

Leviathan closed his eyes, and then rolled them beneath his eyelids. A murmur went over the crowd. Odin sighed. They wished he hadn't said that. Now, it was obvious to the people that Bahamut was not the invincible demigod that he once had seemed. It was obvious that there was someone who contested his strength...even surpassed it. And though according to the conditions of the match, Bahamut was the rightful victor, there were espers in the group who would never accept that Bahamut had won, and would believe Wyvern was the winner. In their eyes, the only true measure of victory is who was still standing in the end.

"But Wyvern did lose." Bahamut continued after a pause. "Fleeing the battle is the same as surrendering. I remain King of All Espers, and he becomes a traitor. However...as no doubt many of you are thinking...that is an unsatisfactory conclusion to this battle. Perhaps you expected news of Wyvern's death...or perhaps my death...or maybe even surrender or fleeing in terror. You did not expect an unconscious, broken victor, whose opponent left in agony and not in fear or defeat. If you think so...then we have an accord. For I too believe that this is an unsatisfactory condition for victory."

On hearing this, the crowd went silent. His siblings turned and looked to him in puzzlement. Bahamut, however, merely shrugged.

"I cannot deny it. As I lay on the ground at Wyvern's feet, I was totally out of strength and power. He took me to my limit, and afterward he still had stamina. Were it not for some miracle that I was able to inflict that wound, I would not be standing here today, and all of you would be gathered around Wyvern. Perhaps...there are some among you who would even prefer that to be the case right now. Perhaps there is discord among you as to my reign and kingship. If you feel that way, then know this.

"Wyvern was an esper consumed by greed and ambition. His jealousy and pride were his downfall. If you doubt me, then know that it was because of his pride that I was able to send him fleeing the battlefield. And that is what doomed him. He is a creature of wrath and violence now. And he fully planned to work a great evil on this place. Had he been king, those of you who supported him would have had to pay a tall price for his domination. And in the end he would have only cultivated war and a state of power, not giving an equal share to any but the strongest, and eventually seizing that all for himself. Perhaps you doubt me. Perhaps you feel that I am less preferable to such a state. But I am king, and so long as I am king this is the way things shall be operated. And that is what I shall fight against, and that is what I did fight against in the end. To avoid that future. And I wished to tell you all of the evil that Wyvern planned and why I battled.

"I realize now what Wyvern intended to do. But even if my brother did not return, I realize also that others will come. Foes as great as Wyvern and more ambitious will arise. There will be other great powers that plan greater chaos, and they will be far more clear cut than my twin brother. And they will arise to challenge the power of our realm. What I realize now, that I did not realize a week ago, is that as king, I am the steward and protector of my people. I should have been strong enough to repel any threat that would come and fracture the peace of the kingdom. I blinded myself with emotion to what Wyvern intended, and as a result I did not prepare well enough. I did not keep myself strong. And as a result, I nearly died. And if I had...then this kingdom would now be in ruin and in the hands of Wyvern. Even if you do not believe that...then imagine if it was another foe. What then? If I failed to defeat that enemy, then this mountain would also be defenseless and broken. It was my responsibility to guard this place against all threats. And I neglected it. I became too emotive instead of impartial. I blinded myself to the magnitude of the danger. And in the end...I was not strong enough. And I nearly paid the price with my life...and abandoned the world to pay a greater price."

Another pause. Bahamut was right. Some of the people did think he sounded arrogant now, and doubted his words about Wyvern. But the wise, like his family members, knew the truth. They knew that Wyvern planned this. If he had carried it out, it would have been the doom of them all. A lot had been riding on that battle, far more than jealousy or a rivalry. That fate was gone for the moment now, however. And yet Bahamut did not see it as such. He looked to the future, and looked to how he could be exploited again. And to that end, he inhaled deeply.

"...Wyvern will not return again. Those of you that favored him will now learn that he cares little for this kingdom. His true care is seeing my destruction. But...as my Chancellor pointed out...he will raze this mountain to the ground to destroy me. And I...I have been a failure as a steward. I was neither strong enough in mind or body when the time came. I failed this kingdom when it truly needed me to carry out my office. Even now, I feel my emotions telling me to spurn the Lunarians, based on my past hatred with the Terrans. Because of all this...I have reached a decision." The great esper paused here, and inhaled deeply as all murmuring ceased. Silence hung as the people waited.

"...I am going into exile...and abandoning the throne."

Now his siblings truly did gape. They stared at Bahamut in total shock. The crowd burst out into noise. Loud murmuring and talking went through now. The news hit everyone like a thunderclap. Never did they expect this. Never had they thought that Bahamut would step down, especially his opponents. They had thought he would praise himself and relish his new power over them. Instead, he was leaving. Bahamut could feel the eyes of his brothers and sister on him. He heard them screaming mental messages to him, asking what he was doing. But Leviathan...he could understand Bahamut well. Indeed, he knew him better than anyone else. And so, he did not ask him why he had this turn of events. He had been suspecting he might do this for some time. But it was still a shock to him, and over everyone else he blasted one clear message.

_No._

But Bahamut had blocked them out. He would not be swayed. He held up a hand to all of this. Still, the crowd raged on. His siblings looked to him with amazement and anxiety. And yet, he was still the king. Finally, they bit their tongues and managed to control themselves. The crowd quieted down as well soon after.

"It is clear to me now that I am no longer as wise and controlled as I once was. I have changed with time, as all things do. It is for that reason that I must leave. For the first time ever, a true king over the espers will be needed. Our size is growing, the world is changing, and many new things will have to be decided. A truly wise and controlled king must carry that out. Although I let my final edict stand, that Wyvern is an enemy of the kingdom and that I triumphed, this is the end of all other things. My successor will decide if these edicts will stand or fall. And now, before you all, I shall name him. You will find that he is more capable than I have been, and far more wise and controlled. He will be fair and impartial to you where I could not be, and will proceed with justice. Now...prepare to bow down before your new king."

With that, Bahamut reached up and took his crown. Slowly, he drew it off of his brow. The crowd was silent again. They looked anxiously, wondering what Bahamut's next move would be. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. A pin could have been heard dropping. That moment seemed to hang forever, and no one dared to breathe. But at last, the crown descended again...and slowly came to a rest on Leviathan's head. The Chancellor went white as a ghost. His breath caught in his throat, and he stared at Bahamut in utter shock.

Bahamut, however, calmly withdrew his hands and let it rest there. Then, he turned to the others and gestured to his people.

"Behold...Lord Leviathan the Wise, Master of the Seas...and King of All Espers."

No one moved right away. Leviathan stood in stunned surprise. They weren't sure what to do. For centuries, they had bowed before their great king. But now that there was another, they didn't know what to do. At last, some did bow down. The others saw this, and slowly they began to follow suit. They started mostly in the front, but quickly spread to the back as they continued to bow down, one after the other. After a few moments, all had gone down, and they all held there in front of their new king. Leviathan stood in silence. He stared and looked over them all. In the presence of Bahamut, it was almost impossible to realize that they were doing so for him. He could say nothing. He only swallowed and looked over them all.

Finally, Bahamut looked over them all and spoke again. "This is my final address as your king. Supreme authority resides with Leviathan now. I bid you all farewell."

With that, he turned and left the balcony, walking back in the way he came. The rest of the espers were left in stunned silence. Leviathan blinked and looked after him, but he was already gone. He stared at him a moment longer, but finally turned back. He was at a loss. No one knew what to do. However, after a moment, he finally spoke, a bit shaky and uneasily.

"...We...will adjourn...for ten minutes."

* * *

The seven spired crown was flung to the ground and nearly broke. It bounced off hard, leaving a small dent. The one who had flung it down glared at his brother, now that he and his siblings had withdrawn and were within.

"What are you thinking!"

Bahamut stared simply back at Leviathan. His four siblings looked at him, their faces confused, strained, and even a bit angry. Guards surrounded them, likewise befuddled and not sure what to do. Everyone directed these emotions back to Bahamut, expecting an answer for this and a good explanation. They really wanted him to reconsider.

"You just abandon the kingdom now! In its hour of greatest need!" Leviathan blasted.

"...It is because it is the time of greatest need that I am leaving." Bahamut answered. "This land needs you, not me."

"It needs you, not me!" Leviathan shot back in reply. "What am I? A lowly coward of a Chancellor!"

"You're wrong." Bahamut simply answered. "You're powerful and wise. You're stronger than you realize. You may feel a bit behind, but you can improve that if you commit yourself to combat. But the espers don't need that. They need someone who is innocent in their eyes. They need someone they trust. Everyone depends on you and believes in your wisdom, and no one has anything against you. You are the one who can gather them all together and hold them. They need you."

Leviathan frowned in response to this. He held a moment, before making a cutting motion. "I refuse it."

"It is my right to appoint my own successor." Bahamut flatly responded. "I choose you."

"Choose someone else!" Leviathan snapped back.

"Odin already has his people. Starlet lacks the amount of knowledge and wisdom you have. Ogopogo lacks the fortitude to stand his ground. It must be you." Bahamut simply answered. His siblings frowned a bit at this, but it was not an insult. It was the truth. Out of them all, Leviathan was the best suited to being the leader. The others all had their own faults. In truth, he already ran most of the bureaucracy in Terratopolis. He was suited well to being king. As acting regent, he had managed the espers well...but that was in the alternate timeline. Bahamut knew he would be better for it now. He only hoped he understood now. He needed to.

Leviathan frowned again. He was impartial enough to realize that this was the truth. Out of them all, he was the best suited. He did have the most ability and knowledge. But he still refused it. "We have a perfectly good king right now." Leviathan stated. "We don't need me to take over. I don't understand why you're doing this. None of us do."

"You made a mistake, Bahamut." Starlet added. "It's no problem. Everyone does."

"It _is_ a problem." Bahamut flatly answered. He turned and looked to them all, growing serious. "Don't you understand? I should have finished him. I should have beat him now. Now, he's going to be a threat in the future. If I hadn't been so emotionally tied, maybe I could have beaten him here. Now, I don't know if I'll ever be able to beat him. But he's not going to rest until he has me. He's going to be back. And I can't defend this realm against him. I lack the power. The only thing I can do is keep this from happening. Wyvern will stalk me, no one else. If I stay away and hide, then he'll waste his time trying to find me. He won't be back here if I'm not. He has no interest here. But if I stay and he comes back...there could be another insurrection. Then this world really will erupt into chaos. And I can't risk him getting the kingship. We all know that he must never have it. And the longer I stay here, the longer I run the risk of it happening. I can't do that. You know I can't. If you want me to really defend Terratopolis, then this is what I have to do."

"You can get stronger, Bahamut." Odin responded. "You can beat him."

"But I don't know that." Bahamut responded. "And I can't risk him causing another insurrection. Besides..." He paused for a moment at this, and bent his head down a little. "...All know now that I am mortal. My reign is weakened. Now they are aware that even the mighty Bahamut can fall. They need a new symbol, one of boundless power and strength. One that hasn't been struck down yet. Leviathan's mind is already at its peak. His body has developed much from the sea, but keep developing it and soon he'll be just as powerful. I can't stay. There is no other way around it. Too much has changed."

The group paused in response to this. Bahamut had a point. They wished there was another way around it...but they couldn't think of it. No answer presented itself immediately. They couldn't risk another strike from Wyvern. And if Bahamut was beaten, they would be helpless. Even if he wasn't, they could have a major situation on their hands. They couldn't risk that either. A rebellion would break the esper world down and ruin everything that had been built. That was a very real threat. And they couldn't just dismiss it. But still...they hated this. They didn't want him gone. They had been with him since the beginning. He had led them since the start. Without him...then what? What would they do? What could they do?

Leviathan's face fell. He frowned a bit and shifted uneasily. He wanted a way out of this, but for all of his so-called intelligence he could do nothing. He held for a moment longer, but it was no use. In the end, he broke down.

"...I don't want you to leave. None of us do."

Bahamut stared at him a while longer at that. He frowned a bit himself, and thought of when he had talked to Leviathan not long ago. He held for a moment, and slowly exhaled. In the end, he walked forward to the sea serpent turned man. He reached out and put his hand on his shoulder. He held it there, until Leviathan looked up to him.

"...Believe me when I say I'm not doing this for myself."Bahamut responded. "I'm doing it for everyone. And you are the best choice. I know it, and you will realize it in time as well. Believe in yourself. In the end, that is all you really need for this. That was all I needed in the end when I took this position."

Leviathan paused in response, and continued to stare at him. For a moment, he was the scared and helpless old creature he had been. He was a coward again, and once again under the weight of stronger forces. And yet...it lasted only a moment. Then he remembered that this was indeed for the best. He heard what Bahamut said, and knew that for now there was no other choice. And on doing so...he managed to change. He managed to draw himself up. He thought of his esper heritage and power. Until now, he had been wise but timid. But now, he put down his fear. He drew himself up and made himself stronger. If he had been before, then he would have been able to help Bahamut. He had failed then...but he wouldn't fail now.He needed to be stronger. Bahamut had once stood forward in a time of crisis, and had saved the world as a result. Now, he saw that he needed to stand forward as well. He needed to stop relying on Bahamut for support. He needed to stand up for himself. And so, his fear vanished as well. His strength returned. His face turned stern again, and his head raised. For the first time, he began to look strong all on his own, returning to the state he had once been when he first stood against Griever.

Bahamut looked at him for a moment longer, but then smiled again at him. He patted him on the shoulder, and then spoke again. "I won't be leaving right away. I will stay a few days longer until my wings have regenerated. Then, I shall be moving out. I'm not sure where yet, but I'll decide. In the meantime..." He paused a moment, then spoke up again. "...You need to address the people. Your word is the law now. Keep the espers in order, and keep them together in the times to come. As for the Lunarians..." Another pause, as Bahamut bowed his head and licked his lips. However, he looked up and nodded. "...Do what you wish with them. It is your judgment now."

With that, Bahamut withdrew his hand. He turned and he began to walk away. The others stood back in silence. They didn't know what to say, and they didn't know how to respond. They merely stood and listened as Bahamut's foosteps slowly clicked and went down the hal until he left. His two attendants held a moment. They licked their lips and looked anxiously to one another. But then, they turned back and rushed after him. They began to walk alongside him afterward, slowing down and matching his pace. Finally they went down a set of stairs and vanished from view. A few moments later, their footsteps went silent and vanished. The rest of them were left behind. Leviathan held a bit longer, but then slowly exhaled. Bahamut was gone now...and he remained standing. Slowly, he looked down to the ground, and saw the spire once again. He swallowed a moment...but then bent down and gently picked it up. He didn't put it on...but he did slowly bend up and hold it now. The others looked to him, and said nothing.

At last, however, Ogopogo stood forward. He walked in front of Leviathan and smiled warmly at him. "Well...I guess you're the king now, Leviathan. I'm sure that you will make a great ruler. I'll be there to support you. In fact, I'll gladly fill in the old position. Then-"

Before Ogopogo could get out another word, the end ofLeviathan's rear morphed into a great sea serpent tail, and it swung around and violently smacked Ogopogo in the side of the head. Theesper was ripped off of his feet and slammed into the nearby wall. The impact was so hard that he crackedit. He toppled to the ground a moment later, dazzled and shocked. He shook his head and slowly pushed himself up, and looked over to Leviathan. The others, the guards included, stared in shock at what had happened.

"Brother?" Ogopogo uttered in shock. "What are you-"

But Leviathan had changed. He glared coldly into Ogopogo's eyes. All love and mercy was gone from them, and he was livid with rage.

"Bahamut wanted me to be impartial. I think I'll start with you, my so-called 'brother'." He hissed. Immediately, he pointed at him. "Seize him immediately!"

None of the guards moved. They were all bewildered at this, wondering what had come over Leviathan. He seemed to have gone crazy. The other espers turned to Leviathan in shock. "Leviathan..." Starlet uttered. "What on earth...?"

Levithan pointed an accusing finger at him, as if he was pointing the end of a weapon at him. "You despicable worm... You worthless maggot..." He hissed at him. "You are worse than _he_ is. He had insanity as an excuse...but you... You betrayed me! I trusted you! Loved you! I helped you with everything! And this is how you repay me!"

Ogopogo blinked in innocent shock. The others were frozen and stunned. "Leviathan...what do you mean?"

"Don't play innocent with me!" Leviathan snapped back. "I had a talk with Typhoon."

At that, Ogopogo's face paled a bit. He swallowed...but then regained his composure. He stuttered, and shook his head. "Whatever he told you, I know nothing-"

Leviathan turned to the others, still pointing at him. "_He_ is the force behind the insurrection! He is the traitor!"

The surrounding espers froze. The guards gaped in surprise. Ogopogo looked around and saw this, and then furiously shook his head. "No! No! I would never betray my brother! I'd never betray you either! I am loyal to the kingdom!"

"Bullshit." Leviathan angrily spat, turning back to him. "You... He told me everything. And the rest I heard from your mind. You never did learn to control your thoughts. But I saw it clearly enough. And right now...I see how you're struggling to hide these forbidden thoughts from my prying gaze." He wheeled around to the others again, still pointing at him. "This monster crawled like a dog to Wyvern the day that he arrived. He pleaded with him to let him join him, for he never believed that Bahamut could triumph. He thought he could be a creature of higher power in his kingdom. He promised to lead more espers to Wyvern's side. But the dark esper wouldn't agree to his conditions...not unless he led the espers to kill all those who were still loyal to Bahamut. And he agreed...all for the chance to live and gain power in this kingdom."

"No! No! It's a lie!" Ogopogo shrieked in response...his brow already breaking into a sweat and turning white. "I would never! How could I? How could I strike my own brother?"

Leviathan glared darkly at him at that.

"...I never said anything about the last part of your plan...how you had been ordered to kill me yourself and agreed."

Ogopogo whined and cringed a bit further.

Leviathan looked around again. "Go ahead if you doubt me. Scan his mind. It's like an open book. He is so terrified right now he can't hide a word of it. And if you don't believe that...listen to Typhoon. He'll say the same. He, and the other traitors within the midst."

The espers were stunned. They turned and looked to the cringing Ogopogo. Ever since the fight with Griever, Ogopogo had been a snivelling coward. He had never showed any bravery or direction ever. But now...they began to peer deep within his fear, well past his outer appearances and within. And as they did...they saw his images. Images of meeting Wyvern...of bowing down before him...of seeing a massive war between espers...of seeing dozens of espers striking down their breathren...of seeing Ogopogo fire an Aqua-ject right behind Leviathan's head, slicing it from his body...and also of seeing them all struck down by their allies. It was all there. And in the end, there was Ogopogo, proudly standing as Chancellor in the new kingdom of Wyvern...perhaps even getting higher once Wyvern ascended. They saw this all...the heartlessness and the malice...and the lack of pity and total self interest. And on seeing this...they realized the truth as well. Their faces changed. Their surprise turned into anger. Their eyes blazed, and they turned down and glared at their so-called brother. He quivered and cringed, hiding beneath their gazes, shielding himself and guarding against a possible strike.

"You...bastard..." Odin hissed.

"How could you sell Bahamut out!" Starlet yelled at him in rage. "After all he's done for you! For us!"

Ogopogo whined and covered his head. "I...I had no choice!" He cried out in misery. "I sensed the great power of Wyvern...I saw how strong he was... I thought that Bahamut would die... He was going to kill us all! I panicked! I wanted to save myself, so I went to him! It was a bad decision...a horrible decision! And he demanded a terrible price from me! I thought he'd kill me if I didn't agree! I had to!"

"You could have had better faith in us!" Leviathan spat back. "You could have had better faith in Bahamut! You could have stayed with us! Together, we could have stood against him! But because of you, you nearly brought this down from the inside! You were going to have me killed! And in the end of this, you're still trying to gain power! Bahamut's misery has been your profit! By all rights, you deserve to die for what you have done. Hundreds could have been killed because of your treachery. Luckily for you, I'll only throw your miserable rear end out from here. From now on, you can fend for yourself." With that, he looked up and turned to the guards at that, and swung his fist down. "Now get him out of my sight!"

The guards paused only a moment longer. But now, they saw what had happened. They saw who he was. Seeing the others, they felt more confident. Frowns spread across their faces, and they turned hard. They quickly stepped forward and seized Ogopogo by the shoulders. With one pull, they yanked his quivering body off of the ground and held him up. They began to drag him down the hall, away from the others and the assembly hall.

As for Leviathan, he wheeled around back to the opening. It led back out onto the balcony, and Odin and Starlet were both facing him. He held a moment, but then began to walk forward. His face was hard, and he was pulsing with new power and strength.

"Now that I am king, the first thing that I shall do is expel the traitors for our midst." He flatly stated. "After that, I will begin to get a better grasp of the world's events. I myself will begin to see things firsthand, and I shall begin to increase my strength. Next time another opponent appears, I will be ready. I am going to establish this place as a refuge for goodness. And I'm going to begin today."

With that, Leviathan pushed right past his siblings, and stepped out to the balcony.

A new power had risen.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	6. Losing the Edge

_Forty Years Later_

One thing was for certain.

No matter what had happened, Bahamut had managed to successfully exile himself.

Two score ago, he had left Terratopolis, willingly giving up the throne he had held for four thousand, one hundred and fifty years. He put himself into exile, planning to go far away from Wyvern and the affairs of espers. Khan and Singh had accompanied him, refusing to leave their master's side when he left. As for Leviathan, he did take the title of king...but refused to wear the crown. That, he placed on Bahamut's head, as a reminder that he was the true King of All Espers. Leviathan himself took the title of King of Espers, for there would always be one who ranked above him. On that note, Bahamut had left. He searched over the Planet's surface for some time after that, and he was able to catch some final news. Leviathan banished all of the espers that had plotted to betray Bahamut, driving them off into the world. His own brother, Ogopogo, was among them. Bahamut sighed again when he heard that. This whole time, he hadn't even been aware of Ogopogo plotting against him. So lost was he in his own thoughts. Another brother turned against him... It only made his heart heavier as he left, making him wonder how his family had turned against itself...and wondering if another would come. Last he heard...Leviathan consented to Kluya's conditions and allowed him to enter the world of humans.

Hearing that, however, gave Bahamut the impetus he needed. Nowhere on the Blue Planet would ever safely conceal his presence...so why not venture off the Planet? As ridiculous as it seemed, Bahamut knew that the orbit of the Lunarian moon was close. It would take some effort and power...but he was capable of doing it. He was more than strong enough to withstand the pressure with the aide of a magical shield. Air was a problem, but his vast lungs could hold in a breath for hours. Or he could create an oxygen bubble within the sphere. Of course, that left Khan and Singh. The only way they could make the trip would be if Bahamut used his own power to shield them from the cold darkness of space. Furthermore, leaving for the moon meant leaving everything they knew and loved behind for a barren wasteland. But in the end...they would not disobey their master, and they would not abandon him. They agreed to come. And so, sweeping them up and enveloping them in a shield, Bahamut took off.

The journey was harder than he thought. If it had been any other creature, even a lower power esper, they would have died. Bahamut was able to maintain his barrier strong enough to begin with, but the moon was farther away than he anticipated. Even traveling at speeds inconcievable to the human eye, it still took him days, and taxed the oxygen he had taken to the limit. His stamina nearly gave out, and he was soon straining and grunting to maintain the barrier. Luckily, Khan and Singh were there, and both of them transfered some of their energy into him. But it was still barely enough. Bahamut used the power of a Supra-velo to speed himself up, but it only made him breathe faster and it barely pushed him to a faster rate. It was a nightmare, and Bahamut nearly destroyed himself again doing it.

But in the end, the three suddenly burst into a new atmosphere. To their surprise, as they passed onto the satellite around the Planet, they went into an air-filled environment and could breathe normally. Bahamut at once realized that Kluya had spoken the truth. This was a spaceship of some sort. Despite being in the cold depths of space, they felt normal pressure, heat, and air. The surface was barren and lifeless, however, like any other rocky wasteland. That meant it had to be an illusion, something crafted by the Lunarians so that no one would suspect their moon-sized starship to be anything more than a rock in space. Khan and Singh were justly amazed, and Bahamut couldn't blame them. They marveled at this new world for a short time, flying over it while Bahamut caught his breath. But then...he saw a great crystal tower made out of three spires of glass-like material. He made for that immediately.

Inside, Bahamut and his attendants were pleased to find a rather comfy atmosphere. It appeared to be the interior of some sort of palace. In the central chamber on a raised platform was an empty throne, and no sooner had they approached it than a form teleported into it. He was an incredibly old man. Bahamut could tell this not just from his physical form, but from his eyes. They blazed with the same wisdom of the ages that immortals like himself did. He had a long beard that surrounded him, but a great white crest for an eyebrow. Bahamut recognized him as a Lunarian like Kluya. This one explained that his name was FuSoYa, and Bahamut recognized the name from Kluya. It was his older brother. The Lunarian was very polite and proper. He addressed them as guests and waited on them. He showed them Lunarian technology that healed Bahamut's weakened body and energy alike within seconds. After that, he sat back and listened to Bahamut's tale that explained why he had fled to the moon. He next asked the Lunarian if it would be fine if he would remain on their spaceship. FuSoYa consented so long as they continued orbiting the Blue Planet, but warned him that they might leave in a few decades.

Next, he led him to the cave.

A great ring of stone surrounded a pinnacle of rock on one part of the moon surface. There was an entrance to a cave there, that led deep into the glittering depths of the moon. Here, the walls and floor were covered with a rough-hewn rock that looked more like crystal than true stone. It formed columns and pillars like ancient underground caverns, and it led deep over wide and dangerous chasms into the moon's surface. It sparkled with its own inner light, bathing the chamber in a white and shimmering glow. It was amazing to say the least. It was like being surrounded with a world of shimmering glass or diamonds. FuSoYa granted this cave to the esper to make his own dwelling. He offered to furnish it with whatever he needed, to which Bahamut responded there was nothing. After a few years, Bahamut did use his power to carve two intricate stone columns and a platform for himself to rest on, but that was the extent of the decor. He set these up to guard the way to him, and lay on the platform itself. But that was it. Khan and Singh were glum about the decorations, considering it rather boring. However, the cave in and of itself was a grand and beautiful place. It was pleasing to the eye and very remarkable, and espers had a love for natural beauty in any form. However, Bahamut did have to conjure beds for them, which he eventually did with the columns. Every day, however, he turned them back.

Finally, as a gift to the esper, and to help him if Wyvern should ever encounter him, FuSoYa gave Bahamuttwo massive pets. They were great purple creatures with shaggy manes and razor sharp, saber-like teeth. They looked like huge mixtures of bison and lions. They stood ten feet tall and stretched forty feet long, and their power matched and even exceeded their massive bodies. They rippled with strength and might far beyond that of any other creature on the planet. They were nearly invulnerable, unlimited in stamina, and terrifically strong. The fortunate thing, however, was that the colossal monstrosities were rather tame. They never attacked unless they were provoked, and the three of them made sure not to do so. The rest of the time, they lazily plodded around the cave, looking for food or sniffing the area. FuSoYa called them Behemoths. They were great creatures from the Lunarian's homeworld, living juggernauts without match in the planet. They brought some with them on the ship to repopulate them one day on a terraformed world. The creatures were normally docile, but highly aggressive when provoked. Once that happened, they would relentlessly attack their opponent until they were no more. And the stronger that an opponent threw an attack against it, the stronger it would fight back. If the opponent hit it with a painful enough move, it would fire a blast of storm energy that would siphon the life of an opponent until they were merely food for one of the beasts. Looking them over, Bahamut realized there was no way that even Wyvern could kill one with one blow. He would have to grapple with one before winning. Hence, they made a good alarm, and perhaps an effective deterant. And so, to the chagrin and terror of Khan and Singh, they stayed.

Time passed dully in the cave. There wasn't much to do or be aware of. There were creatures on the surface of this moon, other organisms that the Lunarians had brought. Occasionally, one of them came forward and attempted to pick a fight. Bahamut promptly obliterated them. Other than that, there was nothing of interest. They couldn't sense what was happening on the Blue Planet from here, only vague energy sensations. For the first few years, all they did was hang around all day. It grew somewhat tedious at times, but Bahamut already had thousands of years on his side, and infinite patience with his immortality. Khan and Singh were able to adjust somewhat better as well, but they were still a bit weary. After all, they couldn't sense or do anything here. And they didn't know how long they were supposed to be here, and what they were supposed to do.

However, after the first few years...Bahamut grew even more anxious.

It started with a feeling. Until now, his senses had picked up little from the moon. But then, he faintly sensed something else. He thought he sensed a dark presence within it. It was very faint, but it was there. It was constant and unyielding. And it was distinctly dark...and evil. And yet, when he tried stretching out his senses to find more about it...he found himself thwarted. It was as if something was blocking him...or rather, blocking what he was sensing. Something was strange here. It was as if the entire planet had been constructed in such a way that it created a natural energy field devoted to not blocking things out...but keeping things in. Bahamut couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it appeared as if deep within the surface of the moon, nearer to the center...there was some sort of dampening field. And within that...he sensed the presence. That raised his irritation toward the Lunarians. He wondered what they were doing there. And yet, there was no way into the moon's core. Not that he knew of. And it appeared it was being restrained. But still, it made him uneasy. The presence shown through despite the dampner around it. Bahamut couldn't get a real fix on it though. But from what he could guess...it was rage. The same violent rage that he once sensed from Wyvern...one of pride and ambition and unquenchable malice. But it wasn't the same. He could tell that much. No...this was something different, and based on his estimates it had to be much, much stronger... It almost seemed to, if it was possible, form one collective consciousness of pure hate...

That feeling lasted for a few years. Then, Bahamut sensed something different. Because he was within a part of the damper area by being under the planet, he couldn't sense exactly what was going on back home. However...he sensed danger. Somewhere inside, his senses warned him of a growing threat. As impossible as it seemed, it appeared that somehow the rage that he sensed on this world was trickling out into the other world. Something was beginning to make its presence known there. Bahamut didn't know what, but it made him uneasy and fearful. Again, he felt as if the Lunarians were doing something to betray him. He held his peace for a while, but he only sensed that the presence on the world grew stronger. Though blocked, as time went on he felt a mounting danger coming, just as it had in the alternate timeline when the Temple of Chaos was destroyed. Eventually, it grew so strong that Bahamut withdrew, slipping past his monstrous guardians, and went to FuSoYa. The Lunarian seemed a bit perturbed, but informed him that there was some sort of disturbance within the moon that was leaking out. He was trying to deal with it at the moment. Bahamut sensed no lie within his mind, and for the moment he didn't want to risk returning to the Planet. Instead, he bided his time and waited, hoping he wasn't making the same mistake that he had made ages ago. Perhaps it would be better to stay on the moon anyway, for here he sensed the greatest danger...

The Planet remained faint as Bahamut struggled to sense what was going on. As the years passed, he felt the presence grow stronger and stronger, and he began to feel as if other good forces were going out. That nearly broke him, and made him risk returning to the Planet regardless of what would happen on the moon or if Wyvern would show up. But before he did...he felt other forces as well. Lights within the darkness softly began to glow, and those that stood up for good began to mobilize. Bahamut hesitated, and watched and waited to see what else would happen. Things did not change for a few more years afterward. But then...his vision grew foggy. Some sort of whirling chaos was playing itself out on the world below. The light forces and dark forces began to clash at once. Bahamut realized that some great evil was taking place, and that now the world below was erupting into war. Sensing this, Bahamut wasted no time, but rushed to FuSoYa.

The Lunarian had been grim when he reached him. He told him that he wanted to leave at once, and the Lunarian glumly returned that it was impossible. It was then that FuSoYa finally gave Bahamut a name to the burning rage he had sensed within the Planet. It was another Lunarian of great and wicked power: Zemes. Contrary to the desires of FuSoYa and Kluya, Zemes had come to this world in much the same fashion that Garland had...wishing its destruction. He had wanted to slaughter the native peoples, enslave ones that were useful, and then take the Planet for theirselves. After all...they were simply "underevolved" creatures. Eventually, FuSoYa had been forced to put him to sleep. But his anger and rage was too great. It swelled with hatred for what had happened to him and a burning lust for revenge. It consumed him in the same way that it had consumed Wyvern. And now, the evil within him was actually taking a consciousness to itself, and was manipulating the world below while his body slept. It had taken centuries, but now it stretched out its dark influence to the Blue Planet. It was manipulating dark hearts there to its will, and was conspiring to unlock an ancient Lunarian device. Apparently, eons ago, when the Lunarians first saw an interest in the world, they built a massive tower that would one day connect the Lunarian moon to the Blue Planet, one that spanned underground and above ground. They named it the Tower of Bab-Il, and hid its construction under a mountain, away from the eyes of the world's beings. But now that Zemes was making his presence known, the mountain had been uncovered. No doubt, Zemes planned to use the Eight Crystals of the Blue Planet to link up to the Eight Crystals of the Moon. The result would link the two worlds together, but more importantly would allow Zemes to activate an ancient Lunarian weapon contained in the tower named the Giant of Bab-Il. This colossal monstrosity would annihilate all life as Zemes intended, leaving the world to be rebuilt in his image. Until now, he had been gathering his power on the world below and preparing to move. Now, his full strength was brought to bear, and his minions were moving to seize the Crystals and use them to activate the Tower.

Yet Zemes was aware of FuSoYa and Bahamut's presence as well. To that end, he had managed to stretch out his powers and seize control of the Moon's Crystals. With them, not only did he seal the way for any to enter the core of the moon and attack him, but he also adjusted the orbit of the moon to the proper point of contact with the Tower of Bab-Il. It was now farther from the Blue Planet, and Bahamut didn't have the strength to get there before he was dead. FuSoYa also could do nothing...nothing but hope that somehow one would use the Lunar Shuttlecraft, the Big Whale, to come to the moon first.

Bahamut returned to his chamber cursing himself. Even if the Lunarians hadn't directly intended this evil to come to the world, it was there fault it had come to be. And again, because he trusted them, he was again too late to help out. Wyvern was nothing now. He needed to get back to that world to destroy the Tower. But now he was helpless to do anything but wait. He thought that he should never have left...but then he realized that was wrong. Wyvern had been the real threat then. Now, the only reason he needed to return is because there was a greater threat. He could do nothing about it but wait and watch. Leviathan and the others remained. He could only hope they were taking steps to deal with this...

Bahamut channeled the power of Khan and Singh over the next year in a desperate attempt to see what was happening, all the while pouring over his faculties to find a way to slay Zemes himself. But he couldn't create a new tunnel. The stone was too hard to break with any energy weapon. So he had to bide his time. As the months wore on, both sides waxed and waned. Both sides rised and fell. But all the while, he could feel as if the dark presence was inexorably moving himself forward. His powers continued to grow and his influence made itself known.

Then, came the one day when Bahamut felt something. It was as if the entire moon came to a stop. And at that...he felt a massive surge of victory from the rage in the Planet's core. He felt as if it doubled its evil presence and gave a cry that its plans had at last come to fruitition. Seeing this, and sensing the danger, Bahamut again left the cave and went to consult with FuSoYa. He was prepared to obliterate the Eight Crystals if they would get him into the center of the moon. Yet on emerging and beginning his flight...he saw something strange. It was as if a giant, glowing airship had come down onto the moon's surface. Bahamut couldn't describe it. It looked vaguely like a great cetacean being, but it had hundreds of lights glowing around it, and it gleamed like shining metal. It was at least three times the size of the airship Bahamut had once seen, but it used neither propellors nor air bags to move. It seemed to fly clearly under its own power. And as Bahamut watched...the huge ship suddenly lifted off right in front of him, turned, and then blazed through the depths of space...right back for the Blue Planet. On seeing that, Bahamut began to wonder. Was this the so-called "Big Whale"?

When Bahamut returned to the Lunar Palace, it was empty. FuSoYa had departed. Over, he could smell something. Man-flesh. Four distinct scents were still there, and they had arrived not too long ago. They were clearly human...save for perhaps one of them... But they had come. At that, Bahamut realized that they were from the Blue Planet. FuSoYa must have left with them and went back. However, they had forgotten him, he realized with a sneer. Again, he was forced to wait, and with a deep-throated growl returned to his cave.

Again, Bahamut stretched his senses. The darkness and light powers both peaked, and the clash was tremendous. It seemed as if the conflict would destroy the world, and Bahamut feared that the Giant had been activated. Yet in the end...the dark powers broke, and light won the day. The dark presence was driven off of the face of the Blue Planet, and again goodness reigned. Yet Bahamut did not rejoice. Instead, he sensed, buried deep within the moon, an increasing anger. If possible, the dark presence collected further...became even more distinct. It looked as if it would indeed form its own presence. No...the enemy was not gone. He was merely thwarted, and now he was regrouping and rebuilding his strength. Now, Bahamut assumed, it was bending all of its power toward freeing its body. Then it would be able to conquer the world itself.

Bahamut immediately left for the palace. However, it was still empty when he returned. Impatient, he waited for hours for the Big Whale to return. It didn't in the end. A one-time use shuttle from the Tower of Bab-Il arrived instead, and landed right outside the palace. FuSoYa emerged, but he had company. A dark knight was with him...one of immense power and deep within the shadow of evil. Bahamut felt that this one could give him a run for his money himself. But as he braced himself to attack, FuSoYa made him halt. Although the dark knight had a bleak aura about him, FuSoYa claimed that it was breaking, and that he had been turned from shadow. This man had been Zemes' lead puppet in the quest to destroy the Blue Planet. But now that he was free, he wanted revenge. The Giant of Bab-Il had been stopped, and Zemes' plans had been frustrated. But now, the Lunarian was indeed summoning all his power to himself to break out and conquer the Blue Planet himself. To that end, he had even withdrawn the power holding people back from the core. FuSoYa and the man were now headed into the heart of the moon to destroy him. Bahamut immediately offered to go as well...but to his surprise, FuSoYa refused. The great esper, growing irritable, was about to flex his power over this man. But at once, the Lunarian changed. His eyes burned with inner wisdom, and his body seemed to grow with power. So much, it even made Bahamut halt, and he said something to him.

"Your frustration is understandible with us, Bahamut. Once this is done, we shall depart from your world, and not return until you are on our level. We will not risk this happening again. But for now...you must leave this to us. I must insist that you do not enter into the core. You are not the only one with power to see into what things may come. And I see great agony and misery down there...even death. Whatever happens, you must leave this to us and never go down there."

The power was so great that it made even the great Bahamut stand back. Before he could recover, FuSoYa and the dark knight entered into the portal and teleported to the moon's core. Frustrated again, Bahamut paused for a while longer. The Lunarians had screwed up, and had done a great calamity to the Blue Planet. But still, he sensed a good spirit and sincerity within the heart of FuSoYa. With the dark knight joining the Lunarian, he wondered if even _he_ could defeat the two of them. He wanted to follow...wanted to do anything but wait a moment longer. But in the end, the cold warning of FuSoYa burned within his mind and would not desist. It warned him gravely not to come, and so at last he turned and went back to his cave.

And that brought him to the present.

Now, Bahamut found himself pointlessly waiting again. Deep within his cave, he scanned about endlessly for an indication of what was going on in the moon. But he could sense nothing. As of yet, there was still no change, and he was forced to simply pace and wait. He stood on his platform now. He was in human form again, and wearing the spire that Leviathan had refused to take. But he saw little need to conceal himself anymore. No one ever came here, and nothing with reason was still on the moon's surface. Khan and Singh, also in their mortal forms, leaned against the columns and waited for any sign of news from anyone, but still to no avail. Bahamut kept thinking of going anyway. Maybe he could still catch up to them and do something. Despite the warning, he couldn't stand just sitting here while so much was going on. What had happened back home? How much damage had the Giant done? Were his brothers and kindred alright? Nothing answered him...nothing but the long, empty silence of the cave as he endlessly waited on...

But then, Bahamut perked up an ear. Soon after doing so, Khan and Singh did as well. They turned their heads deep into the cave, listening far into its depths. They thought they had heard something, far away...

"What was that?" Khan ventured after a moment.

Bahamut focused a bit and listened further. It sounded...almost like a death gasp. But it was from something very large. No small creature made a sound like that, not one that carried farther into the cave. He tried to sense forward, but his abilities were dulled. He searched for a dying power, but within the cave there were no evil or good consciousnesses to key on. However...he did think that he sensed some sort of power. A great power that was in light. Yet there was a mixture. There appeared to be bits of shadow around it, and Bahamut was bewildered by this. He cursed his dull senses, and shook his head.

"Perhaps...just the Ging-Ryus fighting." He finally said. He knew it wasn't true. There was something else out there, but it was of lower power despite its strange purity. So he waited a bit longer. At any rate, they did have the Behemoth guards.

As it turned out, Bahamut only had to wait another hour or so. Then, he, along with Khan and Singh, perked up their heads to a much closer sound. A human could have heard this one. It was a distant, angry roar. It was followed by the sound of something heavy falling, and then another snarl after it. This continued onward, and Bahamut recognized the voice. So did his attendants in wide-eyed surprise.

"...That's a Behemoth!"

"It's fighting someone!"

Immediately, Khan and Singh braced themselves and prepared to transform.

However, Bahamut held a hand to them, still looking onward. "Hold." He ordered them. They looked to him in puzzlement in reply, but then did as their master told. They sighed and calmed down. As for Bahamut, he sensed onward. It was clearer now. There was definitely a very strong individual in their midst. And this one bore great power of light. It was almost dazzling even to look at, even for an esper. Bahamut was shocked to see that indeed. No ordinary person or creature could attain that level. The only way they could, that he knew of...was to endure the ancient Paladin rite of expulsion, whereby a potentiate summons forth and conquers their own darkness within. It was a passage that few people even survived, let alone triumphed on. And besides...the Paladin had been extinct for over a thousand years. Bahamut began to recognize other strange and powerful presences around this one. And indeed...they must have been fighting the Behemoth. He couldn't tell what race they were or read their thoughts yet. They were an odd assembly...but very strong.

The Behemoth raged and battled them for a straight hour. Bahamut was stunned. He didn't think anything could fight a Behemoth that long and still have the stamina to continue. Their powers continuously diminished, but obviously they had the power to heal themselves, for they bounced back just as quickly. At last, the Behemoth gave out another sonic cry, just as the one before it had done. It too had been struck a fatal blow, and the entire cave shuddered as the great creature fell.

Khan and Singh both began to sweat, fearing a great and terrible monstrosity had come. They trembled and looked on. As for Bahamut, he merely stared darkly ahead.

"...We have guests."

The three waited a few more minutes. Judging from the battle distance, Bahamut reasoned that these powers weren't far. When they came into his presence, at last he would have a clear picture of them. But for now, they peered ahead into the glowing, crystaline cave and waited. Khan and Singh were not allowed to transform, but they did brace themselves and waited nervously for a foe to arrive. Bahamut found himself eager to meet them as well. At last,a series of echoes began to slowly ring down the cave of crystal. And as they did, shadows began to step out from far ahead. The three looked forth, and Bahamut turned his keen eyes out to examine them as they arrived.

The first was one of the ninja order, Bahamut realized right off the bat. His body was covered with the legendary armor of the Genji, the greatest of their race, and two long samurai swords were strapped to his back while ninja stars filled every belt he had on him. The next was a strange one. She seemed to have bright green hair, which, as Bahamut recalled, was a trait that had become isolated to the Summoner tribe. She was draped in green robes and bore the markings of a great wizard, and a long whip was coiled and hung next to her waist. A white wizard came forward next. She was an exceptionally battle-ready one. She wore light armor and thicker robes under her normal white attire, and a great longbow was tied behind her along with a quiver of arrows. Next came a tall warrior, armored thickly in large plates and masked. A lance was crooked over one arm as he came forward. Bahamut realized that this was one of the Order of the Dragoon, for his plates were shaped to look like dragon scales and crests. Then...there was the last one. Even before searching his mind and spirit, Bahamut realized that this was the one he felt. He was dressed in radiant armor, and his hair seemed almost to shimmer irredescently as he moved forward. A light seemed to come off of him as he walked forward. His face was kingly and strong, and yet still had great mercy and gentleness within. Only a healer had that sort of look...and the only knights that had been healers that Bahamut was aware of were the Paladin. All were, of all things, humans. Except...perhaps not the knight...

They marched right to the main platform. Some were more timid. The white wizard regarded the area with suspicion, while the summoner seemed to treat it with reverence. No doubt, she already realized she was headed into the lair of a great esper. The Dragoon, however, seemed to be cold and to the point, and cared little for any of it. The ninja didn't either. The Paladin alone tread softly with decisiveness and yet respect. They passed straight through the columns as they approached, and the child-bodies of Khan and Singh recoiled in surprise. They cried out to these five powers, asking them who they were and what they wanted. They were still shocked that anyone could even make it past the Behemoth guards. The two of them sure couldn't, meaning the five could easily destroy them. Bahamut, however, had a bit more bravery as they came forward. They marched up to the platform, and only then came to a halt. They looked up and stared on Bahamut's own ancient and wisened face, looking as the crystals reflected off of his glorious crown. None said or did anything for a few moments.

Bahamut used the opportunity to look over them more deeply. From this range, he could sense them well. The white wizard had a spirit as pure as snow, and a heart that was soft as down. She was the model of a white wizard. The summoner had a fairly good spirit, but it was fiery and impassioned. It was almost as if it was a child spirit in an older one's body. That only figured. She could not be more than fourteen. But he could sense deep wounds within her heart. Luckily, they had mostly mended, but the emotional scars remained. The ninja, although older than all of them, was the most childish. His spirit was as chaotic as a hurricane, and constantly oscalated between nobility and base hatred. He depended at least partially on anger for his power. The Dragoon was a far cry from what the original had been. His soul was dark, nearly consumed by a burning, deep jealousy. He was almost another Wyvern, and Bahamut sensed that his evil had dominated him more than once. But still, there remained a slight spark of goodness within him. Lastly...was the Paladin. He was the strangest of all. His spirit was as light and pure as that of the white wizard, and yet he could sense that was a recent change. There were remnants in there that suggested that he had once been blacker even than the Dragoon...perhaps even as dark as the knight who had passed in with FuSoYa. And yet, he had never seen such wickedness and hate in a man's soul so totally consumed by his justice and mercy. Where the summoner had scars, even the Paladin's scars were gone. Only a memory of the past darkness stayed, and it too had nearly faded.

_Interesting indeed._

"...Well, visitors on the moon." The esper slowly began, eyeing them all...indeed, seeming to hold all in his gaze. "How unexpected. I take it that it was you five who slew my guardians. That was no small feat. How may I help you?"

The summoner stepped forward at this, right before the platform. Immediately, she threw herself down to one knee, and bowed her head before him. "Have we the pleasure of being within the presence of Lord Bahamut, Father of All Dragons, Ruler of All Espers?"

Bahamut raised an eyebrow to this. "So, you know of me?"

"We read of you in the library of Lord Leviathan, Master of the Seas." The girl answered.

"How interesting." Bahamut calmly answered. "And how did you manage to access these records? Or even enter the world of espers?"

The girl paused at this, and swallowed. "...King Leviathan and Queen Ashura took me in once my mother died as their adopted daughter. I spent seven years in their world, although only six months passed in real life. They trained me to be a great summoner and black wizard."

_Hmm...so the theory was right._ Bahamut mused. Constant use of time warping spells and the hourglass had a side effect on Terratopolis, as Leviathan had hypothesized. The result was that time moved faster there than in the real world. It wasn't all that surprising that the espers missed seeing it happen. After all, when one is immortal, time tends to be irrelevant. All things will eventually crumble. Still, this was interesting. Leviathan and Starlet...wait, she was using the name Ashura now...Ashura had adopted her? A human? A summoner yes, but a human none the less? Interesting.

"And why did they take you in? Why did you not stay with your people?"

The Paladin seemed to turn a shade red at this. Some of his dark memories strengthened. The Dragoon was the same. The scars within the summoner burned, but she managed to answer. "...I am the last of the summoners, Lord Bahamut. All others were burned to death when my village was destroyed. King Leviathan brought me to his home in order to train me to be capable of fighting against the growing darkness within the world."

Bahamut leaned his head back a bit. "So...you are aware of Zemes?"

At this, the Paladin likewise dropped into a kneel before Bahamut, and bowed his head. "My lord, I'm afraid we haven't the time. We must quickly complete what we have come here to do."

"Time?" Bahamut simply replied. He let out a small chuckle at that. "We both value time very differently, little human. I myself have had nothing but time since I arrived here, time to sit and wait while the world changes without me. And now, I would like something else to fill that time. Tell me your story, and what has become of the world. Then I will hear your requests."

At this, the ninja rolled his eyes. "Oh, for God's sake. Let's just get out of here and go kill him. We don't need this big, white-headed, pain in the ass anyway."

The green-haired summoner instantly stood and wheeled around to the ninja as if he had just said he murdered a child. "For once in your life, show some respect!" She snapped at him harshly. "This is the King of All Espers! Do you know how easily he could flatten you!"

The ninja merely snorted, rolling his eyes and looking unimpressed.

Bahamut quickly began to dislike the ninja.

"Very well, but we must be quick." The Paladin at last consented. The summoner sighed and turned back to bow down again. The ninja crossed his arms and groaned. As for Bahamut, he crossed his own arms and patiently inclined his ears.

It was a fascinating tale to say the least. It was filled with things that Bahamut never thought possible. And in the end...he actually felt a personal blow against his heart, and was shocked and surprised at what had happened. The world had indeed gotten worse in his absence, it seemed. It all started with Kluya. After building a few things on the world, and sharing his secrets of the airship, he had passed on while on the Blue Planet. But he had fathered two sons with a human woman before departing. One was the Paladin before him, Cecil. The other was a boy named Golbez. Not long after their birth and their father's death, Zemes had begun exerting his influence on the world below. He eclipsed the Crystals of the Moon just as the Oblivion Stone had once eclipsed the Crystals of the Blue Planet. As a result, they evoked a new set of Four Fiends of the Elements: Milon of Earth, Cagnazzo of Water, Valvalis of Wind, and Rubicant of Fire. These four were sent to the Blue Planet to do Zemes' dirty work. But they weren't what he had his sights on. Seeing the power and the potential for darkness within the sons of Kluya, the Four Fiends moved to take them. In the end, they seized only one, Golbez. They spirited him away to the Tower of Bab-Il, where Zemes' influence raised out the darkness within his heart and consumed him with it. Then he became the pawn of Zemes, and as the years went on he trained himself in dark arts to become one of the most powerful dark knights in history.

Cecil had been adopted by the good King of Baron, as had the Dragoon, Kain. At this point in the tale, Bahamut suppressed a smile. He knew that Baron was actually the domain of Odin, and that the king was him in human form. Both Cecil and Kain became powerful warriors in their own right...but secretly they had a split over a maiden named Rosa. She subconsciously led them to become more competitive and rough with each other, for Kain saw soon that she favored Cecil. She even trained herself to become an archer and a white wizard (eventually becoming the white wizard that Bahamut now saw before him) to aide him. Inside Kain's heart, he hated him for it. However, Bahamut soon heard bad news. After thousands of years of reigning as king secretly over the humans...Odin had fallen. One of the Fiends, Cagnazzo, had secretly stolen into the palace and took Odin by surprise, attacking him in his weak human form in a cowardly fashion. Odin had died as a result. Bahamut was shocked to hear that. Odin was a mighty esper, and his brother, and he had been so easily defeated? The shock probably would have been worse, had not the summoner told him that Odin yet remained on the mortal plain. His spirit had left his body, and eventually Leviathan used his own power and knowledge to put it into an suit of armor body. He was only in a half-life now, but he was alive until a way could be found to undo what had happened.

But the Fiend's treachery ran deep. It was he who utilized the power of Baron to systematically begin destroying the powers of the world and stealing their Crystals to use in the Tower of Bab-Il. Thousands died as a result. Seeing how Cecil could one day be used by them, he ordered all knights, Cecil included, to train in the ways of the dark knight, causing Cecil's inner evil to grow and threaten to consume him as well. In the meantime, they eventually took Kain, using his jealousy to dominate him. Rubicant, Fiend of Fire, smashed the kingdom of ninjas, eliminating the last free kingdom that could have offered resistance. The summoners were destroyed by the unwitting servants of Baron, who ironically were the Paladin and Dragoon that stood before him. And one by one the Crystals fell into the grasp of Golbez.

Yet eventually, Cecil rose against the enemy. Betraying the dark code he was bound to, he began to fight against Golbez and Baron alike. Over time, he had gained and lost many allies. He had fought in countless battles struggling to right the world, and surmounted one great challenge after another. One, unfortunately, was due to Leviathan. At one point in his quest, he had managed to take the final summoner, Rydia, to safety. But the esper king had feared that only death awaited Cecil's group if they went to Baron immediately, and so he intentionally wrecked their ship before it ever reached the destination. That allowed Cecil to be diverted to Mysidia, where eventually, he ascended the Mountain of Ordeals, underwent the trial to become a Paladin, and banished the darkness within him. It also allowed Leviathan to spirit Rydia away to Terratopolis, where he could make her a great summoner. The adventure with Cecil eventually took them all over the surface of the upper world and below it as well, deep into the Underground region. He slew all Four Fiends of the Elements one by one, along with the help of the Prince of the ninja kingdom, Edge (who was the petulant, arrogant individual before him). In the end, however, due to the manipulation of Kain, Golbez was able to collect the crystals and reactivate the tower. The link between the tower and the moon was established. However, the result also caused the surfacing of the long dormant Big Whale, which Cecil claimed to get to the moon. Once there, he met with FuSoYa and returned to the Blue Planet. They were too late to stop the Giant of Bab-Il from being reactivated, but luckily the forces of the Planet had united in one concentrated effort to destroy it.

Cecil's group had entered into the Giant to destroy it from within. There, they ran into the Four Fiends of the Elements again...which only figured, because the Crystals of the Moon were still eclipsed and their dark natures could be evoked. They destroyed them and then the Giant's brain. Golbez then appeared, with Zemes' rage flooding over him to the point of madness. But FuSoYa managed to break Golbez free from his control. On doing so, the dark knight wished to get revenge on Zemes. It was he that Bahamut saw with FuSoYa when they returned. However, Cecil's group refused to stay put either. They returned to the moon, now with Kain again released from Zemes' control as well, and prepared to pass into the core to fight as well.

When the tale was concluded, Bahamut gave a nod to it all. Things had indeed changed in the world. He feared what had become of Odin in this new form. But for now, his concern was the group before him. "I see... And just where do I figure in to your quest?"

The group hesitated at that for a moment. Rydia especially did so, seeming nervous about the whole undertaking. But at last, she spoke up and forced herself to be strong.

"...We have come to enlist your aid." A pause, and then a slow exhale. "...I seek to challenge you for the right of making you my summon."

Khan and Singh, far away at the columns, both turned at this. Bahamut himself raised his eyebrows, and looked over the five small humans. But then, after a moment, he finally responded.

He laughed.

Rydia swallowed and paled at this. Edge frowned and began to look insulted. Kain showed nothing. Rosa seemed a bit hurt as well. Cecil sweat a little in response. But still, Bahamut laughed, mocking them all to scorn. After all...the idea was totally and utterly ridiculous to him. He couldn't do anything but laugh. And so, he continued to sound it. He let his head snap back and continued, deep, loud, and long throughout the entire cave. They all began to blush and mutter, but Bahamut continued to laugh at the notion.

With a great effort, Bahamut managed to reduce his laughter. But still, he felt a great mirth arising inside of him, and he had to struggle not to laugh again. He gestured out to them all with casual hand. "You? You want me to become your summon? Do you think of me as some sort of mere chocobo? Or a pathetic moogle? Do you think that the title King of All Espers came to me as a figurehead name? And you come to me, weak and as meager as you are, and you profess such a challenge to me?"

"Hey, come off it, old man!" Edge snapped back...causing Rydia to turn white in fear, and furious at the ninja. "We've already beaten Ashura, Leviathan, _and _Odin!"

Bahamut merely snorted in reply. "They must have been going easy on you..."

Despite her reverence, Rydia managed to speak up. "...No, not true, sir. They challenged us at full power, per the conditions of the trial for summoning. Neither refused to give me any advantage. Queen Ashura revealed her entire battle form, and Leviathan used his Tsunami on us. Odin nearly struck us with his Zantetsuken. But we triumphed over all."

Bahamut frowned in reply to this. Leviathan must not have been keeping up on his training like he told him to. Starlet must have been out of practice. And Odin must have been struggling to get used to his new body. There was no way that five meager humans could beat them at full strength. Something had to have weakened them first.

"Leviathan could have been beaten without the power of Light." Bahamut simply responded. "It would have been difficult, but by no means impossible. Especially if a mere fiend managed to defeat Odin. No matter how strong you are, or think you are, no human can ever defeat me. The worst I have ever challenged a group of humans before is at one tenth of my total power, and they failed to defeat me. I have grown much stronger since then. Do you honestly think that you five can beat me at full power?"

"We are willing to try, if it will mean having the King of All Espers aid us in battle." Cecil answered in response.

Bahamut paused at that. The five were perfectly steadfast. To his amazement, he realized that they were serious. They actually wanted to fight him. He couldn't believe it. Had humans grown insane over the past few generations? He didn't want to fight them, in reality. They mostly had good hearts. And in all honesty, it amazed and pleased him to see Palad's line revived. He saw a great nobility within the one called Cecil. After hearing the tale, and seeing as Odin had at last been displaced as a king...he realized that Baron would need a new king. And within Cecil, a man of Palad's bloodline and of a pure and noble heart, he saw that he would make a great king of men. But that would mean nothing if he died here. Why were they throwing away their lives so rashly? If they had beaten Leviathan and Odin, weren't their powers enough? Did they not realize that it was impossible for any human to defeat him?

Bahamut, therefore, glared at them darkly. Perhaps they were arrogant...and Bahamut hated arrogance. "Do not be overconfident in your endeavors, and do not tread where no one has dared. If you fight me, you will be forced to fight my full power, as the conditions of the trial demand. And as the trial goes, I will not hesitate to kill you. I say now that I do not wish to. You have labored far too long and hard to fall now. You have good souls, and the world always needs good souls. You can do much to revive the world now. And as for Zemes, FuSoYa and Golbez are already gone, and they possess powers even greater than your own. So why labor when you are not needed?"

"Sorry." Edge flatly answered. "But I'm not one to just sit by and let people do things for me."

"I have my own score to settle with Zemes." Kain coldly added, speaking for the first time.

"And I am willing to do this. I have endured many fears and dangers, and I am willing to endure this." Rydia also answered.

Their determination did not waver. Their fear did not grow. They were ready totackle it like any other challenge. His words would not dissuade him, no matter what happened. Bahamut frowned a bit at this. They had to be arrogant...or foolish. But something did strike in his mind...the four Light Warriors. They had a similar endurance and refusal to quit. They were willing to endure anything for the sake of defeating evil. But then again...Bahamut knew that even they couldn't beat him. And if they couldn't, what chance had these people had? And yet...there was the fact that FuSoYa had warned him away...and that he could go into the center if he was a summon. Then again, he didn't like the idea of being the servant of any human. He wouldn't make this easy on them at all.

Bahamut looked down over them. They still did not yield, even under his powerful gaze. In the end...he spoke slowly.

"...Again, if you do this, there's no going back once we begin."

The five did not change in the least. They remained perfectly steadfast and calm. Bahamut took in a deep breath at this.

_...I hate to kill you five, but so be it._

Bahamut raised his head slightly. "Khan...Singh...you'll want to stand back."

The two blinked in astonishment. They had never seen anything like this before. No human had ever challenged Bahamut before. Immediately, they swallowed and began to back away, both of them readying themselves for a fight of the century. As for Bahamut, he looked down to the others.

"...You two better get up, if you're going to fight me. And give me some room."

Cecil and Rydia both nodded, and then sprung up and backed off. Edge gave a laugh and sigh, as if it was about time. He readily drew both of his swords. The others didn't react right away, stepping back and getting into the ready position. Then, they stood at the ready. As for Bahamut, he very slowly cracked his neck muscles. He folded his fingers and pushed them out.

"...It's been a while since I've been this active..."

And with that, the ground began to shake. The wind in the area picked up. Energy began to ripple around him. He balled his hands into fists and put them at his sides. Then, he closed his eyes and focused. As the surroundings began to grow more turbulant, his clothing suddenly shredded. His body began to swell and grow. His neck enlongated. Scales sprung out from his body and began to cover him. A long tail broke out from his rear end, his hair fell out and was replaced by a great crest, and huge wings unfurled behind him. The five were a bit awed by this. It had been a while since they had seen such a transformation...or felt this much power coming off of a creature. Yet they still waited, watching him as he grew larger and stronger than ever. At last, the transformation was complete. Bahamut, now in his full great dragon form, now stood before them and glared down on them. His eyes opened, revealing bright yellow reptillian pupils.

"Is this what you wanted?" Bahamut addressed them, his tone now large and booming, shaking the foundations of the room.

Almost immediately, however, the white wizard did a gesture in front of herself. Seeing this, Bahamut regarded it with some puzzlement. A moment later...he felt as if tiny magical bits were swimming around in him. They felt almost like sensors. He was puzzled by this, until Rosa made a sort of announcement.

"29,450...that's a bit better than Leviathan."

"Not much though." Kain simply answered.

Bahamut raised an eyebrow to this. But then, he understood. They had some sort of scanning spell developed. That was odd. Bahamut had never heard such a thing before. It was fairly simple, however. He could easily replicate it. However, in response to this, Bahamut merely smiled.

"Oh...I can do a bit better than that. Hyper-velo."

With that, the winds suddenly surged around Bahamut. Dust began to be swept up, and the ground shook more violently. He felt the familiar red aura surround him and rotate rapidly, fueling his power and speed until he was charged with new energy. Once it was done, the esper stood and flexed again. Seeing that Bahamut had obviously grown in power, Rosa once again performed the spell. On doing so, she paled a bit and swallowed.

"He's now...at 36,789."

A collective wave of nervousness passed through the group. Some of their earlier bravery was starting to crack. Bahamut tried not to smile. These little upstarts thought he was such a pushover, eh? At that, he grinned once more, showing off his white incisors to them all.

"That's nothing. Watch carefully. Supra-velo!"

When Bahamut did this, the cave seemed to grow dim. Darkness surrounded him as light seemed to be drained into him. The ground rumbled stronger than ever and threatened to fracture. The wind grew colder around him, and the winds blasted so hard that they began to whip up the clothes of the others. But they just stared on at Bahamut in perfect awe. Even the Dragoon began to gape at him and his new strength. The new and more powerful spell surrounded him, and made his red aura blaze faster and stronger than ever before. His muscles bulged within him, and he felt quicker and nimbler than anything alive. With that, he looked down at them, now rippling with power, and looked again to see what his latest strength was. The white wizard, almost timidly, ran the spell over him once again. On doing so, her flesh turned to match her clothing, and she slowly let the value slip.

"...47,890."

The others were stunned. They looked to Rosa in disbelief, before turning back to Bahamut in utter surprise. The esper himself merely grinned, and flexed his new muscles and wings. The five warriors looked at a loss. No doubt, they hadn't expected one so strong. But Bahamut wasn't going to let up now. It was time to show them just what this power could do.

"Well, if these preliminaries are over with..." He began calmly. "Then I am ready to begin. I'll even make a wager with you five. There are five of you...and so I'll give you each five attacks to defeat me. That means five rounds. At the end of this time, I will be ready to blast you all with my Megapyrin. I once killed a fiend with that attack...so if I were you I'd try as hard as you could to beat me before I'm ready. Begin."

The five hesitated for only a moment longer. But then, they suddenly turned dangerous. Their adrenaline took over again, and they all brandished their weapons and readied themselves for battle. Once all were ready, they did as they were commanded and made their assault.

Cecil brought out a great sword that blazed as strongly and brightly as himself. Bahamut turned and looked to this, and saw to his amazement that it was Excalibur, the legendary holy blade of the Paladin. Supposedly it was long since ruined, but it appeared to have been reforged. Cecil rushed straight up to the esper king and swung at him with all his might into the side. To Bahamut's surprise...it actually hurt a little. The slash managed to dent some scales and draw a small scratch from the side. Kain was next. He darted in and thrust his spear downward in a slashing movement on Bahamut's other side. It was weaker than Cecil...but also managed to hurt the esper king slightly. It drew a little blood as well. Edge came forth afterward, swinging both blade dangerously. He struck with both simultaneously at Bahamut's abdomen. Yet again, Bahamut felt a tiny bit of blood fall from him, although this was the weakest attack. Rosa loaded her bow, took careful aim, and fired. The bolt, again to Bahamut's surprise, managed to strike perfectly in between two scales and hit the flesh beneath. But that was all it did. Finally, there was Rydia. She folded her hands together and generated a great green aura around herself. Arcane words spilled from her mouth, and she threw her hands up and uttered a final unpronouncible word. On doing so, great green energy orbs suddenly erupted from her hands. They swished and danced through the air on a green mist, and sailed straight to the esper king. They struck him at once, making a horrible noise as they did so, and they seemed to seep into his flesh and cover him with the green mist, making his whole body the bright color. At that...Bahamut felt a little dizzy. His stomach felt slightly nauseous. It was some sort of poison spell, he realized. But against an esper like him, it was only a mild irritant.

"Five." Bahamut simply said at the end, as he stretched out his tail and balled his hands into fists.

Cecil pressed his attack, rushing forward and slashing against Bahamut's side again. If anything, this blow seemed to strike harder, and it appeared to have a holy aura about it as it struck. Again, Bahamut felt a sting of pain. Edge came in as well, cross slashing his old injury this time and driving it in deeper. Rosa stretched out her hands over Cecil. As she did, what appeared to be a series of white cubes streamed out from her and went around her body, before each vanished into a stream of light. When they did, a great orb suddenly materialized around Cecil. It appeared to have strange bits of purple flame on the edge of it, shaped like numerals. The entire apparatus surrounded Cecil. To Bahamut's astonishment, it seemed as if the humans also had a spell that increased speed and power. It was weaker, but he definitely felt Cecil's power increase. The Dragoon Kain crouched for a moment...and then leapt up into the air. To Bahamut's surprise, a magical power seemed to run through him as he did, and he sailed high into the sky and toward the ceiling. However, Bahamut counted this as a move. Lastly, there was Rydia. She too did not attack, but folded her hands and began to concentrate. She spoke some other phrase into the air, but Bahamut did not wait for it.

"Four." His wings slowly began to unfurl and spread behind him.

However, Bahamut felt his focus nearly shattered in the next moment as a spear came down and struck him right in the chest. It went deep into him this time, piercing scales and hitting his sternum. True pain flowed through him, and he gave a bellow of agony. He looked out, and saw that it was the Dragoon. He had used the ancient jump technique, and it did quite a bit of damage and pain even to creatures such as himself. Cecil came up next, and struck not one but two blows so fast that Bahamut barely kept up with them. Scales and blood flew off with one strike, and Bahamut felt more pain shoot through his side. The ninja Edge removed three of the stars from his belt and flung them at Bahamut. They were aimed perfect, seeping under three of his scales and causing three new wounds. Rosa once again summoned the squares of light around herself. This time, it was a different spell. The same white orb appeared, and once again it had the characters on it. But this time...it appeared right over Bahamut. And as it moved, Bahamut felt things change. The world seemed to slow. His body grew sluggish. His movements seemed like they were in jelly. However, to this, Bahamut merely snorted. Trying to slow down his count, was she? With a simple exhale of air, the slow spell was broken. Bahamut at once felt regular again. That was...until Rydia finished her latest spell. This time, as she spread out her arms...her body seemed to be enveloped in a bright yellow aura, one that smothered all of her features save for her impassioned face. A series of green orbs erupted from her again, but this time each one had a red flame inside them. They expanded into a ring, and began to hover over her. A thin mist began to paint in front of them, and they grew somewhat translucent...like a water surface almost. Bahamut saw this, and recognized it. It was a portal of a summoner.

The surface continued to condense and the orbs held. The other warriors stepped back, giving their summon some room. As they did, something began to emerge. It started off as a horse head, and for a moment Bahamut thought Unicorn or Kirin. But as the horse continued to come out, he saw that there was a tall rider in the saddle. He had changed somewhat. He still had a horned helmet, but now the helmet was shaped like a skull to totally enclose his features. His armor was darker and tight, not letting anything through. But still, he held the great curved blade in one hand. He was still a pinnacle of might and power. There was no mistaking who it was: Odin. As he emerged from the portal, he held his great Zantetsuken over his head. His red eyes, or rather energy that represented them, blazed within the helmet's eye sockets. He looked up and saw his opponent, and readied Slepnir to charge against his enemy. But then...he froze. He saw exactly who his opponent was.

Bahamut saw him, and merely cracked a smile.

_Don't bother, Odin. I don't fear you at all._

Odin paused in response to this. But then, he realized it was true. If that was the case, it was useless to try. Instead of striking or doing anything, Odin simply nudged Slepnir with the reigns. The six-legged horse turned around, and marched right back into the portal the way he had come. Soon, Odin and his mount vanished back inside. Once they did, the mist disappeared, and the orbs faded into nothingness. The portal was gone, and the spell was over. Below, Rydia didn't react with surprise to this. She seemed to have been taking into consideration that this might have happened. However, she did sigh.

"Three." Bahamut's wings were fully out, and he began to summon the power.

The group was growing nervous at this point. They had done damage, but nothing serious. Rydia bent her head and began to chant another spell. Kain once again readied his lance and then leapt into the air once again. Cecil charged forward and attacked again. This time, he slashed once, drawing more blood from a minor injury, but then brought the Excalibur up and drove it into Bahamut's abdomen as hard as he could. The great esper soon broke for a moment as he felt the sword pierce his scales and be driven in four inches. That was murder to a human, but to him he could take it. Still, he had to struggle hard to resist the urge to simply backhand the knight away. Edge pulled out three bigger stars, and this time flung them at the head of the beast. Seeing this, Bahamut broke for a moment...and at last cheated. He closed an eye just before one of the stars hit it, while the others imbedded in his head and neck. The one for his eye hit the eyelid and nearly pierced through, and soon blood was rushing down into his vision. Bahamut nearly groaned in overwhelmed awe. These humans weren't pulling any punches, were they? Again, Rosa cast another spell. This time, however, it was a series of irredescent rings. They abruptly formed around Bahamut, and began to encircle and swirl, almost forming a tornado. They went up and down on his massive body, and Bahamut could feel that they were trying to halt him once again. This spell was a bit harder to break, but in the end Bahamut only had to exert a little of his will to make it fall.

"Two." A light began to glow from between Bahamut's teeth.

Bahamut then braced himself for the worst series of strikes yet. Kain came down and thrust his spear into the exact same wound. He felt it sink into his bone and then begin to break into it, causing fracturesto form. The esper grunted and nearly lost his focus at that. But it soon became worse, for Cecil came forward next and drove his own sword in deeper, this time going to six inches. He narrowly missed hitting something vital, and blood began to freely run out from the wound. Instead of striking again, however, he merely ripped his blade out through the tender flesh, cutting a large gash into Bahamut's abdomen. Pain began to cloud Bahamut's other senses, but still he held up. Edge didn't throw any stars this time. Instead, he clasped his hands together and began to gesture in some sort of strange manner. He did this for a moment, before suddenly throwing his hands up and sounding out an arcane word. The moment he did, Bahamut's vision filled with light as a hundred thunderbolts struck all around him. Electricity seeped into his body and fried him from the inside out, blasting him again and again and burning his tender flesh. It was agonizing, but in the end, when it broke, he was still standing. He saw the fear and desperation in the eyes of his opponents now. The grace period only had two more moves in it, and still Bahamut stood. They too were beginning to run out. Rosa didn't attempt another spell against him. Instead, when the ring of light surrounded her, she did something different. Another irredescent wave appeared to come up, but this time it surrounded her rather than attacked Bahamut. The great esper immediately believed it was a barrier spell. But that wouldn't matter. No damage-reducing shield would save one from this attack... It seemed that it was over for them.

Until Rydia made the summoning gesture again. Once more, the orbs came out from around her and went over her head. Once more, the portal formed in between them. The others stepped back...and actually took extra steps this time. Moments later, a form began to emerge. This one was long, coiled, and sinewy. Its scale-covered body was the color of the sea, and its eyes blazed an aquamarine color. It had a great beak with long whiskers coming from it, and a long saggital crest. It stretched out massive along the ground, extended to its full length, and Bahamut, on seeing it, was a bit astonished. They hadn't lied about the King of the Espers after all. He knew in a moment that he was looking at Leviathan.

The great sea serpant turned to Bahamut...and hesitated for a second. But then, Bahamut felt a mental message projected into his mind.

_Sorry, Bahamut...but you're about to see just how much I've improved._

With that, Leviathan stretched out his own magical power. As he did, water molecules in the air began to gather. This would be impossible on a real moon, but on the Lunarian's moon there was indeed cast off moisture from the organisms there. It gathered together and began to collect and form behind Leviathan. Slowly, a great mass of water began to take shape. Bahamut recognized this. He had helped Leviathan learn it ages ago. However...it seemed stronger this time. Bigger. Indeed, he didn't remember this much water being gathered. And it only continued to swell and increase with time. It went from ten feet tall to twenty feet...then to thirty feet...then to forty. More and more water built up behind it, and the entire structure tottered with immeasureable strength. Bahamut sensed the power within it...and he felt himself begin to falter. Just looking at it grow, he began to slip on his concentration. Then, he bit down and prepared to steel himself. This was going to take all his focus to withstand. And injured as he was...he wondered if he could do it. Clenching his hands tighter and digging his talons in, he watched the massive wave finally complete. Then, rushing forward as fast as a falcon, the tremendous wave of water slammed into the esper king.

Water, when pressurized and concentrated enough, could cut through stone and metal. Its power could fracture the surface of the planet and blast through mountains. Such a force struck Bahamut now. He felt his wings violently snapped back and broken. The pressure against his sternum made his ribs begin to break. His legs locked...but they began to break too under the strain. Scales were ripped off of his skin, and his wounds were blasted open. Not to mention it felt as if a tectonic plate was being dropped on him. Bahamut was shocked as pain riddled his system. Leviathan had indeed gotten better...too good, in fact. If he hadn't done the Supra-velo, this attack might have killed him. Now, it nearly broke him, and it continued topush as it rushed by. Bahamut would have never taken this attack in real life. He would have countered with one of his own or avoided it. He began to curse himself for making that deal as he felt his body ravaged by the colossal Tsunami. He began to think that it was it. It was all over. The humans actually would have been able to do it.

But in the end...the water ran out and died. Leviathan, having done his one attack, maintained the normal esper tradition, and turned and went back through his portal. Soon, it dissipated, and again it was just the esper and his five combatants. As the water cleared and his vision returned, he looked at them, and saw a desperate fear on their faces. They had been earnestly hoping that this would do it, that Bahamut would have been defeated by an attack of this magnitude. But to their horror...he still stood. Bahamut felt as if he had water in places he didn't know he had. He felt his body injured and broken from the assault. But he was still standing. He still had power. And as he looked out, he saw the anxiety within them grow. Their battle stances and faces were gone. All that was left were feelings of shock and terror that Bahamut was still standing, and that they had used their last move. Bahamut slowly managed a smile to this...for that attack had been very, _very_ painful. For a moment, he thought he might actually lose to five humans. And what would that do to his reputation? Now that he had survived all that they could throw at him, he felt the dark desire for revenge swell within him. After getting a beating, he wanted to give one back. If they thought that Leviathan's Tsunami was something...they hadn't seen anything yet.

"One."

With that, Bahamut cracked his mouth open wide and extended his wings and limbs. He watched as the humans struggled to brace themselves, knowing the whole time it would be for nothing. Again, he felt a small measure of pity. He hated to kill them...but that was part of the deal in the end. Gain an esper as a summon, or die. With that, the great light burned out from within him, and a moment later his Megapyrin ripped from his mouth full force and blasted a path of doom and destruction right to his enemies.

Moments later, Bahamut's vision filled with red flame and explosions as the huge balls of his Megapyrin devastated the area. They sank into the flesh of one human after another, and erupted from inside. The sounds of supreme agony were drowned as their bodies were writhed like puppets. Their energy immediately dropped to nothing as the blast tore through them. Yet still it burned on, obliterating stone and crystal and incinerating all before Bahamut. Edge's cockiness was destroyed as his body was wrung free of weapons and his mask was burned off. Kain at last showed true emotion, pain, as the explosions within him threatened to bust his armor off from inside. Cecil's cape burned away and his hair turned to wildfire as the flames tore at him. He could hear the explosions break Rydia's spine as she was rocked around. All of them began to be covered with horrible blisters and burns, as their strength and power was turned to nothing.

At last, the firestorm died down. The sizzling, charred, lifeless bodies fell down before him, unable to even breathe. The huge wave of black smoke cleared, revealing the tremendous path of destruction that had been unleashed. Bahamut looked over this all and gave a frown and a nod. However, he also began to pant. That last attack had taken a lot out of him, everything that had endured the Tsunami. But it was done. His opponents lay defeated. Inside, however...he felt a bit of regret. Perhaps...he could go a bit easy on them. After all, they were just humans, and they weren't ready for this power. He could perhaps heal the four of them and let them go on their way. It was breaking the rules, but he didn't like to...

_Wait a minute...four?_

Bahamut turned and looked over the chaotic battlefield...and saw that he had missed one. Rosa still stood. She was panting and tired, having been effected by the heat and strain from the blast. But she was unhurt. However...there was something that still stood in front of her. It was the irredescent barrier. It gleamed brighter now...burning with new power and vigor. Power that seemed to almost be identical to the blast that Bahamut had just exhaled...

Then...it hit him.

_That's no barrier..._

"No..." He slowly managed to get out...before abruptly his Megapyrin exploded from the barrier and was reflected right back at him.

Moments later, Bahamut found himself bellowing in agony as his own attack blasted into him. Scales popped off of his body from heat. His wings were shredded again into tatters. His bones were seperated and fractured further. His eyes felt like they would burn right out of his head. The smell of his own flesh roasting entered his nostrils. All the while, he was ravaged with explosion after explosion...and his mind was utterly shocked. He couldn't believe it. He had actually been hit by his own attack. The white wizard saw they couldn't beat him, and so she set herself up with that new spell so that it would hit him back. He was being blasted and broken by his own move. It had been the supreme act of trickery...but effective. Bahamut felt his brain bashed around in his head, and his vision clouded and grew dizzy. His stamina was sapped, and his strength was erased by the power of his own blast. It was much stronger than Leviathan's attack, and feeling it even reflected was too much for the esper to bear.

The attack died down again. But now, Bahamut was the one who was charred and smoldering. His body was broken. His strength was gone. He slowly exhaled, and stared blankly forward in wide-eyed shock.

"I...I don't...believe it..."

That was all that Bahamut could croak out before he collapsed and slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

A few minutes later, Bahamut opened his eyes again. He was pleased to feel not the slightest bit of pain. His bones had all reconnected, his burns had been healed, and his wing membrane had regenerated. However, he also frowned inside when he realized how he had to have recovered. It must have been one of the elixirs. One potion was enough to totally rebuild a person's body, but they were very rare. Even he had only managed to have one of them. The components for them had long since left the world. Only those already made remained. He had refused to use one even after the fight with Griever. But now, the deed was done. As he looked up and saw the crystaline ceiling above him, he also saw the heads of his two attendants, Khan and Singh, anxiously looking over him. They must have used the elixir on him. He sighed slowly at this.

"Master, are you alright?" Singh inquired.

On hearing that, Bahamut's memory came back to him. Then, he frowned again at his newest disappointment. It was true, wasn't it? He had actually been beaten by humans.

Bahamut slowly pulled himself up to his feet. As he did, he raised his hand to the sky and materialized a purple robe in it. As he pulled it down over his shoulders, his body shrank and turned under it, reverting back into a human form. To say that he felt a bit insulted was an understatement. True, he did have an affection for humans. But people could have affections for flowers and still be angry if the flower one day beat them into the ground. It was humiliating. It sent a whole new series of thoughts into his mind. So, this was what it had come to. The great Bahamut, King of All Espers, who had ages ago saved a race of half-savages who could barely defend themselves against weather, let alone animals...now beaten by the exact same race. Humans had grown far stronger than he had anticipated. First they had surpassed the Four Fiends, and now they had surpassed the espers as well. That was a scary thought as well. What did that mean about the espers, then? What were they in relation to the humans now? What was Bahamut to them, now that five of them had beaten the supposedly invincible "dragon god"? Was he just another summon to them? On the same rank as a lowly chocobo? When he fought Wyvern forty years ago, he thought that their two powers were unmatched, and that anything would have died in their wake. He knew he wasn't as strong as Wyvern, but he still thought of himself as a powerful being. But since he had lost to the humans...how strong was he really? Was he at his limit?

These thoughts continued to rush through Bahamut's head as he turned back into a human. In front of him, he struggled not to glare angrily at the five in his midst. Their clothing was still in tatters, but their bodies were already prepared. Only soot and old blood remained on them. The white wizard had gone about each of them, using her power to regenerate their wounds and heal their near-fatal injuries. That was something else remarkable. How did a white wizard become so strong, to save even those on death's doorstep? Looking at them now, it was almost impossible to think that they were dying minutes ago. They all now moved freely, and slowly went about collecting their armor and weapons. However, they also were talking amongst themselves.

"I can't believe it... We actually defeated Bahamut!" Rydia half-cried.

Edge merely snorted with a grin. Bahamut felt his anger surge. _You were real smug a moment ago when I was burning your face off..._ "Nothing to it."

"I disagree." Kain retorted in response, cold once again. "I think our victory was in part due to our five round grace period. Without it, I'm not sure how we would have fared."

_Don't patronize me..._ Bahamut grumbled in his brain.

"The real reason for victory was Rosa." Cecil announced, as he sheathed the undamaged Excalibur back into his scabbard. He turned to her, and immediately her white features turned red as she blushed. "If she hadn't thrown up that Wall spell, we all would have been done for."

Rosa looked uneasy at that. She fidgeted a little, and then shrugged. "It was nothing, really... I wasn't even sure if it would work. I just remembered when we read that book on Bahamut that the author theorized that the only way to beat him might be to reflect his power back at him. So I took a chance."

Bahamut felt himself frown again. _Oh, so it was your tip, Leviathan? I'll get you for this..._ He sighed a little bit, venting his true nature in it so that it was more like a grumbling blast. Hearing this, the five paused in their diatrabe and turned back to him. They assumed he was getting their attention. As for Bahamut, he began to seethe within. He had been too arrogant as well, it seemed. If he hadn't given them that five round period... But now that he had, he began to realize what else it meant. Not only was he beaten by mere mortal humans...he realized he had to carry out his end of the deal. He would become their summon. He was now their servant, at their beck and call whenever they wished for him to aid them. He forgot about the fact that it meant he would get to go into the moon's core as well. He thought only about what it meant for him. In the end, however, he forced back his anger. He had to give them proper courtesy, after all, and they earned their due.

"Very well." He stated. "This must truly be the power of light, if you managed to defeat me. Therefore, as we agreed..." He paused at this, not believing he was going to be saying this. "...I, Bahamut...will be your summon from now on."

The group seemed pleased at this, particularly the Summoner. She also seemed a bit overwhelmed, hardly able to believe that she was actually recieving him as a summon. She was unable to do anything but be excited for a moment. But then, she calmed herself down. She readily walked up to the esper, and held out her hand to him. Bahamut stifled another growl. Now, his life was going to be bound to this puny human. He struggled not to smack the hand away in disgust. Instead, he consented. Struggling to steel himself, he lowered his hand and grasped hers. After that, he sighed again and began to focus. Rydia likewise closed her eyes and began to concentrate as well.

A pause went by, but then it began to work. Slowly, Bahamut felt a thread of himself seep out of his hand and into Rydia's. As it did, he felt a thread of her seep into his own hand. Both of their appendages began to glow with green light, and lines began to be traced through their arms. For a moment, the two became linked. It was as if the Lifestream had been shrunk down to two people, and now it flowed freely between the two people. Bahamut continued to hold, until he began to distinctly feel the presence of Rydia inside him. Likewise, she was beginning to feel Bahamut's aura fixed inside her. As it reached its peak, the threads of energy began to fade. The light seeped back into them and the exchange finished. Both of them released and drew their hands back. The exchange was complete. Bahamut had bound his life to Rydia's.

The Summoner grimaced a bit, and slowly raised her hand and clenched it. Apparently, Bahamut had been unconsciously crushing it in his grip. However, she was still pleased about this. She stepped back from Bahamut, and then immediately dropped into a kneel again. "Thank you, Lord Bahamut. We are grateful for your help."

_It's not like I have a choice...or like you need it._ Bahamut brooded in response. He said nothing.

Edge turned to her and beckoned on. "Come on, Rydia! Let him sulk and let's go get Zemes!"

Rydia again blazed into an angry face, and then shot to her feet and wheeled around to them. "What did I tell you about being disrespectful!" She immediately shot after the ninja, even as he turned and began to walk out the way he came. The other three turned and followed after them, and soon they were walking out once again.

Khan and Singh both gulped. They were astonished that Bahamut had lost. No one had ever beaten Bahamut before. Even Wyvern lost on a technicality. But five humans had done it? What did this mean? How was the master feeling? Slowly, they turned and looked to the esper king. He glared at the five as they slowly walked away, but said nothing. Khan swallowed after a moment.

"Er...master..."

_"Don't."_ Bahamut coldly commanded, his voice rocking the ground.

Khan immediately nodded in response. "Right." In a flash, both he and Singh left their master's side and fled back to their columns. The human Bahamut was left to stand in the midst of his destructive wake, and ponder the change in his life.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	7. Rematch

_Three Days Later_

_Now I'm a damn human's plaything..._

A few days after the loss, Bahamut was still burning with anger at it. He still couldn't believe that he had actually been beaten by the humans. He wanted them to be self-sufficient...not his superiors. In a way, he tried to assure himself that if he hadn't given them that grace period he would have won. But he could never prove that now. And now, he was bound to his new "master", a human girl. In the end, it wasn't Crusader that had felled him, Ark, or Wyvern. It was a group of humans. Simple humans had brought him down. What more, a group of humans with that damned arrogant ninja. He thought beating him was so easy, did he? Bahamut desperately wished for a rematch against all of them, but preferably against just him. Then he'd show him what it meant to be beaten...

Khan and Singh stayed fixed at their columns, not daring to get close enough to encur their master's wrath. They had never seen him so moody and furious. He paced about his inner sanctum or simply sat and propped his chin on his arm while he burned holes in the walls with his gaze. They would have been lying if they said that their estimation of Bahamut hadn't fallen somewhat since losing the fight. They didn't think the humans would even scratch their king, let alone beat him. They feared the humans more than ever now, realizing that not even the King of All Espers could defend them from them. What did this mean for the kingdom? What did this mean about the position of espers now?

Bahamut thought much the same things and more. He could never return to the Planet now. If he did, and word got out that he was the summon of a human, his authority would be totally underminded. No esper would dare follow under him. They'd accuse him of being weak and caving into the humans. A real rebellion would occur, and this time it would not be ended so peacefully. If Wyvern returned, he would find no small amount of support waiting for him. That only made him burn with more anger and hatred toward those that had beaten him. It only made him more and more resentful of the Summoners, and of humans in general. Humanity was already vain, arrogant, and dangerous enough with the espers over them. What would they do now? Odin had been slain... Leviathan had been conquered... And now, the great Bahamut was submitting to the beck and call of the Summoners. Were they finished? Was their race done for now? Had they allowed the humans to become too strong? Go too far?

Bahamut stewed on as he waited for the inevitable. Eventually, they would encounter a strong threat down there. And when they did, they would call him. And he would have to answer and attack. That was his position now: hired muscle. His massive power was in the hand of feeble beings, and he could do nothing but bend to it. He forgot all about the chance to go into the moon's center. He forgot about how it was his chance to strike back against the person who had wronged the Planet. All he thought about was how he was the servant of another. And it was a horrible, sickening feeling to him, for he had not felt beneath another for thousands of years. And even for one like Bahamut, it was hard to master such a feeling...

The great esper continued to think of such things, stewing in his own resentment...when the call finally came.

Abruptly, Bahamut felt a tingling in his arm. He looked up from his stone gaze at that, and turned his head to it. He paused for a moment before realizing that was the arm that Rydia had bonded with. And now, he felt the small fraction within him stirring. He was being summoned. He frowned a bit at this, and nearly sneered. In a lazy, surly fashion, he grumbled and brought himself up to his feet. His master was calling, and now he had to respond. Sneering again, he flexed once and shredded his robes off. Immediately, he reverted into his full form, snarling and growling all the way. He appeared to be a menacing beast for the first time, and not a controlled and wise being. But he didn't care. He was too upset.

Khan and Singh noticed this, and both turned and looked at him. "Master?" Singh called out meekly, not risking angering him. "Is something wrong?"

"Duty calls..." Bahamut sneered in response, as he felt Rydia's presence grow stronger. It began to take a form to it. It slowly began to generate energy around himself, and a cloud soon began to swirl in front of him. Slowly, just as it had with Rydia, he felt energy being pushed within him and taking form, becoming a mass of green orbs with orange flames inside them. They held for a moment, but then began to spread out from one center. They moved to the edges in a perfect circle, and energy began to draw through them as Rydia's aura emerged to form the portal. Yet as it did...Bahamut began to sense something from it. It was a part of her, and it did echo her true nature wherever it is. And now, Bahamut sensed it and grew somewhat puzzled.

_That's odd... The five of them were very steadfast and brave...but I sense terror and desperation..._

The mist stretched out in front of the portal, and soon it began to form a film layer for Bahamut to move through. As it did, Bahamut felt a deep feeling within his soul, compelling him to go forward and pass through that portal. Bahamut growled again deep in his throat. There was no escaping it now. Bound to Rydia, he couldn't disobey even if he tried. He had to move through and carry it out. He sighed once more, rolling his eyes, and cracking his neck slightly. _I better get this over with..._

Without even saying goodbye to Khan and Singh, he stepped forward and passed into the portal. As his body slowly sank into it and vanished within, far away...deep within the moon's surface...his body began to reappear on the other end and form as quickly as it had come through.

* * *

As Bahamut's head emerged...he nearly froze. It was only due to the portal's nature that he was able to push through, for he could not move in his stunned shock.

The esper king sensed he was deep in the moon now. Several miles down...most likely far more than that. The dark presence within the center of the Planet was much clearer here. He could sense its violent anger and power...and soon discovered it was far greater than he estimated. This foe was likely more powerful than _ten_ of him put together. He could scarcely comprehend it. How could something possess so much strength...and so much rage to match it? From here, it felt even more distinct...even more like its own entity. Bahamut had known only of one entity ever made of pure evil...and that was Chaos. But this thing...this monstrosity...appeared to be made out of the anger and rage of just _one_ person, not a collective gained over thousands of years. It was too horrible to believe...

And yet...that aura was overshadowed and eclipsed by the one he saw right in front of him.

This was a small area. There were great pillars and turns in the crystaline cave around him, but this area was suspended over even more caves and seemed to be hanging in darkness. The crystal was less rough here...almost as if it had been a true structure at one point that had not suffered the effects of age as badly as his own cave. Most notable, however, was a set of columns against the edge of the platform. A single pedistal was mounted there, and mounted on the pedistal was a single sword in scabbard, resting against a small prop to hold it up. Bahamut saw this sword...and immediately he deciphered his own name written on it. So were the names of Wyvern, Odin, Leviathan, Starlet, and Ogopogo...as well as the names of all of their progeny, which had been enchanted to appear after every new birth. There were thousands of names written on it now, most too small to even see under the patriarchs. But it was there, still gleaming with power and might as the first sword: Ragnarok.

This decor was wholesome and clean...unlike the recent changes in it.

Bahamut looked down, and saw, bent and broken in a bad way, the ninja Edge. He had changed his clothing, but it was incinerated again. Something had compound fractured his limbs one by one...as if torturing him...before snapping his neck. He was barely alive, and nearly foaming at the mouth. Ahead of him, partially impaled on a crystal column, was Kain. Half of his armor, which looked bigger and stronger, had been ripped off, and his blood-soaked hair hung loosely down as he writhed on the end of the pillar like a worm on a hook. Rosa was in a pile on the opposite side, flames slowly burning her clothing and flesh. But she hadn't the power to put them out, and merely let them continue to burn her already broken body. Cecil...was under the foot of the likely perpetrator, who was delighting in breaking every last one of his bones one by one, and had just finished up with the ribs and sternum, and was moving up to the shoulder blades. Finally, legs and one arm broken, skull bleeding and likely fractured, and barely holding on...Rydia chanted out with her one hand left.

As Bahamut arrived on this scene of death and gore, his hatred evaporated. Instead, he stared in dumbfounded shock. As he did, he heard a wicked laugh, and looked up to see its source. It was the one torturing Cecil.

"Itsy, bitsy human fools..." The voice sneered, breaking a new bone with each syllable. "You thought it was going to be so easy, didn't you? Now you're mine to tenderize. I haven't had a good meal in a long time..."

However, at that moment, the beast seemed to hear Rydia's chanting, or see what she was doing. He immediately wheeled to her. Snorting again, he abandoned the helpless Cecil. Instead, with one easy leap and in the blink of an eye, he was on Rydia. His massive claw enveloped her throat, choking off her chanting. He raised her off the ground soon after, throttling her and leaving her unable to even clutch at the hand. Instead, she merely turned her gaze to her final summon. Her eyes begged him.

"Ba...ha...mut...please...help us..."

On hearing this, the beast turned its head to Rydia's line of sight. Bahamut now stared fully into the face of the creature, removing any and all doubt of who it was. Deep fear began to turn in his stomach. He wasn't ready to meet him again, and seeing him brought back memories of his defeat not too long ago by esper standards. Was this what FuSoYa was talking about? Had he known that he was here the whole time? Was this why Bahamut couldn't sense him after their fight? He didn't know...and he didn't know how he had got here either. But he was. The other seemed just as surprised. He had never expected to see Bahamut here. He thought that he was back on the Blue Planet this whole time, no doubt triumphing over his victory. But now he was right here, and it only took a second glance for the monster to see exactly _why_ he had come here. On doing so, a menacing grin began to appear on his face, and he glared darkly at his brother.

"Wyvern." Bahamut stated aloud.

"Well, well..." The red esper uttered aloud. He turned fully to him. "What do we have here?" With that, he began to grin wickedly at him. "The mighty Bahamut...the great King of All Espers...now a mere dog for a group of humans. Running along when your master calls, little brother? Whining in fear at their pain? Are you here to lick their wounds?" He snorted in response to this, but kept smiling. "How pathetic... This is what you've become. You almost make me want to throw up to look at you. The mighty creature that beat Griever is now a puny slave for a lesser race."

Bahamut felt his inner anger rekindled at this. He glared darkly at his brother. However, it didn't last. He was still stunned just to see him there. "What are you doing here?"

"I might ask the same about you." Wyvern coolly answered, but then gave a shrug. "But why not. After our last battle, I was too weak to stay and risk fighting. Even that weakling Leviathan could have finished me. I had to flee...and I had to make sure you couldn't sense me. I searched desperately for a few days, even in my critical condition. But that was when I came across a rather large tower that I hadn't noticed before. It was probably erected while I was in the Lifestream, but no matter. From there, I heard a voice calling to me from the depths of space, and I realized it was coming from the moon. It offered to heal me and give me a place to hide and bide my time, and in exchange it wanted me merely to bring it the two swords I had claimed, and to place myself as a guard in its lair. Of course, it was too good to pass up, and I accepted."

Bahamut felt himself grow angry at that. He glared darkly at his brother. "So you sold your soul to Zemes, did you?"

In response, however, Wyvern frowned and snorted. "Please. The guy downstairs?" He casually responded. "I wouldn't even serve under you, little brother. Much less some lesser being I don't even know. I accepted his gifts and I paid their price, yes. But that's the extent of me working with him. I got something from him, and he got something from me. As far as I'm concerned, we're square with each other." He paused at this, and then suddenly snorted again in a small laugh...as if he had a private joke. "Of course...I can't say the same for a few others..."

The king esper raised an eyebrow to this. "What do you mean?"

"Well, after your little attempt to purge your kingdom of traitors, a lot of espers had no place to go but up here." Wyvern simply answered. "Who should I see but my excuse for a relative Ogopogo? That miserable coward was among them. Apparently, brother betrayal is a theme among our race. I'm sad to say he was much weaker than me. He did sell himself to Zemes in exchange for power. He's much stronger now, but he's also the mindless minion of the Lunarian. Last I looked, he keeps him a bit closer to himself, and he put him in front of the Masamune. A bit insulting to see one of our kind turned to that, but that was his choice." He paused and grinned again. "Of course...you know all about becoming another's servant, don't you Bahamut?"

Bahamut felt his blood boil at that, but he held his tongue. In the meantime, he felt regret and disappointment in Ogopogo. In the end, that was the path he chose. He really was always weak...always letting others take care of him. But he was one of the original espers. He was his brother as well. He pitied whatever had become of him...but by now, there probably wasn't even anything left of him. Just Zemes' consciousness feeding on the evil in his heart. Perhaps he could be freed as Golbez had been...but even if he was, he didn't know if it would matter. Ogopogo had given himself to one monster. He'd do it again. All he was now was the pawn of whoever could serve his best interests. He really was a worm now...and it would probably be better if he never returned.

"Anyway, I was just hanging out here to build my power a bit more." Wyvern continued. "Of course, the manager of the premises tried to offer me greater powers if I'd bow down to him, but not only do I serve no one, I don't need his petty gifts to be able to be the best. So I've just been lurking down here, making sure that no one took the sword that I worked so hard to obtain. A few of the colored dragons followed me here and run around from time to time. Zola and Noonian are running around with them. As for me? I just wait around until the latest meal comes by." With that, he looked down and grinned at the fallen Rydia. "Speaking of which...I've always wondered what they tasted like since the day I first saw them..."

Bahamut balled his hands into fists. He glared darkly at him. His voice issued a cold warning. "Leave them alone. They mean you no harm."

"Oh, that's where I disagree, Bahamut." Wyvern smoothly replied. "They are trying to take the Ragnarok from me. They thought to challenge me as well. But I can see your apprehension." With that, he grinned a bit more. "There's one little other item, isn't there?" He menacingly asked. "Your life is tied to her's, isn't it?"

The blue esper swallowed at that. He struggled not to shake and tremble in mounting anxiety. He had hoped that Wyvern wasn't aware of that...

"How interesting..." Wyvern menacingly continued. He paused for a moment after that. He let Bahamut wait in anxiety for a few moments. He literally had his life in one claw, and could end it with a simple squeeze. He brought Rydia over to himself, and as if she was some sort of pet slowly began to stroke her head. He seemed to be thinking of something...and finally reached a decision. "I think I have a better idea, Bahamut." With that, he suddenly reeled back and tossed Rydia's limp body right to him. Bahamut, reacting in shock to this sudden movement, and yet still not wanting to risk further injury to his Summoner, quickly reached out and intercepted her. He caught her in a cradling catch, and gently brought her body back in to him. Wyvern then crossed his arms and finished.

"_You_ kill her."

Bahamut's eyes widened. Out of all the possible responses that could have come and all the possibilities, he wasn't expecting that. "What?" He asked in genuine surprise.

"Oh, come on." Wyvern chided. "You know you want to. Don't deny it. You're angry at her, aren't you? You're angry at all of them."

Bahamut paused in response to that. He closed his mouth and looked slightly to the ground. He didn't say anything, but it was obvious what he was feeling.

Wyvern pressed on at that. "It's perfectly understandable. I'd be mad too. Look at them...puny little creatures as they are. Fractured and broken so easily. Look what they've done to you. They've humiliated you. They've made you a laughing stock. They made you come to terms with your own weakness. I know what's burning inside you right now..." Wyvern lowered his head and glared menacingly at Bahamut. A wicked grin spread across his face. "You're burning with anger. You're burning with humiliation." He slowed his voice, and let it slide easier. "...You're burning with revenge."

The blue esper didn't answer. He continued to stare at the ground. He wasn't fearful...but he knew that what Wyvern said was true. Even as he held the Summoner in her grasp, he couldn't help but feel enraged that his life was tied to hers...a reminder of who he was now. A reminder of the bond between the two of them...between the monster and his summoner...the servant and his master. Such a tiny, mortal creature...and he was forced to do its bidding. Their bidding...and they were once so meager and inconsequential. If not for him, they'd still be the slaves of Griever...or dead. And now, he was the one beneath them...

"Consider her my gift to you, little brother." Wyvern coolly continued. "Much as I despise you...I can't bear to see you reduced to this. Finish her. Satisfy your desires. Get your revenge and end your battle the way it was meant to be ended. Kill her. It's the only way you can be free, after all. Break the code of the Summoner and strike down your own master. I've made it easy for you. Then you'll be separated from her and you'll be free to pursue your own destiny again. And no one will ever know that dirty little secret that you were beaten by humans. With her gone, no one will know that you aren't invincible or unstoppable. They will fear you again. Do it. Strike her down and put these humans in their place. Let them know once at for all that you will always be their superior."

Bahamut felt his muscles stiffen. Wyvern's words sank into him, and went deep into his heart. If the humans returned...then everyone would know the truth. Everyone would know that even the mighty Bahamut could be made to serve them. Then his authority would be undermined forever. Then a true schism would begin. Then espers would begin war among each other, and perhaps even expand it into the human world. The blue esper thought over this and wondered...wasn't it worth a few lives to save so many others? To maintain their peace and position? The greater good? And as for himself...he would be bound to this woman for the rest of her life otherwise. He would always be forced to come out and fight her battles for her. By his energy and stamina would she live. While she sat back, he would be her power. He _was_ a slave. And why should he be that? Why should he submit to such a lowly creature? Wasn't it foolishness to place his own power in the hands of such base, weak creatures? Was that not an unbalance for them? Did it not restrict him, keeping him from carrying out his own ends for assistance and secrecy? Was he now not a powerful tool on a human's side as he was? It would be better to be free...to ensure that none would ever be able to use his power for evil. That was a great danger...but the only way to be free was a death. And besides...they had been arrogant to fight him in the first place... They were too cocky...and some of them were rather dark in nature...

_Why should I serve them? Isn't it better that the great Bahamut remains free? Why should I let them exploit me?_

The blue esper looked down. Yes, there were many reasons to do this. Besides...they weren't going to win. If they couldn't beat Wyvern, they would never destroy Zemes. And she was so small...so pathetic... In a thousand years, no one would know she ever lived. One strike...and it would all be done with. Her life was so inconsequential and puny that such was the case. And inside...he felt his anger and rage rise to this...urging for him to grant it satisfaction. His palms sweat, and his fist began to tighten. Just one...and then his anger would be sated. Nothing would ever change, and the espers would remain powerful. Slowly...he began to shift her into one hand...and started to pull out his fist from under her. Soon it was free, as he shifted Rydia's nearly lifeless body into one hand. She still had enough consciousness to see this, and her eyes filled with fear. She looked up to Bahamut and stared at him in shock. But the esper continued to raise his hand. His anger demanded satisfaction. He felt himself pushing him on to do it. To make her pay for humiliating him... His fist was in position, and he prepared to bring it down and finish her...

But then, Bahamut froze. For at that moment, an ancient voice echoed deep in his memory.

_What makes you think you won't be just like me?_

Crusader's grim prophecy.

At once, Bahamut's anger broke. It was replaced by fear as he looked at the position he was frozen in. He was going to do it. He was going to kill her...

And he was going to kill her because he was _jealous_.

Just as he had faulted Crusader... Just as he had faulted Wyvern... And now, here he was, moments from doing the same thing. At once it hit him, and he was faced with the gruesome truth. In the end...even he couldn't stand the fact of a "lesser creature" being stronger than him. Even he couldn't resist the temptation to beat them into submission. Even he was reluctant to give up the power that he had held for so long. In that moment, he saw what he really was now. He saw what he had sunk to. He had been a hair's breadth from becoming his own brother. He had nearly set on the same path toward self-destruction, self consumation by the same grudge and anger.

Bahamut was stunned for a moment. He couldn't believe he had nearly done it. These five...they were only trying to help. They had come to him because they recognized his power to help, just as the old Light Warriors had. He should have accepted it. He should have gratefully gone along...just as Leviathan and Odin had. Both of them had willingly come forward, because they knew they were more than summoned monsters now. They were playing an active role in saving the world. If Bahamut hadn't been so clouded by anger, he would have realized that too. He would have seen this as his chance to destroy Zemes and his evil. But in the end...all he could do was stew and brood with anger at what had happened to him. All he could feel was anger and malcontent toward them. They had all given so much to help the world that he had abandoned, and all he could do was desire to destroy them in the same way their enemies had. For a second, Bahamut hated himself for that. He hated what he was and wondered how he could have been so base and so selfish. He wondered how much difference there really was between him and the foul creatures of the world. Had he really fallen so close to being like Crusader? Was he as bad as his brother now?

However...that lasted only a moment. Then he realized that wasn't important right now. There were far greater matters at hand. The five were helpless and dying before his brother. They couldn't fight him anymore. But he could. He didn't know if victory was possible. He didn't know how much better or worse the two were. But one thing was for certain. If he didn't stop him, then the five would die. Somehow, he had to take his brother down. Fearful as he was and much as he doubted himself...this time, he _had_ to win.

"What's wrong?" Wyvern suddenly snapped. His voice sounded irritated. By now, he expected Bahamut to strike, but the blue esper hadn't moved yet. Bahamut noticed this, and it brought him back to reality. However, he didn't move. Not yet...at any rate. Instead, he held on to the helpless Rydia a moment longer. His fist stayed frozen in mid-air. But then, abruptly, he spun around and faced away from Wyvern. He made no other indication of hesitation or change of intent. He simply turned around and put his back to him. Wyvern, of course, darkly glared at this, expecting that something was up. But it didn't matter. He was stunned long enough for Bahamut to act. Gently, he bent over and set Rydia back on the ground. The girl looked at him panicked for a moment...but then noticed that the king esper didn't plan to hurt her. She looked up to his eyes with puzzlement instead. Bahamut paused only long enough to give one mental message.

_If you have any strength left at all...use it to hide._

Bahamut only got to look in her bewildered eyes for one more moment...before turning around in a flash and tackling Wyvern with all his strength.

Soon, both espers went shooting off the edge of the stone platform. But Bahamut kept pushing, bringing his wings and force into it. Wyvern was too surprised to fight back, astonished at the sudden move. Both of them spiraled through the air for a few moments from the collision, going down and leaving the upper platform behind as they fell through the sky. The crater space around them was deep and empty, and fell straight into blackness for miles. However, Bahamut directed them both to another side ledge about two hundred feet down. He shoved straight down on Wyvern here, and after a few moments smashed him into the stone with all his strength. He tried to manuever him to one of the stalactites, but in the end it was impossible, and the great red esper merely flailed out and broke one instead. The impact was hard, and Bahamut crumpled down on top of Wyvern on landing. But that lasted only a moment. Both grunting a bit, the two espers pulled off each other and got to their feet. Bahamut, on top, quickly leapt back off of Wyvern, putting a good distance between them. He also began to ready himself for a fight. As for Wyvern, he rubbed his face and staggered up.

"You little wretch..." He sneered as he got up. "You fool... I gave you the chance for revenge, a chance to help you...and you throw it back in my face!"

"I won't let you touch them again." Bahamut coldly stated.

Wyvern looked to him and scowled. "I can't believe it... You actually _want_ to be their slave. Or are you brainwashed right now? I gave you the chance for freedom. All this time, you refused to relinguish your power...and now you give it so freely?"

"I don't care about your mad delusions, Wyvern." Bahamut responded. "Your fight with them is done. They're beaten. Leave them alone."

Wyvern paused at this, but then merely grinned in response. "And if I don't feel like it?" He sneered. "What will you do then? Bleed on me? If you know what's good for you, little brother, you'll run back through that little summon portal while you still can with your tail between your legs like a good coward. Because I've been itching to grind your body into a bloody pulp ever since you drove me off forty years ago."

Bahamut felt a wave of fear travel through him. It was true. Wyvern probably had more than enough power to beat him with. He should have worked more on his Sol-pyrin...tried to make sure it could beat his Megapyron. In a fight, he knew he hadn't a chance. He had won purely by luck last time. This time...goodness knew what Wyvern had done to improve himself. He should have trained harder...prepared better...readied himself for this rematch that, deep down inside, he knew was inevitable. If only Leviathan were here too... With his new power, he might have had a chance...

"Do I detect a hint of fear?" Wyvern menacingly asked as he stood up. "You should. You see, your little masters decided to use some sort of new spell that reveals how much power an opponent has on me. They were most horrified to see that my power was at 47,300."

However, on hearing that...Bahamut did not feel despair at all. He felt a glimmer of hope, though he dared not show it. He remembered the numbers that Rosa had told about him. True...his base power was far too weak. That was what Wyvern was no doubt sensing right now and basing his boast on. But Bahamut remembered that after a Supra-velo, his power went all the way to 47,890... It was barely enough, and he would have to recharge it again and again during the fight. But it was better... Wyvern was strong, but he fought with anger rather than skill. Perhaps...if he could keep his wits about him and fight smartly enough...he could actually beat this foe. And that possibility was an even greater ray of hope. If he could...then he could come back. He could return to Terratopolis and his friends once again. He could make sure that matters like Zemes never happened again. At last, there was a chance to defeat his brother once and for all. And he was willing to take that chance.

"Well, what have you to say to that?" Wyvern coolly asked in reply.

Bahamut hesitated for a moment longer. But then, he lowered his head and grinned dangerously.

"Supra-velo."

Immediately, Bahamut's power exploded. He felt the familiar energy course through him, increasing his speed and power dramatically. Wyvern raised an eyebrow to this for a moment, surprised at the sudden change. However, he had no idea what the true power was. Bahamut did. The red rings surrounded him, and soon they shattered and left him in the red aura. Then, in a flash, he tore forward at full speed and drove his crest right into Wyvern's face.

A tremendous collision sound rang out. Wyvern, his face half-crushed, half-stunned, fell back in shock as blood trickled from his nose. But Bahamut didn't let up. He stormed forward and began to bury Wyvern under a barrage of fists. He smashed his head one way and the other with each strike for a few moments, before rearing back and bringing up his legs instead. These he drove again and again into his stomach, bending him over and driving him into more pain. At last, he reared back as Wyvern bent forward, and fell on his back as Wyvern fell onto his feet. He was then in the perfect position to kick him in the chest with all his might, sending him back up into the air. He quickly shot up, tore past him, and then swung his tail around to send Wyvern bending the other way and sailing back to the ground. He smashed into it hard, bashing a large crater into it. Bahamut then spread out his wings, braced himself in mid-air, and fired off a Pyron at his fallen body. Wyvern was too stunned to do anything but writhe. The chain of energy sailed to the ground and then smashed into him, and immediately a powerful chain of eruptions went off. Fire and debris flew up everywhere around Wyvern as he was lost in an explosion.

Bahamut panted for a moment. He had given Wyvern everything he had on that one. Hopefully, it created a deficit that he wouldn't recover from the rest of this battle. However, he grimly began to anticipate true pain. There was no way that Wyvern was that hurt from that assault. But he was sure that he was enraged now. But he had to keep up with him. He had to match him blow for blow. It was the only way that his slight power advantage would make a difference. If he let Wyvern get in too many hits on him...he was dead.

The smoke continued to rise, glittering with crystal dust, for a few moments. But then, it parted violently as Wyvern, fully enraged, shot out and greeted Bahamut with an uppercut to the chin. Bahamut felt mind-numbing pain go through him as his neck was stretched to its limit, before Wyvern went up above him and moment and then drove his foot into his body at an angle. The effect ripped him out of the sky and sent him hurtling to the ground. Seconds later, he struckit and landed hard on his back, bashing his own crater. However, he didn't stay down long. He quickly sprang up and somersaulted backwards out of it, just in time to avoid Wyvern as he smashed his feet into the ground where he was. Bahamut then launched himselfand sailed straight for the red esper, smashing his head into his face yet again. Wyvern staggered a little...but then reached out and seized Bahamut by his neck. While clenching his throat with his talons, he violently swung the esper around and smashed him into a nearby stalagmite, breaking the entire stone column off. He swung him around to smash him into another...when Bahamut opened his mouth and managed to force a Pyrin past Wyvern's talons and blast him right in the face. The red esper yelled in agony and released his brother, who used some of his momentum to go ahead and fly into the column...but only long enough to touch down against it, squat, and then launch back at Wyvern with even more force. Moments later, a fist smashed against the side of Wyvern's head and he went flying again.

Bahamut rushed after Wyvern as he flailed out, intent on putting more into him. But just before reaching him, his brother managed to recover, and quickly balled his hands into a double fist and swung them up, clubbing Bahamut on the side of the head and sending him flying to the ceiling. Wyvern took off after him, and drove his fist into his stomach as he ascended, causing Bahamut to collapse around him. He bashed into his abdomen three more times, plowing as deep into his gut as he could each time. But when he came for a fourth...Bahamut sprung back to life as well, spun around, and brought the end of his tail down on his head. The blow connected and sent Wyvern falling...but it was only for a moment. The red esper used the same momentum to spin himself around, and soon brought his own tail down on Bahamut's head. Pain soon shot through his skull as well as he spun around...but this time he managed to halt himself early. While still turned around, he swung the heel on one of his rear talons down across Wyvern's face. The monster was stunned, but not for long. He smashed his fist into the lower back of the king esper as he tried to turn himself back around, stunning him. Then, he reached out and seized both of his legs and wrenched Bahamut's body downward. Soon, he was hurling back toward the ground with Bahamut's head first. The king esper tried to escape, but it was no use. Moments later, the whole cave shook as Bahamut was plowed into the ground again. A huge cloud of crystal dust erupted, and Wyvern glared maliciously down at his brother, thinking he must have been seriously hurt by that. But then, abruptly, Bahamut's legs snapped to life, seized Wyvern by the head and neck in a scissor grasp, and then tore him off the feet and smashed his head into the ground as well, just as hard as his brother had. The two both reeled for a moment from their blows, but then both of them used a single claw to push themselves out of the ground, and quickly dashed away from each other in a flying cartwheel to put a distance away from each other. Both froze and then readied themselves for battle, and stared at one another.

Both were panting now, and covered with bruises. Blood was running from several places on both. But still, there was no clear winner. Bahamut only stared a moment before taking advantage of the situation. He immediately performed another Supra-velo, restoring his incredible strength in an instant. Then, both of them took off to one another once again.

The two collided, and another thunder clap erupted from their connection. They both went flying back from the impact, but they both recovered at the same time and smashed into each other again, sending off another shockwave. They did this several times, causing the cave to shake and let dust rain down from the ceiling. Finally, on one of the collisions, Wyvern managed to twist himself around at the last moment and give Bahamut a foot to his face, so that only he took the blow. He was flipped over first and went flying, and Wyvern moved in to bring more pain. But before he could connect...Bahamut again sprung to life and gave him an uppercut. Wyvern's head was ripped to the ceiling, but he still managed to bring his feet down and smash them into Bahamut's gut. But that only enabled Bahamut to swing around and swat Wyvern with his tail once again. Wyvern began to fly down from the impact, but he managed to recover himself again and flew up once again, driving his fist into Bahamut's already weakened gut. The blow made his ribs crack this time...and Bahamut was in pain...but he managed to respond with his head bashing into Wyvern's again, this time cracking into his crest and sending blood spilling out over into Wyvern's eyes. Gagging and snarling, Wyvern swung his fist out to club Bahamut in the face. But the blow was weak, and Bahamut was able to bring both fists over behind his head and then smash them down onto Wyvern's already vulnerable crown. A sickening smack resulted, and Wyvern, stunned, sailed down to the floor of the cave and smashed into it a second later.

Grunting and groaning, Wyvern staggered to his feet, only to have Bahamut be on him again. He hooked him again, sending his head flying down to one side, and then gave him a blow with his other hand to send his head flying back up the other way. The power actually sent Wyvern flying up a little, high enough for Bahamut to grab his legs. The blue esper seized them, and then drove the whole red esper forward, smashing him into a stone stalagmite as hard as he could and swinging him into the ground as he did so. The entire stone column broke and fell, and buried Wyvern partially under it. But at that...Wyvern's rage only grew. Furiously, he smashed out with both legs and bashed Bahamut in the face, sending him flying away from him again. Bahamut sailed back, but quickly righted himself and stood again. As for Wyvern, in a roar of rage, he flung the stone ruins off of himself and glared madly at his brother.

Wyvern was now visible tired. Sweat was beginning to come off his brow, and his face was covered with blood. Attacking Wyvern's head had been a painful and hard way to go, but now that Bahamut had done his injury Wyvern found himself in a permenantly dazzled and dizzy state. And Bahamut was still able to keep up with Wyvern despite the pace of the battle. For the first time, Wyvern began to realize that there was a chance he might lose this fight. And that only served to drive him into a madder rage. He quivered with anger, and his fists and muscles clenched as hard as steel. He hissed and sneered from between clenched teeth, furious to see that Bahamut was still standing and awaiting another blow. He held for a moment longer...before he realized something. There were still a few advantages he had that Bahamut hadn't...

A moment later, Wyvern took off at full speed. But Bahamut was surprised at this, for instead of attacking him, he shot away from him and up toward the old platform. For a moment, Bahamut foolishly thought that Wyvern had surrendered and was running away. But then, his heart was gripped with an icy fear, and his eyes opened in panic. He realized now what it was. He was going for Rydia. If he could kill her while Bahamut was linked to her...

Immediately,the great espertook off at full speed after him. But even with his Supra-velo, he was negligably faster than Wyvern. And his brother already had a head start. He looked up, and saw in terror that he wouldn't make it. Wyvern was already almost to the platform, and he saw his mouth open and prepare to discharge a blast that would annihilate all life there in one single shot.

But then...Bahamut got his own idea. Immediately, he bent his head down directly away from Wyvern, charged for a split second, and then fired a Pyron. Without bracing himself, the Pyron pushed off against him, and his speed shot up dramatically as he was blasted straight up to Wyvern. The red esper had just cleared the rim of the cliff, and was moments from firing...when Bahamut, being pushed backward, pounded him in the throat with his elbow, slamming his esophagus shut. Wyvern gagged as his eyes grew large and blood flew from his mouth...but more importantly the Pyron he was able to fire erupted inside his own throat. Horrible gagging pain shot through his chest, and the esper was left gasping for air and coughing up blood. But Bahamut kept pushing, driving Wyvern higher and higher until he reached the ceiling...and then sandwiched Wyvern's neck between his elbow and the crystal stone. Smoke began to billow out of Wyvern's throat, and the red esper looked to be in incredible pain. He weakly fell off the ceiling, clutching for his neck and dribbling blood from his nose and mouth. But Bahamut didn't give him a chance for that either. He immediately seized him by his tail, swung him around by it about five times to build up enough speed, and then flung his brother back down, away from the platform, as hard as he could. Moments later, Wyvern connected against the stone ground with a tremendous crash, causing one of the stalactites to break from the ceiling and fall to the ground. A great trench was dug into the brittle stone as Wyvern's body toppled forward and slid away, toward the edge of the lower platform that led deeper into the cavernous underground.

Bahamut quickly shot back to the ground as well, and put himself a short distance before Wyvern. Wheezing, his brother got to his feet slowly. There was definitely a deficit now. Bahamut began to feel some hope inside him. If he could draw this out a bit longer...keep up with him a bit more...then he could beat him. The red esper continued to rise until he was on his feet, although unsteady. His blood covered vision glared at Bahamut, and the king esper felt hate and anger so strong that he almost felt his flesh heat up looking to him. Wyvern was quivering with rage now, and driven almost mad with the pain. At first, Bahamut thought that was a bonus. The angrier he got, the more ferocious his attacks would be...but the sloppier he would start to think. He prepared himself for another terrible assault, waiting on his brother to move...

When he sensed it.

Wyvern's dark power was shooting up dramatically. His wings began to spread out from him. His tail started to brace itself. Then, Bahamut realized what was happening. His hope was crushed and fear and anxiety replaced it. He was summoning the Megapyron again. And despite how much better Bahamut was doing, he knew that he still couldn't outmatch it. One Megapyron would be all it would take to put an end to this fight. Wyvern's victory could be decided by one blast. Already, the sky grew dark and began to crack with energy and power, and Bahamut was dumbfounded. He couldn't beat him now. The best he could do was hope to lessen the damage with his own Sol-pyrin. But it would make no difference. In the end, the attack would still be more than strong enough to cripple him. Then Wyvern would be the victor once again. Bahamut began to despair. Cold sweat mingled with his own sweat. What could he do? If he couldn't find a way to get around this attack, then he'd never win... But he had come so far. There had to be some way!

_Well..._ Bahamut thought after a moment. _I suppose...I could try one thing..._

It was risky. He wasn't sure if he could pull it off. He had never tried this technique before, and it would mostly be improvised. If it was wrong, then he died. But he had to give it a shot. Immediately, he sprung back from Wyvern as the energy began to take form around his brother. Then, he immediately spread out his own wings and braced himself as well. First things first, he immediately performed a Supra-velo, once more pushing his energy to maximum. That done, Bahamut unfurled his wings and began to charge his own Sol-pyrin. Soon the ground shook around him as well, and the area around him grew lighter. Rays began to form around his wings, and his head began to shake slightly from the strength as a great ball appeared in front of his mouth.

Over the rising sound of wind and trembling, Bahamut heard an evil laugh. He knew it was from Wyvern. He thought that he'd simply obliterate Bahamut's Sol-pyrin like before, and then finish him. He might have been right, too. There was a good chance that would happen...and Bahamut feared the maddening pain of the attack. But this was the only way. Both of them continued to summon their powers, looking to repeat the exact same thing that had happened to them forty years ago. Both were soon rippling with energy, struggling to control the powers they had summoned. Both glared at each other. Bahamut was cold and somewhat nervous, while Wyvern glared maliciously at him, believing that his victory was here at last. They both held only a second longer, and then fired at each other. The two waves of power once more send up clouds of crystal dust as huge trenches were blasted into the ground. Light filled the caves for miles around. And then, the two blasts connected, and a shockwave ripped off from the impact that tore apart every last stalagmite and stalactite in the chamber. Then the two energies held, and pushed against one another.

Wyvern immediately pushed more into the attack, more eagerly than ever. He wanted to overwhelm him quickly this time and do as much damage as possible. However, as he began to do this, through the blinding, raging waves of energy, Wyvern saw something that puzzled him. Bahamut had fired his attack, but he didn't push anymore energy into it. He let it there, to slowly be worn down by Wyvern's attack. Instead, he had closed his eyes and was focusing, seeming to be chanting another spell or attempting to. His evil brother sneered, and simply pushed more power into his own attack. The Sol-pyrin held for a while, and it burned off most of the energy in Wyvern's own blast. But in the end, it was too little. As before, the orb of energy disintergrated. Laughing in victory, Wyvern shot his own flaming blast straight for Bahamut, howling with delight at how Bahamut's flesh and bone would soon burn in his hellish flames, and rejoicing that victory was his at last. The blast went closer and closer, and finally enveloped his brother.

Immediately, Wyvern fired more energy into it. He pushed as much as he could and more into the attack, wanting to do as much pain to Bahamut as possible. Make him suffer for all that he had done. Bahamut vanished from his vision, and still he blasted more. Rocks and debris flew up from the area around Bahamut. Heat waves radiated. But still Wyvern fired more, his eyes full of malicious glee. Finally, when he felt he had slow roasted Bahamut enough, he cut off his energy flow. The last of the Megapyron sailed at Bahamut and dissipated, and Wyvern laughed to himself as he stood,licking his lips to see the pain that Bahamut had to now be in.

However, he was in for some surprise.

Bahamut, sweating, panting, and trembling...held his hands in front of him...where an irredescent shield now burned.

Wyvern was puzzled at this for a moment, and his anger began to return at how Bahamut had somehow intercepted his attack. That anger soon vanished, however...when to his utter shock his hellish Megapyron erupted forth in flaming fury from the shield...and went right back to him.

Wyvern's eyes widened and his heart sank in his chest. His mind was full of rage and bewilderment, as the fires began to glow over him, and the first deadly orb sailed right for his face.

"Impossi-"

That was all Wyvern got out before the attack erupted. Soon, his own orbs sank into his flesh and erupted from the inside. Terrible heat and fire raged through him, and tremors tore into his flesh and bashed against his bone with lethal force. Wyvern screamed in agony as his flesh blackened and blistered under the power, and his body was rocked violently by the greedy flames as he roasted in agony. A massive wave of smoke and energy radiated off of him and enveloped him. A great black cloud fountained up from his body as the Megapyron erupted. Wyvern burned on and on for a few seconds before the massive attack finally died out, and when it did a cloud of dust and smoke made it impossible to see anything that had happened.

Bahamut, on his part, nearly collapsed and panted. He couldn't even afford the energy to smile at the moment. That move had nearly done him in at the end. But he had remembered Rosa's reflection spell. Luckily, his keen intellect and ability to sense minds and energy made it possible for him to pick up on almost any attack. Of course, he usually had a week to do so, but just now he had to improvise that move. It nearly broke him. Apparently, much of the energy in a spell that was reflected was lost as heat as it hit the shield. If one was too weak, it might break through entirely. But what was reflected back was always weaker due to the heat loss. That blast, Bahamut realized, had only been about a tenth of the true power of a Megapyron. But it still made a very damaging attack. Not enough to beat Wyvern...but by now, victory was more clear than ever. Bahamut realized he had done it. He found a way to repel the Megapyron. And now, Wyvern had to have only half of his power or less left. Bahamut realized he could win. Without the Megapyron, it was now only a matter of time before Wyvern lost the rest of his strength.

He was going to do it. He was going to beat him at long last...

The smoke finally cleared, and it revealed what had happened in its wake. Wyvern was burned horribly over the front of his body. He hadn't lost scales, but many of them had begun to twist and curl against his flesh. Blood oozed out from his blackened skin beneath several points. His entire body sizzled and popped. His gums were enflamed, for the heat had licked into his mouth. Now he held it open in a frozen snarl. He looked absolutely wretched, and Bahamut could sense he had lost a lot of power. He opened his eyes and glared hatefully at Bahamut. Now, he had so much anger it began to approach the level that Zemes was at, at least before he had managed to form his own consciousness. For a moment, he did nothing. Only continued to glare at him. Bahamut readied himself as well. He didn't want to attack first, but allow Wyvern to make the first move. Yet all he did was seethe with anger. For a moment, Bahamut wondered if that was it. Perhaps he was weakened enough now that he couldn't fight back anymore. That seemed a little unusual...but it was a possibility. However, in the end, that wasn't what happened. The silence was at last broken...

By Wyvern starting to laugh.

Bahamut stared at him in puzzlement, but Wyvern merely glared at him maliciously and continued to cruelly chuckle from his baked lips. He sounded maddened and insane, but he continued to giggle as he stared at him. His eyes flashed dangerously. Bahamut didn't know what was going on. Had his power made him slap-happy? Or had his own madness gotten the better of him? But Wyvern only continued to chuckle onward for a few moments longer. Then, at last, he calmed down and spoke once more.

"Well, well..." He slowly exhaled through his burned throat, a dry, raspy sound. "You seem to think that you've won, after all, Bahamut. You think that because you managed to outdo my Megapyron that you've beaten me. But I've got some bad news for you..." He lowered his gaze and grinned wider.

"...The Megapyron isn't my Omniapex."

Bahamut eyes widened a bit at that. He hesitated for a moment. He had doubts that the Megapyron was Wyvern's ultimate attack, but he hadn't honestly believed that. After all, the Megapyron was so powerful, it had to be his ultimate attack...didn't it? But Bahamut knew deep inside that his ultimate attack had to be something like Bahamut's own Sol-pyrin. And realizing that Wyvern had a stronger move... Bahamut felt himself begin to tense up. If he was telling the truth, he could only imagine how horrible it would be...

"I knew the Megapyron wouldn't be enough to destroy you." Wyvern continued. "I thought at best, all it would end up doing was countering your Megapyrin. So I stayed in the Lifestream longer. Sure enough...I finally unlocked the true power within me. I think our mother tried to keep it from me...but in the end, I absorbed so much energy from the Lifestream even she couldn't keep me from finding it. Of course, when I encountered you, I thought my Megapyron was more than enough to beat you. So I didn't bother performing my own Omniapex. But now that you've finally surpassed that...I guess I have no choice but to obliterate you."

Bahamut felt sweat began to pour from his brow again. He stared coldly at Wyvern, trying to restrain his growing fear.

Wyvern sensed it regardless, and grinned menacingly. "Now then...allow me to give you a little lesson. Each one of our kind has an element that we're our best in. That element is the source of power for our Omniapex. When you fought Griever, you found out that the power of the sun was your element. Hence, your Sol-pyrin absorbs solar energy and then fires it. However, _my_ Omniapex is constantly building power inside me, but its growth is retarded by solar power. In effect, my element is darkness. If I have a big enough vacuum of light energy, I can form dark matter to fuel my own breath attack." He paused for a moment after and grinned wider. "But why take my word for it? I think this is the sort of thing that you have to see to believe."

Immediately, Wyvern unfurled his wings and shot into the sky once again. Bahamut, frozen in growing fear, only stood there as he saw him hover high into the sky. After that, he aimed his head not at Bahamut, as he thought...but higher, toward the platform above. "Get yourself ready, Bahamut." Wyvern sneered. "Even _I_ scare myself with the power of this attack. Of course, you could dodge if you wanted to...but then I'm afraid you lose anyway, because I'm aiming for your little masters." He chuckled darkly, and unfurled his wings and stiffened his neck. "Wait until you see what it's like to feel _real_ terror!"

Bahamut's jaw hung open and his eyes froze in horror. But already, his brother began to charge the power. Much darker energy surrounded him now. It seemed to form beams of darkness around him and draw into him. Wyvern held his mouth open, and began to generate the power into a ball in front of him. Indeed, it looked a lot like Bahamut's own attack. But it was far stronger than the Megapyron. Already, the crystal cave began to quiver. Energy bolts already started to surround him, and grew fiercer and stronger with time. Wind blasted against Bahamut from above. But he could only stand there dumbfounded. What could he do? If he stayed here, this new attack would obliterate half of the cave, and take Rydia with it. But if he got in the way, he doubted even he could withstand it. The method like last time probably wouldn't work. And the blast would likely finish him. He didn't know what to do... He was in a no win situation now. In the end, however, despite how futile it might be, he could only make one choice.

Quickly, Bahamut shot up and got in the path of the oncoming attack from Wyvern. Once again, he activated his Supra-velo. The constant magic was draining him, but he had no choice. Soon, he exploded forward with new power. Then, he spread out his own wings and began to summon his power once more. Bands of light began to surround him, but he pushed it harder. He needed it to be as strong as possible. If it wasn't, he would never be able to reflect this move. He continued to generate more power, causing the ground to shake and bolts of energy to surround him as well. Wyvern's own attack began to grow. His weak neck quivered violently, trying to withstand the growing flare. But he was summoning it. Bahamut felt his heart sink as the new attack gained more power than ever before. This new attack would easily outclass a Megapyron. Bahamut began to doubt himself, but still struggled to bring in more and more power. He put everything he had together as he began to form his own Sol-pyrin. An orb began to form over his own jaws. His neck began to quiver as well, and he felt a burning in it as he struggled to hold the power and feed more into it. The wind picked up between the two and grew violent, whipping up even larger columns of stone than last time. The ground swelled and cracked underneath both of them. Light began to surround Bahamut, while incredible darkness began to surround Wyvern. He dimmed so much that only the flare itself could be seen. As for Bahamut, he turned so radiant it was blinding to naked eyes. It was a perfect repeat of forty years ago, only stronger. Bahamut continued to push more and more power into his, as Wyvern struggled to maintain his own. But even though Bahamut felt his body generate more and more power...he realized in fear that it was impossible for him to put anything else into the flare. His flesh was ready to burst. His bones were ready to break. Any more, and it wouldn't matter. The horrible truth of Wyvern's evolution came to light. Wyvern's body was simply built better and could hold more power...and he could never match it. Despite the extra power, Bahamut couldn't use it.

_There has to be something I can put it into... Something I can do!_

But it was too late. At once, Wyvern snapped his head back, nearly breaking his own neck, and let out his own massive ball of light.

_"Noc-pyrin!"_

Bahamut saw he couldn't afford anymore, and quickly fired his own Sol-pyrin. Now, both attacks, two giant orbs of burning energy with great waves behind them thundered toward each other. They sailed for a few moments before colliding. Instantly, a crack went out that was so strong it hurt Bahamut's ears, and a shockwave went off that was painful for him to bear. It tore a great bowl into the ground, and blasted his human friends away up above. For miles above and below, light flooded the chambers, and the dark creatures within shrieked and retreated. Even the great evil in the heart of the moon looked up and saw the great energy that had gathered...and a rare wave of fear rippled in his black heart.

Wyvern put more power into his own attack, but Bahamut was unable. He was barely able to hold it as it was. Despite having gathered more energy, he could do nothing with it. Instead, he readied himself to perform his own reflection spell. But already he knew it was futile. The attack was too strong. He could see his Sol-pyrin already buckling and breaking under the new Noc-pyrin. His heart filled with fear and despair. It was finished. In the end, no matter what he had done...no matter what he had tried...he realized that he would never be a match for his brother. He had spent too much time preparing himself. He had spent the whole of the esper history getting ready for this fight. And now, it was finished.He couldn't escape death this time. At once...he realized he was over.

Wyvern's eyes blazed with hateful glee as he sounded a laugh over the thunder. Bahamut continued to look with empty despair. A cracking went out, and then the Sol-pyrin broke. The Noc-pyrin, now unhindered, shot forward to demolish its intended target. Bahamut, feeling death staring him right in the face, nevertheless threw up the reflection spell. It was even stronger this time, for he had experience now. But when the Noc-pyrin hit it, it was as if a mountain had been dropped on his shoulders. His body exploded into pain and agony. It felt as if his bones would shatter. The massive attack just continued to blast against him, and within moments it had already filled the reflection attack to capacity and continued to flood it. Bahamut felt his arms begin to burn and smolder. The heat began to bake his face. His eyes watered and burned, and he slammed them shut and struggled to hold it. But it only tortured him more. The barrier was nothing to it. In the end, Bahamut realized his effort was for nothing. As the blast began to consume him in fire and shadow, he saw that he couldn't prevail. His body would burn away long before the Noc-pyrin was broken. He couldn't hold it any more. In the end, as Wyvern cackled like a demon, his barrier shattered...and the attack hit.

Even the body of Bahamut could not comprehend the pain that he went into now. His flesh went numb as his body was unable toregister the energy that went into it. All that the Megapyron had done forty years ago was repeated, and worse than before. Bahamut's power once again shrank into nothing as the energy tore into him, flailing the scales and skin off of him, making his flesh peel and pop. His wings were torn into tatters again, and his body was once more ravaged as the violence broke most of the bones in his body. His efforts had once again drastically lowered the power, but it was too much. Bahamut felt as if his soul had already left his body, as the numbness let him watch his own body burn and cook in the fury of the Noc-pyrin. His eyes were shut...but still he felt his retinas begin to burn away. The fire went down his throat and burned his insides through and through, until there was only a charred body left behind.

But the attack broke, just like last time. Bahamut sacrifice had managed to accomplish one thing. The power had not hurt the humans. They had been a bit burned from the heat, but they were alive. But in the end, it was too little. Bahamut couldn't hold himself anymore, and limply fell to the ground. His body, already broken, collapsed into a twisted heap against the ground on his back. Again, he was just as he had been forty years ago. Even worse, it felt like. Only Bahamut numbness allowed him to stay conscious. His heart was barely beating. His lungs were barely getting the air from every breath. He had nothing left...and he couldn't move anymore. His body continued to smoke and crackle as he lay on the ground. He could barely look out around him. And again...he realized he was finished.

_No way out this time..._

Bahamut weakly stared forward. Just a little in front of him loomed the pit that stretched to the core of the moon. But he knew he wouldn't be thrown down this time. Wyvern wouldn't take the chance. Slowly, he saw his red feet come down in front of him. Immediately after, the owner bent over and began to wheeze. Apparently, that attack had taken too much out of his own battered body. But he could still stand, and he could still move. And so, he walked forward a bit more toward the fallen esper. Once he stood right over him, Bahamut saw his hunched over form for a brief moment. Then...abruptly...five Pyrins were fired out of Wyvern's mouth. They didn't hit him head on...but proceeded to strike each one of his limbs and his tail at the socket point. Each one hit him with such force that he felt the bone break inside, and despite how weak he was, Bahamut gave out a yell in pain as he felt them strike him. Once done, Wyvern staggered a bit, but still grinned menacingly.

"Now you are truly helpless." He sneered. "And victory is at last mine. I have waited for thousands upon thousands of years for this, and at last I have won. Now I can finally return to the Blue Planet in triumph." He hesitated a moment...but then lowered his own claw and seized Bahamut's head by the crest. He yanked it up, and soon Bahamut found his own damaged eyes looking into Wyvern's victorious ones. The evil creature grinned again at him. "Give me your best face, Bahamut. I want to look in your eyes as you die. Any last words you want to say?"

Bahamut was silent. He weakly stared forward, struggling to deal with the new pain that ended his numbness. But even as he felt his life had ended...he sensed one final thing within him. Despite the pain he had been in, he still had that small bit of power leftover...and now he was free to use it again. He looked at Wyvern a moment longer...but then opened his mouth, revealing a blinding red light inside...to which Wyvern's victory was once again snatched from him and replaced with utter terror.

"...Megapyrin."

At once, Bahamut's body was flung back as his solar-powered Megapyrin fired. The strongest one he had ever made now proceeded to ravage his brother. The force was too great to withstand, and blasted him against the ground and away from the pit. But the huge energy wave struck Wyvern point-blank in the upper torso. Wyvern struggled to bring a wing in front of him to guard at the last moment...only to have the energy rip right through it, shatter the bones inside, and then blast right onto Wyvern's face. The scales were burnt away, and a horrible wave of fire pierced his skull and went into his brain. Fire and explosions burst from within, and soon he felt his very brains begin to boil within his head. His neck was broken from the power, and heat continued to wave over him and drain what strength he had left. The blast continued to rush forward, covering him with more heat and eruptions, and his body was ripped off of its feet all together. The wave continued to push him afterward, continuing to blister him and break him, until he was as wretched as his opponent. Wyvern cried out in pain and anguish...for the true pain was that he had his victory taken away again. The energy sapped his strength and drained him, and then continued to roast his body. And the misery of his loss again was too much to bear. He yelled out in unspeakable misery a thousand horrible notes. He was powerless to leave the blast...and he only managed to wrench his battered body free after the blast had carried him over the pit. The blaze raged on, and it left Wyvern dangling in midair. The beast's face turned to panic. He glared at Bahamut with red eyes full of fear and shock. Even as it did, the monster struggled to fly...but one wing was useless. It struggled to use the Auto-aero technique, but its power was gone. It flailed miserably for a second...and he gave one final look to his brother. His face was tight with terror and horror at its own impending demise...and perhaps a small light in it begged for help. But even if Bahamut could rise, he would not help him. His eyes gazed mercilessly back. Wyvern's gaze then flew into one last mad rage...and as he fell down over the edge and into the infinite black abyss below, his intelligible, hate-filled screams cursed his brother to the very last. But they turned into echoes, and then faded into nothing.

When that happened, all became silent, and Bahamut was alone. Only his long, slow breathing remained. But still he looked back at the pit one final time...and realized that it was finally over.

Wyvern was gone.

He had won.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	8. Noble Sacrifice

This chapter is very short...but very important...

* * *

Bahamut didn't know exactly how long he lay there. His own regeneration was all that could heal him now. He couldn't return to his servants. The portal was closed, and he was trapped down here with the rest of the humans. For the longest time, he tried to wonder if he was dreaming. But he wasn't. It was really over. Wyvern was gone, and he had won. His people were safe once again. But in the end, it had meant killing him...slaying his own brother. The friendly face he had seen thousands of years ago was almost just an illusion now. He couldn't honestly remember that child esper ever being real. He had been swallowed up by this hate-filled monster long ago...and in the end Bahamut wasn't sorry that he had killed him. He could never hurt his brother...but that wasn't his brother anymore. And he had done what was best for the Planet. It was done at last.

The esper king finally managed to get enough energy back. His eyes had partially regenerated, but the rest of his body was still broken. Still, however, he had enough power for an Auto-aero move. He focused for a short moment...and then his body slowly began to rise off the ground, as if it was lighter than air. It took a bit of focus that he didn't have, but he managed. He turned himself slightly, and then aimed his body for the higher platform. Slowly, he began to glide back up there.

The dragon esper supposed he should have been happy...but he wasn't. He couldn't take much pleasure in that grim victory. It had come at the price of spilling much blood and nearly breaking his heart. What more, he realized he had little to hope for either. He was trapped deep in the moon with no way out except the way the humans had come, and he might be too big for that. As it was, he couldn't leave until he had recovered, and through regeneration that could take months. In that time, he would likely starve or dehydrate, that was assuming that the vicious beasts in here didn't come and finish him. He couldn't return now, and he was days from help. In short, he was in deep trouble. Unless he could get something from Rydia's group, then he was doomed. But even then, he might never be able to exit the moon again. It was a dire situation indeed.

At last, Bahamut reached the top of the platform. This area hadn't been spared damage. The cliff and cave looked bent in, warped by the energy that Wyvern and Bahamut had cast off. But Ragnarok still stood. It was free for them to take, if they could recover enough to take it. Bahamut slowly exhaled and looked beneath him. The group wasn't where they had been left. They had all been blown away, farther back and away from Ragnarok. They had come to a stop against a rock wall. All but Rydia were lifeless. That meant little. He was sure they had some medicine on them to restore them to full health, so long as one of them was around to administer it. As for Rydia, she was still, and weakly looked up to him. She couldn't move, it seemed, and had used all her strength to come to that point. Blood was still rolling from her mouth. Bahamut worried somewhat about that... However, he managed to pull himself forward a bit more, until he was closer to them. Then, when he was right in front of the Summoner, he slowly lowered himself against the ground. He felt pain as he did so, but he didn't care for right now. He soon lay in front of Rydia, who continued to sit there and wait.

After a moment, she spoke. Her voice was weak and faraway, but distinct.

"...You look terrible."

Bahamut grimaced in response. "You don't exactly look perfect either, you smartalleck human."

Rydia couldn't smile. She merely blinked and looked back at him. "...I thought you were really going to do it."

Bahamut swallowed a bit in response. "...I almost did."

"Why did you stop?"

Bahamut stiffened. "...Because I'm not a monster. And I am faithful to the summoner's code."

Rydia didn't answer. She just continued to slowly stare back at him. Finally, she was able to crack the weakest smile. "...Thank you."

Bahamut paused for a few second more at that. However, in the end, he merely spoke normally. "...Wyvern is dead. Ragnarok is free for you to claim. But for now, if you have any elixir, you should take it. And then, if you have any Down of the Phoenix, your friends could use some."

Rydia merely blinked softly. "...They were all smashed in the fight with Wyvern. Not that it matters...both of my arms are broken. I can't lift them."

Bahamut blinked in response to that. "...Don't you have any extra?"

Rydia didn't move, but slowly turned her eyes behind her. "...At last night's campsite, we left a few things. But I'll never be able to get there."

Bahamut hesitated at that, but then managed a weak shrug. "I'll go over there. My arms are broken as well, but I can probably manage an elixir..."

"No, Bahamut..." Rydia slowly answered. "...I really _won't_ be able to get there."

Bahamut detected a warning at that. He realized suddenly that things were more serious. He hesitated at this, and looked over her again. She looked peaceful..._too_ peaceful. Bahamut had seen this look before. It was the look of euphoria one had on their face...when their body had given up. It was useless to tell the brain about pain now...for it was too late. He felt his breath catch. "What...what do you mean?"

Rydia swallowed again, and more blood dribbed from her mouth. "When the last blast hit...it threw us all back...but it threw me on something. You can't see it...but there's a three-inch long rock spike stuck in my spine..."

Bahamut's heart went cold. His stomach began to turn as he stared at her, realizing his worst fears were correct.

"...My back is broken..." Rydia wistfully continued. Her voice and face had a dreamlike quality...like she was already half gone. "I can't feel anything below my shoulders already...but I can tell I'm still bleeding. I'm amazed...that I've lasted this long..."

Bahamut felt his breath catch. In the end, it was for nothing. His Summoner was still dying. Once she was dead, he would die too. And when that was done, the rest of her friends would be left to die as well. He had beaten Wyvern, but not before the red esper had managed to defeat them all as well. Now, they only had to sit here and wait for death. Once Rydia died, the rest of them would be doomed. Fear grasped him, as well as disappointment. He couldn't save them after all. They were still going to die. And he'd never see the Blue Planet again.

However, as Bahamut began to despair, Rydia slowly managed to slide one arm off of her torso, and let it fall to her side.

"Bahamut...take my hand..."

Bahamut was turned out of his thoughts, and looked to her again. "What?"

"There's only...one way to save you..." She slowly responded. "My mother...my real mother...did this to the Mist Dragon. They were both going to die...but she broke the link between them. She gave her back her spirit along with her own. The Mist Dragon recovered...and was able to go back to your world."

The great esper looked at her at that in astonishment. "But...that had to have killed your mother. If one takes the link back while the summon is present...then the other perishes. That means..."

"I'm already dead, Bahamut..." Rydia slowly responded. "One of us should live. You don't have to die with me... Your brother is gone...so you can go back to the Blue Planet. You can be the King of All Espers again..."

Bahamut paused in response to this. Inside, a part of his heart was happy. He could live. What more, his broken body would recover, and he could go back to his home and live in peace again. He need not fear any new threat in the future. And yet...most of his heart told him not to. Despite Rydia already being as good as dead, she would die instantly if she did this. And he didn't want to take that from her. He had been about to kill her as it was...and he still felt guilty about that. He couldn't really take her life. In the end, he would feel as if he was the one who truly killed them and not Wyvern. And the guilt would be on his conscience forever. He swallowed and paused again. Then, he shook his head.

"...I have no need for that." He went on. "My people are at peace now. With Wyvern gone, there's no need for me even to be there. Besides...I allowed this danger to happen by my negligence in the first place."

"Don't be stupid, Bahamut..." Rydia croaked in reply, looking to be more in pain. "I...haven't got long. I can't argue... Just, take it... It's better that one of us lives in the end..."

Bahamut again heard the voice inside him to take it. She was right. Why shouldn't one of them live? What was the sense in both of them dying? It was a tempting offer. Sure, he was guilty, but in truth he had tried to do the right thing. He had tried to help in the end. He had done everything possible to try and save them. And he had failed, but he had saved many more lives. True, they still had to go on to Zemes, but it was unlikely that they would succeed in that anyway. FuSoYa and Golbez would be enough in the end.

And yet, despite all this...Bahamut felt himself thinking strange thoughts.

_My age is over, and I know it. That went out with the Age of Chaos. I have been king, but what have I done? There hasn't been much to do in the end, save flex my own power and wait for trouble to come. Leviathan is indeed wise and good. I've been alive for thousands of years, and what have I to show for it? I don't have any friends. Most of my life I was waiting for Wyvern...and now that time has come to an end. I wanted to make sure the Planet was safe and that humans would develop right. And now, they can take care of themselves and defend the Planet themselves. We are continuing to diminish. We are fading. If even Leviathan and Odin can be beaten, then there is no need for us any longer. Even I fell to humans. One by one my family members have gone. Now, I have only three left. And though I am ageless...I feel old. Years of fighting and time has worn me out. My emotions have been deadened. I do not have the spirit I once had in my youth in Ultima Nexus...and I have not felt that happy since the day I left it. My heart is full of cares and troubles now, and I can feel it wearing me down. _

_I want to feel young again. I want to see my sister again. I want to see Palad again. I want to have that feeling of peace again that I once had, and not be in fear of my life anymore. I'd like to be with mother again...and hear her talking to me all the time. I want to turn back time and be just a small boy again, where everything felt safe and fresh and new. I want to see a spring again for the first time, so that it feels wonderful and not empty. There grows a time when being immortal no longer has its appeal. There comes a time when one wishes to die and pass on as all things do. To allow things to fall on one's legacy, and then be at peace at long last._

_I may never get another chance._

Bahamut slowly thought these things over. And when he did, he reached a decision. He nodded his head, and then looked up to Rydia. Her life hung by a thread now. It was almost gone, and she had little time left. And so, the esper summoned his power again. Slowly, his body began to rise, and then drifted over to her. He positioned himself so that his broken arm would land over hers, and slowly he lowered until they were touching. Once he set down, his fingers grabbed hers. Rydia turned and looked to him, and she inhaled one last breath. That was all the energy she needed to make the transfer...

But before she could do anything, Bahamut gave a yell as he hoisted his broken arm up. It was painful and terrible, but Rydia was light compared to his power and managed to rip her off of her rock spine. Her body went flying forth, and her last breath was instead used to give a cry of agony as the rest of her life fled her body, and death began to settle on top of her. But as the Summoner was thrown forward face down against the ground...she realized she could still feel it. What more, her head was clearing. She felt deep pain in her back...but it was of a new kind. It felt as if the bones and organs were moving around. Her arms and legs hurt too as she felt the bones shift inside. Her awareness increased, and she felt her strength return. As her face regained enough power, she opened it in shock. She realized what was happening, and she turned to Bahamut in shock. She struggled to stop it then, break her arm free. But Bahamut's grip was like iron. He wouldn't let it end until it was finished. Besides, she was still too weak and in pain. She could do nothing but stare at him as her legs and arms reconnected. Her cuts healed up on her body. Her crumpled spine straightened and smoothed out, and flesh and skin grew over it. Blood began to rush back through her system, and she felt life strongly within her again. As her strength returned, she looked into the face of the great esper next to her...and saw him softly smiling at her...his own eyes growing faraway and distant, as her's were a second earlier.

"No! Don't!" She cried back, her voice already strong and loud again.

But it was too late. The transfer was complete, and Bahamut's added spirit had regenerated her body. She was at last able to break free from his hand...for it went limp and released. Quickly, the Summoner jumped to her feet. She dashed over to Bahamut's face and bent down next to him. Her eyes began to fill with tears. Her face was stricken with sadness. She grasped his head, still softly smiling and still fading.

"No, no!" She cried out. "You're the king of the espers! You should have lived! It should have been you!"

Bahamut merely smiled back. A great peace came over him. To his surprise, it was very pleasant. He felt very contented. This wasn't bad at all. Not rough or horrible in the least. It felt like he was going to sleep after being awake for thousands of years...and that he was going to enjoy it. He merely closed his eyes to her as he felt it fading, and spoke to her one last time.

"May you and your kind guard the Planet well in this age...as I and my kind did in the last..."

Then Bahamut's heart beat its last...and Rydia's presence vanished as his life left his body.

The great king of the espers...was dead.

* * *

Rydia's group wasn't able to get together for hours. At first, the Summoner was unable to do anything but mourn the loss of the esper king, a king that she had learned to respect as Leviathan did while in Terratopolis, and now again after he had given up his life so that she could live. She was unable to bury the esper, but she soon found herself not needing to. Until that day, she had never seen an esper die. But when he did, she saw that his body faded away and withered, leaving only a strange crystal behind. Rydia didn't know what this meant...but she could almost sense Bahamut's life inside that crystal. She set it up as a memento, therefore, and then quickly ran back to the campsite. She only picked up five of the Phoenix's Downs. She revived her four friends with them, after which Rosa was able to bring her magical powers to bear to heal their grievous injuries. She was able to make them all capable of walking again, although they all needed to rest before she could heal the rest of them. All save Rydia, that was. She tried to use the last of the Downs of Phoenix on Bahamut's crystal piece, but it was useless. The down could bring back a person from the edge of death, but the power to actually bring a person back from death was lost with Phoenix ages ago.

Once all had recovered, Rydia informed them of how Bahamut had managed to destroy the terrible foe that they confronted, and how he had given up his life so that Rydia wouldn't die as her mother had. Despite her attempts to resist it, his will had been too strong, and he overrode her power to force her to take her spirit back. Rydia related Bahamut's last words, and was sad to feel that she was alive only at the expense of the greatest esper ever. However, Rosa comforted her, saying that he had faith in them and their mission, and he wanted her to be alive for it and to save the world in the future. Rydia took a bit of heart at this, and all of them shared a period of mourning. There was nothing to bury, so the stone was left standing up. Rydia suggested using Ragnarok as a monument, but Cecil refused. It was better for them to have it, he decided, and use it against the foes in the cave. The Summoner at length agreed that Bahamut would have wanted it that way. So they took the sword, bid farewell one last time, and then turned and left back to their own campground. They were too tired to descend any further that day, and they needed to rest. Rydia wished that there had been something left behind to present to Leviathan if they returned...but she wouldn't take the only thing that was left for a grave marker, and so she left it. The next day, the five continued their journey to the heart of the moon, now bearing a great new power. The stone was left to shimmer softly in the silence of the lunar cave.

And for three days...it did just that.

...Until a few hours into the fourth day.

At that time, a rasping was heard. A cluttering of stone rolled against the ground, and debris and rocks fell. If someone had been there, they would have heard it slowly grow louder and louder as time went by. The gasping turned to a wheezing, but still it went on. At long last...a trembling, blackened claw slowly raised itself over the edge of this cliff, and with all the strength that was left slowly pulled the body of the creature over the top of it. It plopped on the ground and panted. The form was almost indistinguishable, but to anyone who had seen the last fight it was obvious.

Wyvern was still alive.

One arm was withered and useless. Blood had long since ceased to flow through it. Most of his scales were gone. One wing was burned almost to pitch. Worst of all, however, was that a part of his scalp and skull was missing in front, and his eyes were nearly burned away. Each of these injuries were so horrible that even his regeneration wouldn't heal them. They would have meant death to a lesser esper. But his power was too great...his will to live and continue too strong. And somehow, impossibly, he drug his body forward. For three days he climbed out of the pit he had fallen into, and now at last he was over the edge.

The creature panted for a long time against the ground. But finally, it had its breath. Its energy, even now, was recovering. But it was practically helpless. Any of the humans could have finished it now, as could any of the creatures in the cave. Yet miraculously he was still alive...and he intended to stay that way. And so, it stretched out another claw and drug itself forward. Somehow it would escape. Somehow it would survive. Somehow it would recover. And then...it would have its revenge. It would grow stronger yet. It would become even better than before. The day would come when it would finally destroy Bahamut once and for all...

But then, the red esper hesitated. He could see only through his mind's eye now, but he saw something up ahead. It looked like...Bahamut. But it was strange. It seemed both weaker and stronger than him at the same time. It seemed almost like...his spirit distilled, collected into one point. And it was too small to be his body. His scent was gone too. Wyvern was puzzled by this. He more eagerly dragged himself forward, to this strange feeling. It took him some time, mostly having to drag his body over his own handiwork. But in the end, he made it to the source. He felt Bahamut strongly in it...and yet he didn't know what to make of him. He wasn't scared of this one. It seemed so small...and yet so focused. Was this his body? Was he comatose or dying? That didn't make sense. He smelled the blood of the five, but they were not here. That meant they must have gotten up and left. They, evidentally, had survived as well. But where was Bahamut then? He slowly reached out and felt for the source, seeing what it might mean.

When he touched it, his hand rubbed against smooth crystal. But it was warm, and it tingled within. He actually shrank back a moment in surprise, before putting it back and feeling it again. Again it tingled, but a pleasant sensation traveled through his body. His injuries felt soothed, and he felt his energy recover slightly. He smiled a bit and relished this pleasant feeling, for it was a blessing to his ruined body. He wasn't sure how long he enjoyed the feeling...before he suddenly snapped out of it. Giving a small grunt, he pulled his hand away from the source. He didn't want to be lost in some daydream. He wanted to know what that was. But even as he lay there...it began to come to mind. He had only seen one other piece of this in his entire lifetime...but he remembered it well. It felt much as this had, only he remembered sensing a different kind of power and spirit in it. It had been that of his dead sister, Phoenix. And at once...his memory registered.

_I've seen this. This is...magicite._

_But it only shows up when an esper dies..._

_That must mean..._

_...Yes..._

Despite his anguish and his fury at the beating he received...Wyvern began to feel happier than he had ever been in his life. His body was broken, deformed, and ruined...but it lived. And Bahamut's did not. Here, before him, was the proof. The last of that battle must have sapped him of the last of his energy. He had died afterward.

That meant...he had won.

He had succeeded for real this time. He really was the strongest now. He really was the King of All Espers. Bahamut...his traitorous brother...his eternal foe...the one who had given him so much pain and anguish...he was gone! Now he was the strongest esper in the world! He was the strongest being in the world! Nothing could contest him now! Nothing could stand against him! He was the king at long last! And Bahamut at long last lay broken and dead!

Wyvern couldn't hold back anymore. He pushed himself and rolled onto his back, and laughed loud and long. He didn't care that it tore open burns in his throat. He didn't care that he felt his lungs pierce. He let his laughter sound throughout the entire Lunar Cave, for he had never felt like laughing so much. It was done! Done! He was the master! He was the ultimate! At once, he made a vow to himself. He didn't care how long it took...how much pain it put him in...or how many he had to kill. He would get out of this cave. He would get back to the Blue Planet. And once he was there, he would finally be king, and the undisputed master of the world. He hadn't passed through death twice now and spend thousands of years preparing to let his body and a moon slow him down. He would live. He would succeed. And when all was said and done, he would rule at last and make all bow down to his limitless power. Nothing was going to stand in his way anymore.

Eager and quivering with glee, Wyvern threw himself back over, took up the magicite shard, and put it in the crook of his withered arm. Then, with renewed vigor, he began to drag himself back out. He wouldn't stop until he was back home.

_At long last...I will take my rightful spot in the world...

* * *

_

To be continued...


	9. Old Enemies

_28 Days Later_

It was a time of great rejoicing for all of the world.

The heroes had returned victorious.

Cecil and his friends made it all the way to the heart of the moon, just in time to see FuSoYa and Golbez destroy Zemes. However, as Bahamut had feared, the evil within the man was too strong, and it actually took physical form as a hideous monstrosity of pure hate and evil. This form easily beat FuSoYa and Golbez, because the dark knight had no power over true evil. Only a hand of a Paladin could be risen against this creature, and that was exactly what Cecil did as he came up against the demon. He was able to focus his purity to reveal the true form of the horror, and then he and his friends attacked it mercilessly. None truly know how long they battled against the evil known as Zeromus, and just as no one would ever know how epic the fight against Chaos had been, the same was for this entity. According to Bahamut's estimates, Cecil and his company should have been annihilated. But by some act of fate, grace, or mercy...somehow the spirits of all those on Earth who still struggled for peace and justice were enfused into the five. That, combined with the powers they had gained battling through the moon, plus the weapons Ragnarok and Masamune, the creature of chaos was destroyed. With that, FuSoYa and Golbez agreed to leave the Blue Planet on the moon, holding true to the Lunarian's promise. They would return only when the people of Gaia were ready.

Now the broken world was settling down and being reborn anew. The group had managed to use a spell to exit the moon, and then rode the Big Whale back to the Blue Planet, where it was again sealed away...this time likely forever. The Crystals were recovered from the Tower of Bab-Il and restored to their proper places. The Tower itself was demolished via a remote detonation from space. The moon began to make its preparations to leave orbit and hurtle itself into the void of space for the next few thousand years. As for everyone else, they began to break up and return to their respective kingdoms. Edge was named as the new king of his realm of Elban. Kain the dragoon retreated to do penance for the evil in his own heart. Cecil and Rosa returned to Baron, where as they struggled to organize the people to rebuild their kingdom and wash away the filth of the fiends, they struggled to stave off a universal call for Cecil to be crowned king. Cecil held off for a long time, and eventually he managed to silence talk of it until the kingdom was stable. But already, as the only man of authority in Baron, he acted as Steward of the kingdom, and soon he would officially become its King. He was nervous about this, but he received encouragement from the world over. Indeed, even in the halls of Terratopolis, Odin could think of no greater man to end his thousand-year legacy and to lead the humans through the current age than Cecil. He had raised the youth as his son, and not even Palad had ever drawn so much affection and confidence from the esper. Lastly, Rydia returned to her own home in Terratopolis, to be with the only ones she truly considered her family.

As matters among espers also settled down, King Leviathan and Queen Starlet were overjoyed to see their foster child return. They welcomed her with such open arms and affection, and her return caused such a great celebration throughout the realm, that Rydia felt too fearful to tell them the news of what had become of Bahamut right away. Indeed, not since Palad had a human been met with such affection by all espers. Leviathan and Starlet both felt young again to see her face there, and despite her being human both wished that she would stay there forever to make their world brighter with her presence. All of the other espers loved her as well. Though some had been angry when she had brought her four friends with her to that world, many more had begged her with tears in their eyes not to leave again. She was truly a human after their own hearts, one that regarded them all as if they were equals, not inhuman beasts to be feared nor mythical gods to be revered.

Leviathan and Starlet both thought these things with tenderness in their heart as they saw Rydia out on the upper courtyard. This was the same grounds that had once been exposed underneath a natural sun, but were now enclosed and shone on by an artificial one. It did the job well, and no new person could arrive and notice that it wasn't the real thing. None of the younger espers seemed to realize that either. The celebration was still going on in the world. Much of the interior was still decorated and bright, and many espers were still running around playing. It was a great sight for all to see, and the King and Queen were pleased to see it. But their gazes remained on Rydia as she played down below on the grass. She was getting too old to be playing games, but she didn't mind running around a bit still. Right now, she was dashing around with Unicorn, showing her some of the new powers that she had obtained. Although the esper had never become one of her summons, she nevertheless was one of Rydia's best friends. She had lived with her in their own house in Terratopolis. Leviathan believed that was part of the reason she had healed so quickly from their own battle. But right now, he sensed her new strength, and there was little doubt that she was the greatest black wizard on the face of the Planet now. She made him proud, like a father is proud when he looks on a child succeeding at a task, knowing that he was the one who started the child on the path and taught him or her the basics.

And yet, in the end, he sighed. "...If only she wouldn't take a shine to that damn fool of a ninja..."

Starlet raised an eyebrow at this, and turned to him. "...So, you see it as well?"

"Of course I see it!" Leviathan responded quickly. "How could I not?"

"Perhaps because she is always yelling at him, smacking him, and calls him a name at every opportunity." Starlet simply answered. "Now, we women can see through that easily enough, but for all your wisdom, Leviathan, you're still clueless as ever when it comes to young women."

Leviathan blushed at this. However, he merely straightened up and spoke back. "Well, I've looked at her thoughts, and she daydreams about him a lot-"

Leviathan was cut off by a smack from his wife. He winced and turned and looked innocently at her, while she glared daggers back at him. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Shame on you!" Starlet immediately scolded. "Didn't I tell you not to go reading people's minds? Especially Rydia's mind? I have half a mind myself to tell her that..."

Leviathan paled and swallowed. He shook his head earnestly. "Oh, please don't! It was a careless mistake!"

Starlet frowned and crossed her arms. "I'll just bet..." She grumbled in reply. She turned and looked back out to Rydia after that. A few moments went by in silence, but the two of them seemed to calm down a little. Levaithan, sweating a little, turned his head back to Rydia. He frowned again and shook his head at her when he did.

"I don't see why she just can't find a nice quiet boy..." He went on. "Smart...pleasant...funny...real down to earth but decent..."

"You mean someone like you?" Starlet suddenly threw out. "Someone boring? Shy? An incorrigible bookworm? A stick in the mud at parties?"

Leviathan heard this, and his face turned into a hurt expression. He cringed a little bit and began to look rather pitiful and pathetic. However, he only moped a moment before he heard a small laugh from his left, and then Starlet leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"...And that's why I married you." She reassured. "And I love it when you make that sad little puppy dog face you're making right now."

Leviathan brightened up at this, and returned her look with a smile. The two of them were silent for a few moments longer, and went back to their old positions. But after a moment Starlet looked back to her husband. "So? Have we decided to accept the future king's invitation?"

The sea serpent frowned in response. "What for? Only five people there will recognize us for who we truly are. And if we tell them who, most will run in panic while the others will think we're mad."

Starlet shrugged. "I still felt Rydia could use an escort. Besides, we haven't been to any human parties for some time. And we did help, if you don't remember. I, for one, will never forget emerging from that portal and seeing that abomination before me."

Leviathan shuddered a bit at the memory of it as well. After a few moments, however, he shrugged. "Well, we'll see." He finally stated. "I've been feeling a bit uneasy lately. I think something might be coming soon that demands my attention here..."

* * *

It had taken nearly at thousand years...but at last they were ready.

By now, the last of their race had died. Only their caretaker and guardian was left. He continued their genomic research...still intent on finding a perfect combination of DNA that would allow for an optimal organism. But that didn't matter. That was only a matter of time. However...the time to set the rest of their plans into motion was nigh. Their world was at a content point, yet reeling from a world war. The Lunarian race had ceased all outward scanning, and would soon be departing. Now was the time for them to make their move against Gaia.

To that note, against the backdrop of the pale blue orb that was Gaia, or the Blue Planet, in the universe, a small object began to slowly draw forth from the depths of space. It too was blue, but a much darker and steely color. It had a strange shape to it. It was almost like a great cetacean being as well, much as the Big Whale had been. But it was crafted differently, made to look more smooth in the body but with sharper fins. There was no doubt it was a later model. However, the most distinctive thing about the ship was not its shape...but what was underneath it. A great burning red lens made up the underside of the ship. It was surrounded by descending rings and adjustment lenses that together made the bottom of the ship appear to be a great eye wreathed in flame. The ship appeared to be something great and terrible indeed. However, the ship itself was just as ship, and despite the apppearance it was capable of being used for good or ill without any preference for either.

It was the man who commanded it who truly had the black heart.

A great dark shape stood on the bow and gazed out coldly through the abyss of space to look on the Blue Planet, much as a bird of prey does when it has its eye on a target it intends to rend and devour. With his race dead, his sole obsession now was to carry out the eradication of all life on the world, and to bring it to the power of Terra. A thousand years ago, his research and methods had been thwarted and frustrated. But since then, he had made adjustments. He had taken new things into consideration. He had drawn far greater and more complete plans against that world. And now, at this time, he was at last ready to enact them.

He had aged considerably. His hair was turning gray now, and his beard was longer and thicker. He had lost the helmet entirely. But he still wore the black armor. It was now mechanically enhanced, feeding greater power into him through the great burning red jewel in front of it. It kept him alive and gave him unnaturally long life, in addition to his genetic makeup. Since the day he had left, he had pondered the power of the espers. His mind had not forgotten the strength and appearance of Bahamut the day he looked into his eyes. Now that he had returned, it was clear to him now that they had to be done away with. And this time...he knew exactly how to make it happen.

However, on coming back, there was something unexpected. Apparently, a new subspecies of human had arisen, the Summoners. They had the power to bend the espers to their will.The manrealized that, and was intrigued by it. He reminded himself to get a DNA sample, planning to incorporate it into a latest design. But now, he had a greater fear to worry about. So long as there were Summoners, they could yoke the strength of the espers and use them against him and his devices. Naturally, that meant only one possible choice. The Summoners must be destroyed.

Luckily, he had been watching the Blue Planet for some time. And he was able to see that the Summoners had recently suffered a bottleneck. Now, only one of them was left. Her death would mean the Summoners' extinction. Then he could continue unhindered.

Although he couldn't target her directly without exposing himself,he knew where she was right now. The lens on his ship allowed him to see all that he focused on, and he had not looked away from her since she left the Lunarian moon. She was in the esper's home right now, playing in its courtyard. And that afforded the perfect opportunity. One blast would be all that it took to shatter the crown of the mountain, and the resulting cave in would destroy her along with a few other meddlesome espers. And so, that became the first objective on this particular mission. Eradicate the Summoners first...

...And then begin Phase I of the Lifestream Replacement Plan.

* * *

_No one even goes there anymore..._

Ramuh thought this to himself as he walked down the hallways. A few lesser espers walked with him. As a resident constable and emergency contact, the lightning esper was responsible for maintaining order in some wings of Terratopolis. He didn't mind. It was a mostly do-nothing job. And because of that, he had a lot of time to research and develop his experiments and devices. However, it appeared that on this rare occasion he might actually have to do something.

An esper had reported to him that someone was banging on the original exit of the mountain. It had been sealed up years ago. There were larger entrances now on the overworld. However, this indicated that someone was trying to get in. No one knew what to make of this. Was it invaders? Was it mining humans? Was it a lost esper? At any rate, it was only a low-level alert. That was why only espers like Ramuh were called to respond. And now, he followed the other espers through the winding channels of the mountain cave and made their way to the exit.

"Do you sense anything?"

"No sir. But the mountain was reinforced to block smaller probes. Only one of the higher espers could see through."

"Any reports of any activity there today?"

"None."

Ramuh nodded to this, and continued onward. This was very peculiar. It intrigued him slightly to wonder who could be using it.

At last, however, he and his retinue arrived at the exit. It wasn't much. It was in a rougher area of the mountain, one that had never been touched up. A great block of stone essentially blocked a great tunnel, and that was it. Few espers even came down to this place anymore. Even the children thought it was boring and avoided it. In fact, save for the occasional security guard, no one ever came this way. But a guard had come earlier that day, and had noticed a slow, rhythmic knocking against the stone. It sounded tired and labored, but it continued to go without end as time went on. As Ramuh approached the great stone entrance, and other espers began to light torches and illuminate the area, Ramuh heard it for himself. It was slow and repetitive...but he instantly realized it was far too disjointed to be from a mechanical source. There were slight variations in tempo and power. He knew at once that it was a living thing. What, exactly, he could not tell. Even his power was too weak to scan through this. However, he could pick up a slight image as he stared on at the rock.

The other espers turned to him, awaiting a response. His deputy, a great wolf esper named Fenrir, inquired from him. "Well, so you see anything sir?"

"I can only see a shade of a living power." Ramuh slowly responded, as he squinted and stared at the stone, seeming to look through it. "Or two. I'm not sure if I'm right in seeing two separate powers... At any rate, they lack the violence of planned aggression. That would show up real nice."

"So shall we open it?" One of the espers spoke near the stone blockade.

Ramuh gave a nod and gestured to them in response.

In reply, two espers moved to either side of the great stone. They looked to each other as they did so, making sure that their moves were matching up. But then, they turned, and as one placed their opposite hands against a certain part of the great rock. However, no sooner had they done so than a light burst forth from the stone. A strange glowing glyphgleamed a soft light around their hands. It seemed to actually rise off of the stone for a moment as they held their hands there. But just as quickly, it faded back into the rock and vanished. At that, the whole stone began to creak and groan and shudder. The two gatekeeper espers stepped back and looked up to it, as did the others. Slowly, the rock in front of them began to fracture in two, right down the middle. But as it did, the rock began to shimmer. A light appeared to be glowing within both halves and all around it. It quickly went from a soft shine to a much stronger glow, and it only grew brighter and brighter afterward. The espers winced after a moment as the light turned to a glare, and became blinding for a short moment... But then, just as it did so, it toned back down and faded. And when it did, it took the rock with it. All that was left in its wake was a great tunnel and cave opening. Outside, a rocky mountain face stretched down to the ground, and a cool breeze wafted into the chamber.

Ramuh immediately drew himself up and began to walk outside. The other espers fell in behind quickly. But he had barely set foot out into the area where the rock had been when he sensed something...something great, powerful...and very familiar. It was odd, however. The presence wasn't as pure as it had once been. It felt corrupted...more passionate...darker. It made the normally warm and familiar presence turn bitter to the sensation. To Ramuh...it almost felt as if he was sensing two spirits, and not just one. However, for one reason or another, namely that he didn't realize the properties of magicite (as none but the original espers did), he didn't act upon it. Rather, he, like so many others, would soon succumb to a great illusion that would jeopardize the future of their entire race. For now, they saw none of this. Only the familiar and somewhat comforting presence, a feeling they had not felt in forty years, and had endured no peace since that had happened...

The feeling only grew stronger as Ramuh emerged past the mouth of the cave and into the sunlight. Even as he did, his eyes looked down just a little bit in front of him at his feet. The other espers soon fell in behind him, and they stared as well. Their eyes opened wide. Their mouths dropped with horror. Their stomachs turned at such a grotesque and mutilated sight. But over it all, they felt their hearts begin to rush as they saw who it was, and who it had to be...

Bahamut had returned.

He could barely move. One of his arms was withered to a cinder, yet still clutched some strange crystal in its crook. Another wing was useless and tattered. Many of his scales were gone, and his body was covered with horrible burns and damage. Worst of all was his head. To the disgust of all present, his crest and bone were cracked and damaged, and right down to the brains could be seen in the creature. Half of both eyes had been burned away, and he had to be almost blind. He looked like a half-rotten corpse...and smelled like one as well. His energy looked like it had been totally burned out returning here. Most of all, however, Ramuh noticed that his blue scales had been so burned and affected by, no doubt, reentry into the Planet's atmosphere that they had been stained blood red. Yet despite all of damage, he was still alive. Their king had returned at last. And that could only mean one thing...he was victorious in the end. The foe of the espers had been destroyed. And now, the king had come back to them, and would not be leaving again. It would be a time of celebration and great joy...if it wasn't for the fact that he was so horribly injured.

Ramuh stared in utter shock for a few moments. He couldn't believe it. His mind began to do loops in his head. How? Why? What had happened to his master? How was he still alive? And where had he come from so late? His mind filled with a million questions and fears. But then, his authority persona took control. He realized that if their master was going to live, he needed assistance quickly. In a flash, he turned to Fenrir. The wolf esper was still transfixed on the fallen esper. But he snapped him out of it with a sharp order.

"Bring a stretcher and every healing esper you can find. We must get him to the infirmary."

* * *

"So how did you do it anyway?"

Rydia turned in response to that. "What?"

"You know, killed Zeromus." Unicorn answered, prancing up to her and looking enthusiastic.

Rydia smiled and snickered a little at that. "Well...it really wasn't just me. It was my friends as well."

Unicorn leaned in closer in response. "Did you really learn Meteor?"

Rydia blushed a little at this. That was a real accomplishment. She raised her hand to her head and scratched slightly. "Well...it took me a lot of work. And it nearly drained me. If I was any older, I probably wouldn't have the vitality to cast it. And it took me a long time..."

The girl suddenly trailed off, however, and her blush turned to a sudden look of stunned surprise.

At that moment, the area was beginning to rumble and shake.

Unicorn looked at her a moment longer, but then saw what was going on. She began to look around as well. The other young espers who were outside likewise paused and began to examine the area. Lastly, Leviathan and Starlet stopped their own train of thought as they stood on the balcony around the rim. The rumbling, however, only continued to build up. It began to become tremors...and then a quake. Dust began to rain from the ceiling, and the area began to grow violent. At this, the young espers began to cry out, and ran out from the area. Unicorn began to prance about nervously. Rydia struggled to keep her balance, and looked up to the ceiling. Leviathan and Starlet followed soon after. As they looked up there, and more dust and now small rocks begin to fall down to the ground below. Most importantly, however, they saw that a great fracture was beginning to grow in the ceiling...and it was getting bigger.

Rydia's eyes instantly shot open, and her face turned white. Unicorn began to panic and sweat. The younger espers screamed as they cleared the floor. Leviathan reached out for his wife and immediately pushed her back into the opening. Finally, the Summoner turned and began to run for it as well, going back to the nearest opening. Unicorn quickly pitched around and followed. The ceiling continued to crack, and started to buckle under the strain. But nobody cared what the cause was. The only thing they cared about was getting out of there before it fell. Fear replaced their shock that this was actually happening, and they struggled to run. Leviathan began to pull into shelter as well after putting Starlet back, but then he realized people were still out. He ducked his head back out of the opening and looked down. By now, the young espers were safe...but Rydia and Unicorn were still struggling to escape. And just at that moment, the ceiling finally gave way. With a great rumbling crack sound, pillars of rock began to bend inward, and huge boulders began to rain down from the sky.

The esper king looked down to the floor in fear, and yelled out over the growing noise. "Rydia!"

But the Summoner was already out of his line of sight, and it was too late. The rest of the ceiling collapsed inward. And in a flash, a rain of stones and debris poured down into the mountain. Some of the pieces rolled down the side of the mountain, and some of the edges remained intact, but the rest of the rocks fell like an earth waterfall into the cave. A huge rush of stone, like a great wave or washout, fell down into the opening. Leviathan saw the huge pieces coming down for a moment, but then could bear it no longer. Clenching his teeth, he pulled back and away from it. Moments later, the rush of stone came past and struck the ground, smashing into bits and covering the area with huge debris. All of the trees were shattered, and the grass was covered with dirt and grime. A massive cloud of dust rose up in the wake of the disaster, and swarmed over the area. Soon, everything was enveloped in the rock, and a massive cloud of dust rose up from the newly-reopened crater.

For a moment, no one dared move. They all held back and waited to see if it was all over. But as they did, their bodies began to calm and their anxiety faded. Instead, bewilderment and astonishment replaced it. What in the world had that been? What had caused the ceiling to collapse? Not only had all of their architects made sure it was stable, but it had been reinforced with spells and charms. An earthquake shouldn't have made it fall, let alone that tremor from a few moments ago. They didn't know what to make of any of this. But when the shock began to fade as well, they were able to finally turn and survey the damage.

The courtyard was covered with large stone now. Many of the entrances that the espers had fled through were now blocked with huge boulders. About the only areas that were clear were the ones that had been under balconies built into the sides of the mountain rim. That was due simply to the fact that the huge rock pieces had fallen on them instead of below. Everywhere was fractured and chaotic, and dust slowly settled on everything. It was a mess. Within a few seconds, the interior of the esper's home was turned into a barren waste. All that could be seen was one broken rock after another as far as anyone could tell. Unfortunately, because of the dust...no one could tell that some of the rocks were still sizzling and smoldering, as if something had burned or blasted them. But that wasn't primary on anyone's mind either. The first and foremost thought was if anyone hadn't escaped.

Leviathan, on his part, felt his path blocked by a boulder. But it was a simple matter of him punching the stone to make it instantly shatter into fragments, and the way was clear. Immediately, the Master of the Seas walked out, followed closely behind by Starlet. He felt anxious. He had seen that all of the espers had gotten out of the way...but Rydia and Unicorn had still been down there. They could be in trouble still...or worse. Quickly, Leviathan walked over to the railing. Starlet followed close behind, and put her head over the railing as well. Both of them looked down and desperately scanned the area.

"Rydia! Rydia!" Starlet cried.

"Unicorn! Can you hear us?" Leviathan shouted.

There was a brief pause from below. Only the settling rocks and a few murmuring espers rang out. For a brief moment, they both feared the worst, and a cold wave gripped their hearts. But then, they heard a voice.

"We're down here!"

Leviathan and Starlet both perked up at that, and immediately turned their heads to the source. They looked over the rocks and debris for a few moments, until they came to the edge of the rim. There, just shy of one of the openings, were the two friends. Unicorn looked a little dirty, but was prancing around and undamaged. As for Rydia, she was conscious and moving...but they saw that a large boulder had fallen on one of her legs and one of her arms. They hated to imagine what kind of pain that had put her in. But somehow, she was enduring it.

The two wasted no time. Immediately, both jumped over the edge and sailed to the ground. Doing so was nothing for espers of their power. They landed quickly, and rushed over to the fallen Rydia. Leviathan went to work and immediately punched away both boulders, as if they were made of balsa wood and hollow. That gave them both a better idea of the damage. Rydia gave a cry as the boulders rolled off, and winced and clenched her teeth. However, Starlet was already scanning her. He could tell she was in terrible pain...but she was very calm. She wasn't in danger of going into shock right now. But her right arm and left leg were totally crushed. They were nothing more than bloody pieces of flesh now. That would have been enough for anyone to pass out. Yet somehow she endured it. Starlet gaped in fear for a moment. Unicorn began to whinny in a whine and stared at her in terror. Even Leviathan was taken aback. Immediately, the queen lowered to the ground, and gently began to scoop up Rydia in her arms. Though they looked small and petite, the esper easily had power beyond most creatures in them, and lifting her would be no problem. "You poor thing..." She slowly murmured.

Rydia, however, managed a smile despite the pain as Starlet raised her up. "Believe it or not...I've had a lot worse."

Starlet frowned disapprovingly at that. She could be very matriarchal at times. However, in the end, she merely smiled and shook her head. She was alive, and her body would be remedied easily enough by the espers there. Soon after, she focused, and began to chant over Rydia's body. Slowly, small, gentle, light sparkles began to descend over her a moment later. The summoner looked forward a moment longer, but then her pupils seemed to dialate and become large and blank, and with one sigh she closed her eyes and fell asleep. After that was done, Starlet turned to Leviathan with a frown.

"Worse?" She asked in fear.

Leviathan looked back at her for a moment, but then simply shrugged. "Well...she's been through a lot. You did a number on her yourself."

Starlet began to pout at that. "That is most certainly not true. They never would have won if I would have used my dispel technique to remove their reflection spell..."

Leviathan raised an eyebrow at that. "So you _let_ them win?" He asked incredulously. With a smile, he shook his head. "I thought a lot of your reflected healing magic just 'happened' to hit Rydia. And don't think I didn't hear you yelling at me mentally to cut them some slack with my Tsunami."

Starlet merely frowned. "You men are far too brutal anyway. This doesn't matter right now. We need to take her to the infirmary so that I can start putting her limbs back together. And _you_ need to find out why this roof just collapsed. I've half a mind to forbid you from rebuilding it."

Unicorn perked up her head at this. "Er...begging your pardon, your majesties...but do you mind if I come along?"

Starlet was snapped out of her tirade at this, and turned to Unicorn. Soon after, she smiled. "Of course, my child. I'll probably be needing your help anyway."

"Lord Leviathan! We... What in blazes happened here!"

The group turned at this, hearing a new voice coming up from behind them. As they did, they saw that a single lone esper was coming up the hall. Leviathan recognized it immediately to be Fenrir. However, she looked rather insistent and enthusiastic. She had been that way before she had even come here. Apparently, something else had been on her mind. But now that she was here, her errand seemed to be forgotten. She merely gaped at the devastation and destruction in front of her as she closed the distance. Her steps slowed, and in the end she could only slowly plod forward.

Leviathan frowned, and looked behind him with a gesture. "Oh, I'm not really sure, Fenrir...but I intend to find out. The ceiling seemed to collapse inward. I think everyone else is alright. But right now, we need to get Rydia to the medical wing and survey to see what caused this disaster."

Fenrir looked out a bit more at this, a bit stunned at the whole sight. She swallowed a bit. "Well...this is unusual..." She uttered aloud at last. "And it's too bad. I was hoping that we could have a celebration here because of the good news, but it looks like we'll have to be cleaning it out for a while."

At that, however, the esper king looked puzzled. "Good news?" He inquired.

Fenrir, at that, seemed to remember something. She quickly turned back to him. "Oh yes, my lord." She smiled soon after. "A very special guest has arrived..."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	10. The Junction

From the moment that Leviathan walked into the chamber and first laid his eyes on the "guest"...his heart froze.

_No..._

It was understandable how the other espers had mistook him. Only he, Starlet, and Odin had seen him in his real form. When he returned to take the kingdom from Bahamut, he had been in human form. Even now, he was barely recognizable. Bahamut had never been a perfect match in appearance with him, but the features on his face that had been different were now broken and burned away, exposing only a massive wound that he could see into, even seeing skull fragments and brains. His scales were blood red...but many of them were twisted and deformed, and it was easy to understand how one would mistake that battle damage and reentry into the Planet's atmosphere had warped them. And now, they were caring for him and attending to him as if he was the true King of All Espers, and not the horrible traitor that had planned such destruction for their people.

_Wyvern..._

The hideous, blasted skull turned to Leviathan as he entered. The burned out mouth smiled slightly. "Ah, there is my faithful regent. Good day, Leviathan." He addressed in a calm and pleasant tone. His speech was damaged and raspy, but even then Leviathan could still hear the vocal difference between him and Bahamut. He sat in a great stone chair that had been padded for patients, and it could raise and lower into a bed if one wished. The rest of the chamber was empty. However, healing espers swarmed him like bees. They brought out crates of herbs and healing remedies, and three of them at once worked their powers on him. They were healing some of his outer body, but for some reason most of him remained deformed. One arm was a twisted cinder, as was one wing. However, he looked far more energized now, and appeared to be feeling good. There was one other unusual thing out of place. There was a table to one side of the room, where Golem, Ramuh, and several espers were milling about with equipment. They appeared to be setting up what looked like a type of foundry, and all the items and appurtances that were required for it.

"I've returned at last." Wyvern continued. "Unfortunately, I did not escape without incident, as you can see."

Ramuh turned at this, and looked to Leviathan. The sea esper was still frozen in shock, and rendered dumb and speechless. This looked like a horrible twisted version of how reality should be. But it played itself out just the same. Ramuh looked rather pleased that Wyvern was here, but he also seemed rather grim at the same time. "Lord Bahamut has suffered grievous injuries in the fight with his brother, and on returning to our Planet. Apparently, there is a strange strain of bacteria on the moon that prevents injuries from healing. It appears to somehow be nullifying our natural spiritual effects. Because of this, we have been unable to heal Lord Bahamut's deformities. But we have another plan that we are going to put into action right away." With that, he turned behind himself to Golem and the foundry. "Using our talents and skill, we can specially make armor plating to replace Lord Bahamut's old plating. We can embue it with magical devices and actually channel his spirit through it. They will operate and look just like natural limbs and scales. It will take time, but we'll get to work on it right away."

Wyvern calmly continued to look at Leviathan, ignoring this. "Why, whatever is the matter, my friend?" He calmly addressed him...as Leviathan saw behind his pleasant exterior into a deep, sinister, and knowing presence underneath. "...You look a little surprised to see me."

The sea serpent didn't speak. He just stared onward blankly. This couldn't be true. If Wyvern had returned...then that meant either he had other intentions that Bahamut hadn't anticipated...or that...

He didn't dare think of the other one. It couldn't be true. But now, he was taking over. He was masquerading as his brother. And the other espers were falling in behind him right away, not suspecting the truth at all. Fear grasped Leviathan's heart, and in his mind he began to panic... He had to get out of here. He had to call Bahamut immediately back to this world. Then, perhaps with the help of him and Odin, they could destroy this monster. He was already weakened and damaged...but then Leviathan began to fear that he was damaged because he had already fought with Bahamut. But Wyvern was still alive. Bahamut would not have let him live so long as he could finish him off. Did that mean...?

Wyvern seemed to pick up on this. Deep within his eyes...a malicious glee burned forth for only Leviathan to see. He smiled a bit more. "...I am proud to say that my traitorous brother is at long last dead. I became the summon of your little girl while on the moon, and she called me up to destroy him. And I have brought proof of that for all of our kind to see. There is only one King of All Espers now."

With that, Leviathan felt hisheart stop and his mind fill with terror.

Wyvern slowly moved his good hand...and exposed a small shard.

_No..._

But even as Leviathan tried to deny it, he sensed it where no one else did. He was there. All of his memories...all of his powers...everything that he had been was concentrated and fixed into one small object. And now...that object rested comfortably in the hands of his murderer. He had seen magicite before. He knew what it truly was. And at that moment, he realized he was seeing nothing left but distilled Bahamut. At that, he felt his will smashed and his soul sank within him. If that was there...then it was all over. The worst outcome was true. Wyvern...had won. He had beaten Bahamut...killed him. There was nothing left to save them now. No one left to defend them. All that was left was Wyvern and his wishes. By that one gesture, Leviathan felt as if the future had been dashed to pieces.

He looked back up to Wyvern, and saw him still frozen with that subtle wicked look. At that, Leviathan's anger spiked. He began to open his mouth...

"However," Wyvern continued, cutting him off and knowing what Leviathan was about to say. "I must say that I do fear that some faithless and wicked members of our race will yet rise up in Wyvern's name to avenge him and strike down their king." He made sure to say this slowly...making sure that Leviathan was getting it. "These traitors will have to be dealt with immediately. We cannot afford any more insurrection in our time. As for these people..." He slowed, and narrowed his gaze. "...If any of them step forward..." He accented. "I will personally deal with them. I greatly value your aid, Leviathan... You are a great asset to me... I would hate it if there was such a man as you...with your power and influence...who might try to start such a rebellion. Such a person would have a long and prosperous future in my kingdom...if they would make sure to yield to proper authorities. It would be a shame to have to end their services so abruptly and violently... Don't you agree?"

Leviathan's anger vanished. He felt his sweat beginning to return instead. He swallowed slightly. Wyvern had managed to maneuver him into a rock and a hard place. He was in the perfect position now. Already, he had help from some of Bahamut's supporters. If it came to a rebellion...then he would probably play both sides and get his old supporters who had remained unexposed to aid him as well. It would be a chaotic mess that would hurt all of the esper race. Moreover...Leviathan knew a threat when he saw one. He also understood what blackmail was. Had he been more emotive, he might have thrown his cares to the wind and defied him anyway. His dying breath would gasp to all who would hear the truth. But he knew that was too little. For now...he believed Wyvern underestimated him. He assumed he was a brown-noser like his brother, having no true wisdom or cleverness. And there were yet ways he could upset Wyvern's plans and draw devices against him from his current position...besides having a contest of brute force. But first, he had to get out of here. And so, he smoothed himself out, and spoke.

"I agree wholeheartedly...my Lord Bahamut."

Wyvern's malice faded slightly, and a wide smile went across his face. "Good. Now, if you will excuse us, my attendants need to prepare for this new operation. On its completion..." A bigger smile and a hint of a chuckle. "...I will be even stronger than before. I would ask you to help, what with your intelligence and expertise...but I feel you would serve me better to be away for the moment. Continue your position as Regent until I come to take up the mantle."

Leviathan tightened his jaw. He held for a few seconds with a stoic face. But then, at last, he gave a nod. "Yes, my lord."

Then, without another word, he turned and exited the way he came.

* * *

"Hmm..."

Unicorn turned to Starlet anxiously at that comment. "Is everything fine? Will Rydia be ok?"

Starlet didn't answer right away. They were in one of the separate rooms in the medical wing, having laid Rydia down to rest in one of the human beds. She was still under the influence of the sleeping spell, and felt no more pain or agony. Starlet intended to bring in the doctors to see her, but they were all away with Bahamut for the moment. That was a bit odd... Starlet hadn't sensed Bahamut returning, and why he would be was uncertain. That was why Leviathan alone investigated. At any rate, there were no healers ready, so Starlet simply flexed her own healing power. It took no time at all to put Rydia's arm and leg back the way they were before. However...she couldn't help but feel something strange on her. It seemed as if something inside hadn't healed quite right... It confused her, and she looked over the formerly broken limbs again and again to make sure they had knit. They had, and so in the end Starlet couldn't think of anything that could be wrong.

"Yes, she should be." Starlet responded at last. "I'll just let the sleeping spell wear off. It should only take a few more minutes."

Unicorn nodded, but still looked a little worried. She turned back to the girl, and then inched a bit closer to her bedside. "...I'll...just wait here until she does."

The queen smiled in response and nodded. After that, she turned and looked back to the doorway to the chamber. She meant to leave as well and see first-hand what was going on. But right as she was about to, the door swung open on its own...and in came Leviathan.

"Oh!" Starlet gaped as she stopped in surprise. "You're here. Good. I wanted to..."

Starlet trailed off. She sensed great trouble on Leviathan's heart, mind, and soul. Even if she didn't, she could tell. He looked stunned as he walked in...almost apoplectic. His eyes gazed emptily at the ground. His breathing was slow, as if he was afraid to do it. He appeared disconnected in his movements, as if he was aimless and not really knowing where he was going. He walked up to her and came to a stop. However, he continued to look to the floor and hung his mouth open slightly, as if not sure what to say or do. Starlet saw all of this, and her face turned to concern soon after. She raised a hand and touched his cheek.

"Leviathan? What's wrong? What's the matter?"

Leviathan didn't answer. He looked at the ground a second longer. Then, he turned and looked over to the woman. His face was still blank and stunned, and he couldn't answer right away. But then, he finally took in a deep breath, and seemed to recover a bit. He closed his mouth and swallowed.

"...We need Odin here, _right now._"

* * *

_"...If this is your idea of a joke, it is in very bad taste."_

Leviathan merely sighed in response and rubbed his forehead. The oldest espers were now gathered together...at least what was left of them. Phantom Odin had taken some time to get there. He had returned to Baron to see how his young protégé had done for himself, and then had went to Mt. Ordeals to see how Kain was doing. But now, after a few hours, they were all together again. Leviathan had them retreat to one of the higher balconies around the mountain crater. Below them, the din of work and noise to try and clear the rubble masked their sounds, and here they had privacy from any of the lower espers. The acting esper king had taken Starlet and Phantom Odin up here to talk with them about what was going on, and revealed that they had an unwelcomed guest in the mountain...and that he had already made several subtle threats as he carried the illusion that he was Bahamut onward. Now, the stoic mask of Odin glared at Leviathan as a deep-throated growl seemed to echo through his helmet. Starlet's face was worn out with grief and concern, and she had to sit down as she held her own head. Leviathan stayed at the edge of the crater and looked down.

"I'm afraid it isn't." Leviathan simply answered, not turning back. "I couldn't feel his presence before because he was so weak, but thanks to our healers he's getting stronger all the time."

Odin stood for a moment longer, but then turned to him. _"Then let's be done with him now. Finish him before he gets too strong."_

Leviathan frowned and shook his head. "That won't work. He's already probably gathering his old support to him and making sure nothing rises against him."

Odin merely snorted in response. _"The fool was always reckless. Inaction has always ended up ruining us in the end. And I, for one, don't intend to stand by and let it happen again."_

"He might be reckless, but he's not a fool." Leviathan simply answered. "He's been planning this for thousands of years, devoting all his time and energy to it. Besides, even as weak as he is, he'd be able to hold us off long enough for a real riot to start."

Starlet raised her own head at this. "Well we just can't sit here and do nothing!" She protested. "He murdered Bahamut! Now he's taking his kingdom! You want us to just let him do that?"

"No." Leviathan answered as he slowly turned back to them. "But I would like us to evaluate our position. One thing he has failed to realize is that we're our own espers, and not just mindless, weak pawns of Bahamut as he has so felt. He wants to keep us around in order to keep things in line for him, and hopefully to win more espers over who won't buy that he's really Bahamut. So long as we remain in his good graces, we have the freedom to do whatever we want right under his nose to thwart him."

"Like what?" Starlet asked.

Leviathan sighed in response. "I don't know right now..." He slowly responded. "I need some more time to think..."

All of the sudden, however, they were interrupted with an approaching noise. It sounded like rapid clicking against the stone and wood ground. They turned and looked over to the source, which was down the hallway leading to them. It was Unicorn. She was rushing up to them at full speed. As she approached, they noticed that a fearful look was on her face, and she seemed panicked and terror-stricken. Soon, she was up to them, and she panted and sweat for a few brief moments to regain her breath.

"Everyone…something terrible is wrong with Rydia!"

* * *

Wyvern seethed slightly. The pain was rather sharp, and had he not had such experience with pain he might have needed sedation. But until he was fully "rebuilt", he didn't dare do anything to dull his senses. Leviathan had been shown his place for the time, but he doubted that he'd stay that way forever. He needed to gather more of the faithful to himself…once he was rebuilt.

The withered remains of Wyvern's old arm were being disposed of at the moment. In its place, Golem was slowly carving and manipulating his upper arm bone to become a new "socket". He was inserting other devices, sewing metal into him, and even manipulating his nerves, causing a painful jolt to go through his body. If that wasn't enough, the esper constantly groaned as other espers pulled off one of his old, burned scales and stitched in the new organic ones. Tough as Wyvern was, he was glad he couldn't see this that well. The sight might make him nauseous or go into shock.

For now, he needed all his wits about him. He only hoped that these espers would hurry with his new body, both for the sake of ending the pain…and restoring him to his old position.

Typically, a smile spread across his broken face as a large biomechanical arm, a mirror of his existing arm, was attached to his new socket joint by Ramuh.

* * *

"Oh no…"

That was all that Leviathan could utter as he looked over his human friend. Starlet brought a fist to her mouth and anxiously bit on the end of it, her eyes rapidly filling with tears. But Unicorn was the most frantic of all, stomping her hooves nervously and constantly shaking her mane over Rydia's body. Apparently, Leviathan realized, Starlet had been right in her suspicions.

Rydia's temperature was rising and rising quickly. Already, her hair was soaked with sweat. Her forehead was hot to the touch. Yet despite that, it seemed as if the rest of her body was cooling down. Her blood had turned so cold in her veins that the espers could see them criss-crossing her arms and legs. She was turning pale, and quickly. Her breathing was ragged, and she began to moan and turn as if in pain. She had awakened from the sleeping spell, but it no longer mattered. The sickness that now gripped her body had driven her into unconsciousness.

Unicorn trembled in terror. "What's wrong with her!" She nearly demanded.

Leviathan swallowed. He already knew, and the knowledge scared him. It could only be one thing.

"She has an infection, one likely picked up from the moon." The sea esper grimly replied. "Because it is foreign to this world, Starlet's powers had no effect on it. Somehow, the bacteria had to be dormant in her own immune system. Getting injured must have triggered it to become more aggressive…"

"Help her!" Unicorn begged. "Please!"

Starlet looked over her fearfully for a moment longer, overwhelmed at what was happening. However, she didn't halt long. She quickly stretched her own arms over Rydia again and focused. Her power was brought to bear once more, and soon rays of light seemed to come forth from her hands and rain down over Rydia. They quickly gleamed like electricity, and she focused and bathed the summoner with them for a few minutes. Starlet put all of her own healing powerbehind it.Leviathan and Unicorn earnestly waited. The latter nervously stamped her feet and prayed.

At last, the queen cut the power off, unable to sustain it any longer. The other two were left to see the result. On doing so…Leviathan swallowed and cursed inwardly. Unicorn gapedand began to look panicked. Rydia was worse than before. She was beginning to toss and turn. Her head flailed one way and the other as her lips turned blue. Her teeth started to chatter soon after. Starlet, growing tearful and afraid as well, nevertheless quickly pulled up the heavier covers and wrapped Rydia in them.

"It…it's no good…" The queen spoke as she began to grow tears again. "My power has no effect."

"No…" Leviathan corrected, still staring at Rydia with a fearful and faraway look, but also one of frustration. Unicorn and Starlet looked to him at this, the latter as she finished tucking the summoner in. "It is having an effect…but the disease is too aggressive. Rydia's body has no defense against it. It's encountering no resistance as it spreads. If she had the immune system of a healing esper, she could probably fight it off like any normal infection. But now…"

Leviathan trailed off and shook his head. Fear and puzzlement grasped him now. Unicorn swallowed and looked back to him. "She's getting worse! Try again! I'll help this time!"

The king frowned and shook his head. "It's no use, Unicorn. The disease has spread too rapidly. We'll need a room full of healing espers just to arrest its progress."

On hearing this, the fearful and anxious Starlet turned to anger. Her face filled with rage as she looked up to her husband. "Almost all of the healing espers are servicing that traitor…"

Leviathan scowled at this. However, he had no time to give in to emotion or hesitation. The human girl that he loved like his own was dying, and dying quickly. Within as little as a minute, she could perish. That left no time to dilly dally. Quickly, he turned to his wife and beckoned her. Starlet, crying now and yet angry still, saw and followed him before he even began to speak.

"They won't be servicing him long. Starlet, come with me and let's get as many as we can, and hurry. Every second could be her last."

Even while already moving, the queen esper nodded. Leviathan too had taken off, and was moving to the exit already. Both were halfway there when Unicorn, panicked and terror-stricken, turned and looked after the both of them. Her face was streaked with fear, and she desperately called out to them.

"You can't leave her like this! She's going to die!"

Leviathan kept moving out, for he had no time to waste. But he did turn his head behind himself and yell back. "If we don't bring more healing espers here, she's going to die! Unicorn, try to make her hang on until we get back!"

Unicorn would have protested again…begged for them to come back and help her. Sure, Rydia needed to be cured, and only more espers could do that. However, without Starlet working on her, the disease would only spread faster. It was increasing speed exponentially at this point. Rydia could die at any time. But it was too late. The king and queen were both gone soon after.

Unicorn was left alone in the room with the dying summoner.

* * *

_I can't let this happen._

Unicorn cursed to herself as tears continued to flow from her eyes. Gritting her own teeth, she extended her horn over Rydia and desperately tried to summon her own power. Soon, her horn exploded into a ray of pure white light, and the shine began to wash over the summoner. But even as she did so, even as she struggled to focus through all of her emotions and tears, she knew it was futile. She could only sense Rydia's health continue to fade. Leviathan was right. Her infection was too great. She'd be dead within minutes…maybe shorter.

As Unicorn cut off her healing horn, she grew desperate. When Rydia had first arrived in their world, she had been a terrified, shy child that had no idea where she was or what was happening to her. Unicorn remembered how she had been one of her first friends despite the king and queen. She volunteered to let her live with her in her house. Her innocent and mythical appearance earned the summoner's trust, and soon they got along together fine. They spent their days running around the city, playing and joking, whenever Rydia wasn't in her studies. She was the only human Unicorn ever let ride her. As the years went by, and Rydia continued to get older and stronger, Unicorn had always been there for her to turn to at the end of the day. They always spent their evenings playing together, and their mornings doing the chores and laughing about the other day. Unicorn had been reserved for years among her own kind…but she freely opened up to this human. She was her best friend.

Unicorn had begged her not to go back to the world of humans and dwarves when the time finally came. When she returned to their world, she begged her again to stay with her in their old house. Yet her friend had to leave her and plunge herself into danger time and time again. She had faced one horrific creature after another, barely surviving one just to engage another. Unicorn prayed endlessly for her safety, and cursed herself for not having made herself Rydia's summon as well, so that she could be with her in battle. However, that would have meant that Unicorn would have had to fight Rydia to the death, and she could not, and would never, bring herself to do that.

When she finally came home, when she finally moved back in with her, when the two of them returned to their old way of life, Unicorn was happier than she had been in years. The few months Rydia was gone had been years to her, and seeing her back was a very welcome sight. Now, she believed they could live together for the rest of Rydia's life. Yet now…it was almost as if death that had been meted out for the summoner while she was away had chased her back home. Now it had caught up with her…and she was dying. Her best friend was dying…and despite being one of the greatest healing espers Unicorn could do absolutely nothing to save her.

The esper pranced around angrily on the floor. Rydia continued to grow weaker. Leviathan wasn't fast enough, she knew. The green-haired girl was fading too rapidly. If the infection wasn't halted now…if nothing was done to at least slow it down…then even if Leviathan turned and came back now it would be too late. But what could they do? Even the greatest of all healers, Starlet, had been powerless to stop the infection, and now it was stronger than before.

Unicorn looked down and continued to weep. There had to be something she could do. She loved Rydia more than herself. She'd do anything…anything at all to save her. She'd die if she thought it would save her, because she loved her more than a sister. That couldn't help her though. She began to realize the only thing that could save Rydia now was exactly what Leviathan had said. That…or the other thing. If only there was some way to give Rydia the immune system of a healing esper… There wasn't an infection, virus, or bacteria anywhere that could triumph over one. But what could Unicorn do? She couldn't tear the marrow from her own bones and shove it into Rydia…

Then, however…something did come to mind.

There was still one ray of hope…

Unicorn remembered being shocked and horrified, and later angrily scolding Rydia, the day she earned the right to summon Titan. The girl's body had nearly been broken in half when the huge esper brought her in. Such grievous injuries would have killed any human…_should_ have killed any human. Yet Rydia, broken as she was, seemed to be conscious and only in mild pain. She easily held on until Kirin arrived and stimulated her own healing abilities to increase a hundred fold. Unicorn had been surprised at this, and wondered how she had possessed such power.

When she had asked Leviathan, the great sea esper responded that Titan, after being beaten, saw how much he had hurt Rydia. And so…he did something that Leviathan had only discovered espers were capable of a few hundred years ago: a junction.

A junction was a strange process in which an esper could essentially fuse part of their own life force to another's. In a way, it was like the process that summoners and their friends went through to be capable of being summoned. Only if it was done to a much smaller degree, as Titan had done with Rydia. The esper was in no danger of dying, and the human received an incredibly increase in strength and power. What more, it didn't need to be a summoner. Any non-esper could receive a junction.

The type of junction that Titan had performed was the mildest. The esper would only be hurt if the junctioned individual tried to summon them and their foes attacked the human member of the pair. As for the human, the only side effect was memory loss. Sure enough, after Rydia had recovered, she seemed to have forgotten how to get to some of the esper stores and where Unicorn's secret meditation spot was. However, there were more severe forms.

A full junction was next. In this one, the two individuals would actually join with each other, forming a bizarre chimera creature. Although both individuals now had the full benefit of each other's power and abilities in this form, it was grotesque to behold, and separating the two was almost certain death for both unless it happened soon after the full junction.

Yet there was one other junction even more extreme than that…

A fusion.

The king had told Unicorn that due to the nature of magicite to be able to drastically increase the power of whoever possessed it, he theorized that there were ways to actually fuse the essence of an esper itself into the body of another. This level of junctioning was what he discovered. In this junction, one of the parties would fully surrender their own form and completely unite with the other, not forming a chimera in the monstrous sense of the word but forming a single body. The new creature would share traits of both individuals, and the new personality would effectively be a person who was part of both members of the fusion. Yet Leviathan had said that wasn't necessarily so. One of the parties could willingly give up their personalities and allow just their bodies to unite. The resulting fusion would no longer have the benefit of one of the "component's" knowledge and wisdom, but the remaining party would essentially be unchanged save for their body. Leviathan, however, had cautioned against this, saying that once fused there was no way for the two parties to unfuse without killing each other. Plus, it would be suicide for one or both individuals, as they would cease to exist in favor of the new being.

Unicorn had never thought of doing anything so desperate…until now.

Rydia's heart was already about to give out. She was swollen in all of her lymph nodes as bacterial cells flooded her body. Her lungs were beginning to fill with fluid. Soon, assuming her body didn't give out, she'd choke on her own lungs. There was no time left anymore. Rydia would be dead within moments. And now, Unicorn, her tears stopping but still full of fear, realized she had a choice to make.

This was the only way now. She hoped that her own strong physiology would become a part of Rydia's, and that her new and improved immune system would beat the disease back into submission. However, there was a chance she would be too weak even fused, and then both of them would die. Yet the esper didn't care. She already had agreed to herself she would do anything to save Rydia. She loved her too much. In this sense, she wasn't afraid at all.

What she was afraid for now was herself. She was terrified of what would happen to her. She could allow their personalities to be fused as well…so that at least a part of her would remain. However, she didn't want that. If she was going to save Rydia, then she wanted her to be the Rydia she loved. She wanted her to be her own person. There was no question about it…if she did this she would surrender her own personality. But that was effectively suicide. That meant that she would indeed be killing herself to chance saving Rydia. It might not even work. And if she did…she would be gone forever, until judgment day itself… Did she really want to do that? Could she really bring herself to die for this? She was scared and quivering. She didn't want to die. She was too afraid of what lied beyond, and she loved too much of the world as it was. She wanted to see so much still…

But in the end, her heart was too big. Much as she loved the world, her friends, her family, and Terratopolis…she loved her friend most of all. None of the world would matter to her anymore without her best friend at her side. Rydia…so much younger than her…so much more mortal and temporal…she deserved to have more time to see the world herself, and to enjoy what was there. And in a way…Unicorn knew that she would always be with her now, and that the two of them would never be apart again. Now, whenever she fought, she would fight with her. Whenever she wept, she would cry with her. Whenever she hurt, she would feel her pain. And whenever she laughed or loved…she would share her joy.

The hesitation was over. She had decided.

The esper blinked over Rydia's dying body once, and then slowly and gently raised a hoof and set it on her chest.

"…Goodbye, Rydia. This is my last gift to you."

* * *

"It is done, my lord."

Wyvern slowly exhaled, pushing out the last of the pain. His scales were still being attached, but his arm was now replaced. He turned his almost sightless eyes over to it and looked as best as he could at the blur where the new limb was. Slowly, he lifted it off of the chair, and began to rotate it. He extended his claws and flexed them, and they responded in turn. He was a bit irritated to find that he could not feel his limb moving. It was almost as if he was controlling it from outside of his body, despite the fact that the neural motor connections were all made. Yet in the end, he supposed he would simply have to deal with it.

"Perfect, Ramuh. You and Golem have outdone yourselves." Wyvern responded with a crooked smile.

"We've almost perfected the material to repair your wings. It should flex and move just like your old wings did. But as for your head…well…there's a problem."

"Problem?"

"Your bones have been too heavily damaged, and because of your infection most of the wounds have scarred and become irrepairable. Most of what is on your head now is simply dead tissue. Your eyes can barely function as it is now, and they will not recover."

Wyvern felt himself grow angry at this, but only a little. He clenched both his old and new hands into fists and then spoke back. "How do you plan to deal with this?"

"We will have to operate to remove the dead portions of your crest and skull. After that, we shall replace it with a new crest made of special metal that will serve as new skull and armor. It will be like the rest of your new scales, in that it will be durable and charged with your power."

"Good. What about my vision?"

"We lack the ability to perfectly build you new eyes, master. But we do have the ability to attach receptors into the front of the skull crest that we will give you. As far as straight vision goes, you will only be able to see in shades of black and white. But it will include your ability to key in on heat signatures."

"That is all I require. Do it immediately."

* * *

Leviathan and Starlet both prayed it wasn't too late to save their beloved human. It had taken far too long to get back to the medical wing, and even longer to get enough espers to have a chance for success. Most of them were running around doing duties for their "king", and cared only about him and his recovery. But after they had heard that Rydia was in trouble, many of them were torn for a moment before abandoning their posts and coming with their seniors. Still, it had taken too long. Leviathan feared the worst already. He had made a gamble by leaving Rydia's side in the first place. In all honesty…he feared the poor girl would be dead by the time he returned. Yet this had been her only chance, and waiting at her side for her to die definitely wouldn't have helped her.

The king struggled to scan ahead, hoping that he wouldn't find her dead. What he got in response was confusing. He could only sense one presence in Rydia's room now…meaning that the other was gone. What presence he could sense, however, was confusing. It seemed to be similar to both Unicorn _and_ Rydia. Now, Rydia was the only one who couldn't have left the room, so, despite as ridiculous as it seemed, if Rydia still lived then it was Unicorn who abandoned her. If Rydia was dead, then it had to be Unicorn…but it felt far too weak to be her. What was going on?

At last, the door to Rydia's room loomed ahead. Leviathan and Starlet increased their speed and bolted for it, the other healing espers flying in behind. Within moments, they were through the door. Leviathan and Starlet both wheeled around to face Rydia's bed, with the latter of the two already preparing her strongest healing spell…

However, they both immediately froze. As the other espers came in behind them and looked to see what it was, they too stopped and stared. Starlet's recovery spell was immediately forgotten, and she cupped a hand to her mouth in amazement.

"What…what in the world…?"

Leviathan, however, needed only stare for a second before his own wisdom told him what had happened. Immediately, his own heart began to ache, and he mentally swore to Unicorn that she was a fool. He knew he never should have told anyone about the technique he discovered. He feared that one day an esper would do it. And now, it looked as if it had happened.

Unicorn was gone, and Rydia remained. She was still tucked into bed, but she had changed. Her breathing was calmer. She coughed a bit, and it sounded horrible as she did, but she wasn't breathing worse. Her flesh was still pale and her veins still showed up, but they were somewhat faded now. Her temperature was hot, but it grew no hotter. Her lymph nodes were swollen but grew no larger. All in all, her out of control infection seemed to have stopped. That, however, wasn't the most distinct thing.

The summoner now had a great spiraled horn rising from the middle of her forehead.

"Oh my god…what happened to Rydia?" One of the younger espers spoke, frozen and stunned at seeing this.

Leviathan stared at her for a few moments longer. As he did, he slowly closed his own eyes and sighed slowly. This would mean more misery for Starlet. And it was yet another terrible surprise on this insane morning. He hoped it would be the last of them. His heart was heavier now, and deep concern weighed on his mind. Slowly, he turned his head to Starlet. His wife continued to blink and stare at Rydia for a moment longer. But when she saw Leviathan looking to her, she turned and looked to him as well.

"…I think we've kept Odin waiting long enough to come back."

* * *

"Oh, Unicorn…"

Starlet could only get this out before closing her own eyes and bowing her head. It pained Leviathan to see her cry, but if she wanted to know the truth then there was little choice. He had given her the bad news second, hoping to soften the blow with the good news first. That was that Rydia was no longer in danger of dying. Every healing esper in the room saw that the disease had stopped progressing. Of course, they still needed to help. They immediately dipped Rydia's head in cold water to help break the fever, then doubled the blankets on her to keep her chills away. Kirin had come forward again and used her technique of increasing one's own natural healing ability at once. This time, it worked. Slowly but surely, Rydia's body began to beat back the disease that had been eating her alive minutes earlier.

But then Leviathan told them the terrible price that had been paid. Unicorn had essentially given her life to save Rydia. By now, the king had the ability to more closely monitor Rydia's mind, and as a result he saw that she was still essentially herself. That meant that Unicorn had willingly given up her personality so that Rydia would still be herself after the fusion. That also meant, however, that Unicorn had died.

It was not an easy thing being nearly the matriarch of the esper world. Again, she had lost another child. In truth, they both had. Unicorn was one of the first two children Leviathan and Starlet had bore. Leviathan felt a weight in his heart as well. He just wasn't as prone to crying and sadness. He didn't respond to tragedy with tears. And unfortunately, given their current circumstances, he couldn't. But Starlet…she had to see another one of her children die. She had lived a long life, and had enjoyed the presence of her children more than any other mother on the Planet had. But it still didn't make it easier on her. Leviathan was able to reassure his own pain by realizing this. Foolish as it may have been, Unicorn had loved Rydia so much she had readily done it. Not for years had Leviathan thought that there was an esper alive willing to give up their life for a human. He was wrong. And in truth…he was proud. Proud that Unicorn had been brave enough to lay down her life for a friend. That was a very special thing.

However, it would not help Starlet. She continued to bow her head and cry softly. The sea serpent bowed his own human head and sighed slowly. Then, he made his way over to his wife and sat down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her body, and in response she turned and placed her head against his chest. He held her like that, and for a few moments he let her cry against him. There was silence in the room, save for Starlet's tears.

At last, she did manage something in a small quivering voice.

"Rydia…she _will_ live at least, won't she?"

"I can feel her life force, and it's already doubled in power." Leviathan gently responded. "By tomorrow morning, she'll be fine."

_"I hate to seem cold…but that may be more than I can say for the rest of us."_

Starlet looked up from her tears to Phantom Odin at that. Leviathan did as well. The warrior esper had taken in most of this news with either coldness or seeming indifference. Leviathan knew better. There were people that Odin cared about. It was just that he hadn't been that close to Unicorn. He had pledged himself to be Rydia's summon because of his loyalty and friendship with Cecil, not with her.

_"Wyvern is still being repaired, and we still are without a ways of beating him." _The esper reminded. _"At this point, it would probably be useless to challenge him. By tomorrow, he too will be ready to take his place as our king. Based on what you told me, Leviathan, it seems likely that the true Bahamut became Rydia's summon at one point, and that it was when Rydia summoned him to fight Wyvern that our traitorous brother became so heavily damaged. Perhaps they even thought he was dead and moved on. But now that he is back, Rydia is in mortal danger. He is the most prideful, arrogant creature I've ever seen before. If thousands of years couldn't erase the maddening grudge he had for Bahamut just for making a wise decision, then you can be sure he'll never forgive the summoners or the rest of humanity. The moment he is recovered, he'll kill her and then get revenge on mankind for challenging him."_

Starlet looked up from this, her face growing fearful again but her tears drying. "But…he once helped us save humanity. Doesn't he still bear them any love?"

Leviathan frowned. "Odin's right. Wyvern has become too warped by his own evil and hard-heartedness. He's quickly becoming as bad as Griever was. Now, he only sees humanity and all of its accomplishments as things meant to irritate him and keep him from ruling the world. He'd be all too happy to grind them under his foot. Even if he didn't, he'll never forgive Rydia or her people. What the lunar Four Fiends of the Elements started, he'll be more than happy to complete."

Starlet now forgot her fear and sadness. In its place, her face blazed with passion and determination. "I'll never let him touch her."

_"I doubt you have much choice in the matter."_ Odin grimly replied. _"He'll easily be able to kill all three of us if we get in his way."_

Leviathan sighed deeply, struck with more problems. But before he could formulate a response to Odin, much less a plan for what they could do now, another dreaded sound rang out through the meeting room. The sound of a door knocking. Once the three heard it, they immediately turned and looked to the entrance to their chamber. Odin groaned and rolled his eyes.

_"What new devilry now…"_

Leviathan, composed as he was, agreed with the esper. He had his fill of bad news for one day…or one millennia, for that matter. He nevertheless reached out to the door and beckoned at it, undoing the lock. "Come in."

The door was soon opened, and a new esper entered. The others quickly recognized her as Shiva. She was calm, cool, and collected, which was a relief to them. Perhaps that meant it wasn't too serious. But then, they realized that Shiva was always this way, never betraying her real feelings. At any rate, the esper soon came before the three of them and stood tall. She gave a short bow and then spoke.

"I am sorry to disturb you, my lords. But something very unexpected has happened."

A unified sigh went through the three of them. More trouble. "What is it?" Leviathan asked Shiva after a moment, struggling not to ask, "What is it _now_?"

"As you know, my lords, Rydia has many friends in Terratopolis." Shiva began calmly. "Few of them are actually her summons, however. Anyway, the healers tell me that as Rydia began to slowly emerge from her illness, she started to call out the names of her friends. At first, she did so for Unicorn. The healers tell me that they tried to tell her that she was gone and wouldn't be coming. Naturally, Rydia was in such a delusion that she was unable to understand. However, the healers tell me that she grew thirsty afterward, and started calling out to Bismark next.

"At the time, I was talking with Bismark. Yet as I did, and as Rydia began to call out to him, the healing espers tell me that they saw Rydia's new…appendage…start to glow and shimmer. At the same time, Bismark bowed his head to me, and told me that he felt someone calling him and that he had to obey its power. He vanished moments later, but I followed him to the source. I found him at Rydia's bedside, giving her a drink of water he generated."

On hearing that, Leviathan's eyes widened. He wasn't alone. Starlet likewise turned to him and stared in puzzlement, as if he could somehow give the answer. But the esper could not. He merely stared ahead. Odin, on his part, crossed his arms and snorted. _"So she made him her summon without telling us. No big deal."_

To this, Leviathan shook his head. "No, Odin. Rydia has been perfectly honest with me, and I've been monitoring her development. She's been sharing with me every esper that has submitted to her beck and call. Besides, they themselves would have told me."

The warrior esper merely snorted. _"Well, that can't be right. She wouldn't have been able to call Bismark to her if she hadn't beat him."_ Odin paused for a moment after that. But then, when he saw that Leviathan's face hadn't reacted to that, and that he was growing more puzzled, he turned to the others. Starlet likewise looked a bit anxious, and Shiva herself was colder than usual. For once…the warrior esper found himself a bit surprised.

_"…Could she?"_

"Leviathan," Starlet began, her voice growing wary. "Are you _absolutely_ sure that Bismark was not Rydia's summon?"

"You know the answer to that as well as I do." The king answered, beginning to stroke his beard and bend his head.

_"That's not possible."_ Odin immediately protested. _"A summoner can only bring forth an esper who passed the ceremony, who exchanged blood with each other."_ He turned to Shiva. _"Are you sure she he didn't just get up and leave to see her?"_

"He faded away into thin air." Shiva answered. "I thought something bad had happened to him at first, that he had been erased from existence. Then I traced him to Rydia. It was as if he had been summoned without generating the gate."

The four were silent. This was quite a surprise indeed. Never had anything been heard like this before. Leviathan himself thought there had to be a catch somewhere. Something had to have been wrong. Perhaps a fluke, an accident… Maybe Bismark and Rydia had swapped blood for fun one time…although that was the stupidest thing that Leviathan had ever heard before. Yet what other option could there be? There was only one…and it was amazing to think of…

"I do have one theory."

The others immediately turned and looked to their king. Leviathan's head was still down and he still stroked his beard, and a deep thoughtful expression was on his face. Slowly, however, he made his assumptions known.

"…We all know that Unicorn fused herself to Rydia so that Rydia would have the immune system of a healing esper, and would be able to beat the infection. But that wasn't all. You can easily see that she also gave Rydia her horn. Now, in the past, to channel her own Omniapex, Unicorn focused her healing strength into her horn. It served to focus and concentrate her power so that she could use it to its full ability.

"Now Rydia shares things of Unicorn's physiology. Her immune system is stronger, but she also now has Unicorn's horn. That means she too is able to focus her natural abilities. In this case, because Rydia is a summoner, that means she has the ability to focus her summoning ability. Because of this she has gone to a new level of summoning. Before, summoners needed to engage in the blood sharing ceremony. But now, with her ability to focus her power…I think Rydia has transcended that. She can actually summon creatures without having to best them in battle."

The four in the room froze on hearing that. They looked to each other, their faces containing awe…but mostly anxiety, even fear. This was something incredible, but it also was very serious for them. It meant that Rydia essentially had some power over them. In a sense…a human could now command an esper…potentially against their wishes. That was something very serious indeed. And that possibility began to go through all of their minds as they stood in the room in silence…

Until, however, Starlet broke it. Abruptly, her head perked up. Her eyes widened and she looked straight out. On seeing this, the others in the room turned and looked to her, but she was still and straight-faced.

"…She's doing it now."

_"Doing what?"_ A puzzled Odin retorted.

"She's calling me." Starlet answered. "She's still delusional…but I can hear her calling out to me. She wants me to come to her. I can even feel her…almost as if her will is coming out and trying to pull me to her…"

Leviathan's own eyes went wide and he stared at his wife. Even the stoic Shiva began to grow uneasy at this. She already was Rydia's summon as well, which meant she could be pulled at any time too. And yet, after a few moments, they saw that Starlet hadn't moved. She continued to stand there and stay still. After a moment or so longer, however, she suddenly blinked. Then, she winced slightly and bowed her head, and after a moment shook it.

"…No…no, I won't come, Rydia. Not like this. I'll be there in a second, but not like this…"

Leviathan by this point was scanning his wife. Indeed, he could see that a great force had come forth and enclosed her, and now was pulling on her, attempting to bring her to the source. He was very glad that this force had good intentions…and hated to think what would happen if it was an evil person who did this. However, he was more amazed by what happened next. The force continued to pull on Starlet a moment after she said this…but then it seemed to get pushed back. The power of Starlet's own aura shoved it away and cast it off of her. When it did, the force recoiled like a hurt animal…and then dissipated. When it did, Starlet opened her eyes, relaxed, and sighed. All were silent again for a moment.

_"…What happened?"_ Odin finally asked.

Starlet inhaled deeply again, but just to smooth herself out. "Rydia. She's still calling out to her friends. She was calling out to me, wanting me to be at her side. When she did…" The esper hesitated a moment, seeming to grow more faraway in voice and appearance. "I…I could see her. I could see her lying in bed. And I could see space around her. It was almost like…I could reach out and be there if I wanted. And she wanted me there. I could feel her nudging me and tugging on my body, wanting me to be with her. She tried harder when I refused to come, and she was strong…but I refused in my mind to come. Finally, she gave up, and when she did the vision vanished."

"What does that mean?" Shiva asked, now fully engrossed in what was happening.

Everyone turned to Leviathan for answers. After all, he was the wise one. The great sea esper himself mused a bit longer, stroking his beard and thinking this over. But in the end, he merely gave a shrug as he continued to stare out into space.

"Well…it means that we might not be in as dangerous a situation as we're all thinking." He responded. "Even a summoner of Rydia's caliber seems unable to pull strong espers to herself unless they agree. If that's the case, then…"

Leviathan, however, was abruptly cut off. At that moment, Starlet suddenly spasmed. She bent over and her face looked in a mixture of agony. She grasped at her body in pain. The other espers turned and looked to her at this. Leviathan instantly forgot about his calculations and looked in fear instead. Starlet began to sweat and strain, and she looked far more agonized than before. Yet through clenched teeth, she managed to slowly grit out some words.

"Rydia… No… I'll come…but…on my own…"

Leviathan immediately rose and began to rush to the side of his wife, while the others stared in shock. But before the king could make it to her, it was over. Abruptly, Starlet faded away into nothingness. Her body turned clear at first, but soon it disappeared all together. A great cracking sound went through the air as she did, like thunder or a quake. It seemed as if reality itself was vanishing. Yet soon, it had passed. And in its wake, Starlet was gone. There was nothing but air where she was a moment earlier.

Odin tensed up and balled his armored hands into fists. Shiva started to express fear, a rare occurance. But Leviathan was the most fearful of all. In disbelief, he rushed forward to where Starlet had been and looked around. He felt the air as if she had gone invisible. But she wasn't there, and he sensed no power. Growing anxious, he began to turn around and look wildly through the room.

"Starlet! Starlet!"

_Sigh…I'm right here, Leviathan._

Everyone in the room received the telepathic message. The moment they did, they all froze and looked up to the air. They were all still very anxious, however, and receiving communication from Starlet did little to allay that. The king called out again.

"Where are you?"

_Where else? At Rydia's bedside. She wouldn't take "no" for an answer this time. She wanted me there…and this time she called out to the blood that we share. I think the situation is a bit more complicated than before…

* * *

_

"Urk… Ugh! Augh!"

Ramuh trembled a bit in feelings of fear as he pulled away the latest part of Bahamut's smashed skull. A healing esper quickly spread a salve over the fresh innards of his head to keep it protected, but it was still a horrible sight. He and the others had disinfected the skull the best they could, spread sterile cloths over it, and were now using delicate procedures and tools to slowly remove the dead, useless parts of it. And yet, despite all this, their master was in agony.

Even now, Bahamut clenched his crooked teeth together as hard as he could. His new arm and old one were balled into fists. His talons clawed into the ground, and he constantly stiffened. Ramuh swallowed at all this, growing nervous. Slowly, trying not to quiver, he lowered his tweezers to another part of burned, dead skull. He slowly took the edge of it as Bahamut panted and struggled to recover from the pain of the last one. But the moment he pulled, the flesh connected, and he cried out in pain once again. In fear, Ramuh let it go and let it fall back against his head.

"Sir, please reconsider us sedating you."

"Just do it!" Bahamut hissed behind clenched teeth. "Get it over with!"

"My lord, just a few drops from a mountain poppy would put you out for just a few minutes. It would only be-"

_"I said shut up and do it! Urk!"_

The strain of screaming only served to further agitate Bahamut's wounds. Now, he was in more misery than before, and began to writhe against his chair. Ramuh couldn't believe this. Bahamut had never been this irrational before. He was determined not to be knocked out for any reason. He wanted to stay conscious through all of his painful operations. To be honest, Ramuh was shocked he stayed awake for the arm surgery. But this was even worse. Here, he didn't need him moving around complicating matters. And his howls of pain were only serving to make him nervous. This was extremely delicate.

The old man slowly exhaled. He hated to have to do this. But as a person capable of medicine, he knew that at times there could be points in which the patient didn't always know best. There were further times when their clear judgment was hampered. And now was one of those times. If Bahamut wanted this operation done right, then the old esper was afraid he would have to disobey his orders. He might incur punishment later, but he had no choice.

At this point, Bahamut was totally sightless. His useless eyeballs had been clothed over in lieu of surgical removal. He could only hear now. And that was enough for Ramuh. The esper looked down to his assisting espers. They had much the same mindset he did now. They looked up to him coolly. Ramuh, not saying a word, merely gestured over to the table of (until now) unused chemicals and liquors. One of the espers nodded, although they too sweat a little at the thought of disobeying their master, and then turned and went over to it. Ramuh waited patiently, not operating any more, as Bahamut breathed heavily and deeply in an attempt to stifle his pain. Moments later, the esper returned, this time bearing a properly measured out vial of strong medicine. Taking care not to smell it, Ramuh slowly took it and turned back to his patient. Bahamut was still gasping, and his mouth was wide open.

"Well, get on with it! I don't feel any-"

Bahamut was cut off as Ramuh poured the contents of the vial onto his tongue. Immediately, the liquid began to vaporize, and a potent cloud of smoke began to be generated. Triggered into a gag reflex, the dragon esper immediately inhaled it. He continued to gag a moment, before his tone turned violent.

"_You idiot! _You damn imbecile! I told you not to…sed…ate…"

Then, all at once, the fast acting drug knocked Bahamut out. His anger faded, and he immediately went limp in the chair. Despite feeling very nervous at how Bahamut had suddenly screamed at him, Ramuh still sighed in relief once he heard him quiet down. Now, at least, he would be unconscious long enough for him to finish, and he wouldn't have to worry about doing this painlessly anymore.

Taking a moment to compose himself first, Ramuh lowered his tweezers again and took the edge of the burned skull fragment again. He soon pulled it off, and then turned and placed it in a waiting tray of other amputated pieces of their king.

* * *

_"So much for being able to resist her."_ Odin grumbled.

Shiva, Leviathan, and Odin had rejoined with Starlet. It was getting late now, though it hardly mattered in the underground world. It was always the same "sun" there. Starlet, to ensure that Rydia wouldn't call anyone else, reinstated her sleeping spell on her, this time making it potent enough to ensure the summoner wouldn't wake up until tomorrow morning. She was doing better, however. Her temperature was definitely lowering, and her swelling had gone down quite a bit. Nevertheless…it wasn't Rydia's welfare that the espers were too concerned with at the moment.

They were silent now, pondering over this latest turn of events. This could be very serious. Leviathan himself thought about it for some time, thinking over all of these latest things and taking them into consideration. He knew much of how both physical and spiritual forces worked, and he tried to bring that to bear to decipher this latest enigma. He reached only some conclusions, but what he did reveal was more of a relief to him than a danger. Perhaps even now things were not as bad as they seemed.

"I wouldn't say that, Odin."

The others turned to him at this. Their faces were plain, but not optimistic. _"How can you say that, Leviathan?"_ Phantom Odin nearly sneered. _"Starlet is one of the strongest among us. If she couldn't resist her call, then none of us can."_

"But you did resist her call." Leviathan reminded, ignoring Odin and turning to Starlet instead. His wife blinked a little at this sudden turn. "Remember? You said you felt her pulling on you, but you told her you wouldn't come."

The queen merely shrugged. "That was the first time. The second time she simply pulled me more strongly than before."

To this, the king merely shook his head. "Oh no, that's not what you told me. You said she called out to the very blood that you shared. And you do share blood with her, as do the rest of us in this room. Remember, that establishes a link between us as well. She did try pulling you on her own at first. But the second time, she merely summoned you through the link between you, only this time she didn't do the normal chanting but used her new horn."

Shiva shrugged. "So?"

"So I have a new theory." Leviathan explained. "It is possible for espers to be strong enough to resist her even with her new physiology. The only reason that she ended up pulling us was because she had undergone the ceremony for exchanging blood. But another strong esper would be able to resist the summoning."

_"Interesting. And with that in mind, it appears as if we are completely thwarted."_

Leviathan and the others turned to Odin again. However, this time the warrior esper had drawn himself up more, and was far darker than before. Rather than be reassured by Leviathan's news, he was more upset than ever.

_"So ends our great day." _He sneered. _"This is what becomes of us in twenty-four short hours. Rather than have an upside to one thing, we have a downside to everything. First, before we forget, let us remember that Bahamut is dead. He's been replaced by that wolf in sheep's clothing, who as we speak is being rebuilt stronger than ever. Soon, we will all have to bow down to him or perish. The moment that Wyvern has recovered, he will band us together and lead us in a war against humanity. And when he does, he will make sure to first destroy Rydia and her friends. _

_"Rydia, on her part, has been blessed with an incredible new power. She has gone from being a special breed of human to a new type of creature all together in the wake of her fusion with Unicorn. But now, we are robbed of one of our own kind and in its place we have a human subspecies that can command us far greater than before. If Rydia has offspring, it will be likely that they too will be horned as well, and share the ability to command us. And yet the one esper she needs to command more than any other is free of her control. And tomorrow, she will awaken only to face destruction at his hands._

_"Hence, here we are. Our race is under a mad tyrant. Humanity that we have sworn to serve is doomed, too weakened in the aftermath of this last war. And the human child that all espers have called a greater friend than Palad will die within a few hours. And to all this, I ask one thing. What hope do we have now? What options are there? Is there anything we can do to avoid the doom issued for our race in the span of a single day?"_

The room was silent after that. The members bowed their heads. Leviathan continued to stare out in space and rub his chin. Odin, in many ways, was right. This latest issue with Rydia only served to complicate things and dissuade them from the true problems they faced. They still had no way to stop Wyvern. No one could stand against him. And as for Rydia, even if somehow she managed to hide from Wyvern and survive him, the rest of humanity would suffer. And she would bear a race of children that would be a threat to their people. Rydia herself, they well knew, would never use them for any foul purpose. And until now, all summoners had done the same. But what if they failed? What if their line too became corrupt with time? And how would that save any of them from Wyvern?

Yet slowly, as Leviathan considered this, his mind began to stir up new possibilities. All of the new information was thrown together as if in a big melting pot and began to generate ideas for him. And slowly and surely, one began to come to mind. Even as he thought of it, a part of his mind said no to it. It depended too much on others…others that they couldn't be sure of. And it was very risky. However, as time went on, he realized there was no other choice. What happened today might be providence. And if so, he couldn't afford to pass it up. There was no time for debate.

At last, he raised his head and cleared his throat. This was just to get attention. As intended, the others turned and looked to him once more. The sea esper looked over them for a moment, making sure they were focused on him and his words. Then, he began grimly.

"Unless anyone has any other objections, I have one possibility. And I make this based on several factors. The first is that the summoners have been our closest friends for years. They treat us as equals, not as gods or monsters. They have my trust, just as the Paladin have our trust. I strongly believe that as they continue to develop through history they will continue to speak with us and interact with us, and every new child will grow up as our friend. I trust Rydia as much as if she was my own daughter. I know her children will be faithful to us as she was.

"Second, we all know that we will never be able to contend with Wyvern. With the death of Bahamut, a new era is going to take place in our world. Many changes will happen, some for good as well as ill. It is something we will have to deal with or die. And die we shall if we intend to fight Wyvern. Even all the espers in the world united would probably fail to destroy him. Someday perhaps a true hero will rise among us, but until that day we remain under his boot, and we know that we cannot contend with him. We must serve him.

"And third, there is one thing that sticks out in my mind now. Wyvern can never be made to serve us, and he never will. However, there is one that he can be made to serve, and in light of recent events, I believe it would be possible to make him serve unwillingly. Rydia's new powers transcend the necessity for ceremony and testing. In terms of doing that straight, we know that Rydia could never contest with Wyvern. But he can be forced into submission. Though if we wish to do that, we must act now or lose the chance forever. With that in mind, and all these things, I tell you all that there is a way, which will involve great sacrifice on our part, that can make Wyvern not only the servant of Rydia but of all her generations to come.

"Now I know already what you are thinking. You are concerned with the risk. We will be giving the humans the reins to a creature that not even we can contend with. The mightiest among us, the king of all espers and dragons, will now be the slave of a much weaker human. However, I urge you all to consider this. We can never make Wyvern subservient to us. We all know this. We can only make him beneath the human race. And if he was, wouldn't that be for the best? Is there any among us who has not trusted Rydia with her life? All of us gathered here…have we not all seen for ourselves what a great and pure heart she has? Have we not seen the power of light within her? Who else would we trust with such a responsibility? Only another of our kind. But now, you all know that we see Rydia as being more esper than human herself. There is no other human in a thousand years we will see that we can feel confident to grant this power.

"Furthermore, if we still do have faith in humanity…if we still believe there is goodness in them that we can trust…then we cannot risk not doing this. Wyvern, unrestrained, will destroy all goodness left in the human race. Then he will rule us with an iron fist. But now we have a way to put a check on his power. Wyvern is not Rydia's friend, but we are. She alone can be made to keep him in line and to make sure that he does as his brother did.

"This is our chance…and we would be fools not to take it. It will indeed require sacrifice on our part, but it is a sacrifice that I am willing to live with. I for one trust Rydia with my life and the lives of our people. And I intend to act on that trust. If the rest of you truly believe in humanity and the summoners, if you truly believe what Bahamut taught us all…that humans and espers could live together in peace…then you must act on this trust as well. Bahamut believed that Rydia and her friends were worth dying for. I think that turnabout is fair play. But if we are to seize this chance, we must act now. There is no time for consulting or sleeping on this. We must go immediately while we still have time. I move to seize this chance. Who is with me?"

The espers in the room were silent. They heard Leviathan's proposal…and it scared them. They still would not be the masters of Wyvern. The summoners would now. That would ensure their safety as long as Rydia lived, but what then? There was a chance, of course, that in the future, if evil summoners did arrive, good summoners would still be there to keep their power in check, to keep them from taking over the esper kingdom. But that future was still a dark possibility.

And yet…they were already in a dark future. There was already trouble ahead. There was already the threat of war. An immediate threat causes much more fear than a potential one. What more, they did trust Rydia. The summoners had always been their friends, working and interacting with their summons like equals. There wasn't a race on the Planet that the espers trusted more…save for maybe the Cetra. Didn't it make sense to try? To risk it? To gamble on this, dire as it may be? The chance would not come again, and irreversible as these results may be, it was their only chance. And Odin was not the only one who had realized by now that being patient had cost the esper race far too much…

The room was silent a bit longer…before hands slowly started to rise.

* * *

Wyvern was still deeply under the effects of the drug when the last of his remaining skull was shaped to lock in the new plate. His teeth had been repositioned, his jaws reconstructed, his old eyes removed, and everything washed and covered with disinfectant to prevent any problems from happening. He was totally blind to the world when Ramuh and Golem engaged the last part of their operation…

Slowly, a great helm was lowered onto his exposed head. Two great horns, like from a giant longhorn cattle only broader, extended from the sides. The middle was solid metal, or so it seemed. In reality, the metal was charged with magical power, and would channel Wyvern's own power into it to give the sensory images that Ramuh had promised. Now, the great esper merely had no eyes which an enemy could use to exploit as a weakness. Just the solid metal helm. And slowly, with great care, it was overlaid over the ruins of his head.

The moment it connected, the magical technology inside burst out a blast of air, depressurizing the insides and expulsing all foreign particles. The helm formed an airtight lock, and the espers went to work. They began to bolt it to his head with large metal nubs, but also stiched it in so that it would, in time, heal and fuse to his existing skull. Wyvern didn't react to this as they went to work putting the finishing touches on his body, while the rest tested out his new wings, freshly repaired.

As they did…none of them noticed, or at least minded, as Leviathan slipped in and over to the tray holding the damaged parts of Wyvern. He maneuvered a small glass vial over them only for a moment, and then turned and left.

* * *

Starlet didn't like this.

It was late now. Night had fallen. And she hated the fact that this had to happen at night. This whole thing was bad. She had a feeling of it right off the bat. She didn't like it. Too much secrecy. Too much danger involved. It had all the trappings of something evil. She took it all as an omen…and feared what would result from it. It wasn't enough that she wasn't sure that they should even do this irreversible act. It was everything else.

After they had agreed, Starlet had been given an assignment. Drawing herself up as best as she could, she had gone to see one of the few espers that couldn't live in Terratopolis: Atomos. The colossal monstrosity drove fear into the hearts of all espers, despite the fact that he was one. He had power over gravity…and as a result he could cause massive devastation to entire cities with little effort. His own kind had to use caution when around him. Starlet had mostly been sent because she was a powerful esper, able to resist his tremendous might. When she reached him, he had soon become one of the few other participants in their small fellowship of "traitors". Starlet had wanted desperately to do this without him, but Leviathan said they had to use him. He was the only one strong enough to make this work. What more…if this worked, then he too would be under Rydia's power. And frankly, they all would rather have Atomos be under Rydia's control than Wyvern's.

Yet there were more anxieties when Starlet returned. Poor Rydia…she was still unconscious. She had recovered enough from her sickness to sleep peacefully and without pain now, but under Starlet's own spell she continued to dream. And here she was…as Leviathan constructed special symbols around her and prepared her for this ceremony…like some helpless sacrifice waiting to be slaughtered. And she could only stand and wait and hope for it to be over with.

It was nearly time now. The lights in the room had been dimmed, save for an ethereal fire that Leviathan had generated. That was the finishing touch. This whole process looked insidious to Starlet now. The fire was green and burning in mid-air, as Leviathan poured over one of his own ancient books that he held open before him. This ceremony had been built by him years earlier, and he needed it to be refreshed. Rydia continued to sleep peaceful and unaware as he hovered the green flame over her and read. Starlet stood to one side, trembling as she held her vial containing Atomos' contribution. Shiva, to her right, was cold as always, yet she could sense her anxiety as well. Odin, to her other side, likewise was growing more uneasy by the second. He had been last to raise his hand, especially knowing what he would have to contribute. Now he held a cloth-covered package uneasily. But he had given in at last. Starlet uneasily held on, and hoped this would be over soon.

Leviathan looked over his book a moment longer, and then looked up. His eyes were cold and hard, determined to carry this out. With that, he turned to Odin, beckoning to him to begin. The warrior esper hesitated and swallowed, knowing this was his last chance to turn back. But then, he slowly exhaled and stepped forward, over Rydia. The small light of green flame descended, and hovered over her body. When it did, he unwrapped his cloth and held up his package. What he revealed was none other than the rotting hand of his old body.

The warrior swallowed, looking at his own desiccated remains, and then raised it over the green flame and broke one of the fingers off of it. When it did, old black blood began to run out of it, and slowly it dribbled down and into the flame.

_"Blood of the dead, freely granted by the ghost."_

Once he was done, he pulled back his own rotting hand and stepped back into the ring. A moment later, Starlet, trembling and nervous came forward. She raised the hand containing her own vial, and with trembling fingers uncorked it. Slowly, she tipped it and let it fall into the flame as well.

"B-B-Blood of the free esper, p-p-presented as a gift."

Starlet nearly threw down the vial once she was done, and very quickly went back and trembled. Shiva was next, and as she stepped forward she held nothing. Yet as she stood over the green flame, she raised her hand over it, and with her other she tightened her fist. A moment later, a blade made of ice materialized in it. Using this knife, she cut the end of her finger, and let the drops of her own blue blood fall onto the flame.

"Blood of the summoned esper, cut fresh from the body."

Shiva stepped back afterward. With a wave of her hand, the knife vanished, and the blood from the cut, on touching her flesh, was instantly frozen solid and clotted.

Leviathan at last stepped forward after that. His look was grim and serious. He held his book open in one hand, but with his other he held his own vial. He uncorked it with his thumb, and proceeded to empty the contents into the green flame as well.

"Unite now…and bind the blood of the enemy, taken by force."

The flame flared up at this. The green flames burst as if oil had been thrown on them, and instantly the whole room was enveloped in green. The other espers shrank back from the sudden glow as the flames burned more intently. Leviathan finished his vial, and then threw it aside. As he did, he called over the flames again.

"Let the four servants fall under the power of the one master. Let their blood be her property and her children's property."

In response, the flames began to swirl around. A great wind seemed to have taken hold of them, and now spun them like on a clay wheel or a whirlpool. The flames continued to burn forth, and now they united to form a flaming tornado. The espers watched this. Starlet's eyes filled with fear, while the others stared coldly on, waiting for it to end. The flames continued to spin for a few brief moments, forming this new funnel shape and twisting back and forth. But then, the flames suddenly melted away. The tunnel seemed to collapse in on itself, and suddenly the flames combined into one united force. A great burst went out, blinding the espers and making them look away for a moment. When theylooked back,they saw that the flames were gone. In their place was only a green orb of light.

The orb shimmered and hovered there for a moment. Starlet had, herself, seen the Lifestream before now. She knew what it looked like. And now, she was seeing something like it again.The faint green orb wasshimmering as the Lifestream did. Just as the Lifestream was the physical unity of spirits, this orb was the unity of four spirits. It had become physical as well now, and was now a piece of the mysterious material that the Cetra called "materia".

The orb only hovered a moment…and then slowly descended over Rydia's sleeping body. The girl didn't stir even as her body was bathed in the pale green light. Even as it neared her head, still she did not react. Slowly, the materia hovered low over her head, to slowly and lightly touch the very tip of her horn. The moment it did, the orb melted like glass over a fire. It distorted and ran down the spiraled horn rising from Rydia's forehead, and slowly spread over and down the sides until it covered it. Once a shimmering layer covered the horn, the materia slowly sank into it. As it did, the green light faded, and the intensity through the air vanished. Within moments, the materiawas gone. It now ran through her veins.

Starlet swallowed, still nervous at what had just happened.

It was done.

Leviathan stared at Rydia a moment longer. Then, he calmly shut his book. Still staring at her, he leaned over to the side and put it down. When he rose, he waved his hands at the lights, and his own telekinetic power turned them back on once again. Soon, the room was illuminated in the normal lights of Terratopolis. Starlet swallowed and looked to her husband. The sea esper slowly turned back to her, and gave a slow nod. When he did, Starlet slowly sighed, and then turned back. She waved a hand over Rydia's sleeping body, and sparkles once again slowly fell down over her.

As the sparkles fell and faded, Rydia finally reacted. She moaned once, but then her eyes fluttered and slowly opened. The green-haired summoner turned her head slowly, looking around at where she was. Her look was groggy and sleepy, but after a moment she turned to confusion and slowly spoke to them.

"King Leviathan…? Queen Starlet…? What are you doing here?" Moaning slightly, she raised a hand to wipe her forehead. "Where am I…? Why do I feel so strange…so weak…? Why-"

At that moment, Rydia froze. Her friends were still staring down at her coldly, none of them looking happy or welcoming. They merely stared. Rydia was too sleepy to intercept their coldness…but not anymore. Her eyes widened now, for her hand had been wiping her forehead…and had just touched the horn now protruding from it. At that, the sound caught in her throat. Her new surprised gaze looked up and out in confusion for a moment, at first focusing on nothing. But then, realizing what it was, she turned to the king and queen.

Sadly, they could only look darkly back.

"…There is a lot we need to tell you, my dear."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	11. Class V

Wyvern inhaled deeply as he was slowly raised up on the chair. His memory was somewhat fuzzy. The last he remembered, he had been going through the operation to fix his skull. But after that, everything seemed to fade. That was odd to him. He was still where he had been before. What did that mean? Was the operation already done? There was no chance of it. He had only felt Ramuh pull off about four fragments of his skull…and next thing he knew, he was finished, rising up in the chair.

The esper opened his eyes…or, rather, sent the command to his eyelids that normally opened them. But now he had no eyes or eyelids. Instead, on sending the mental command he saw a great black iris open and expose the world before him. What he saw was dim and full of shadows, and there were lots of shades of gray on it. Everything that he could recognize as an object was in black and white. Wyvern, having not adjusted to having no eyes, reacted to this. Coming to his senses, he began to shift his head from side to side, looking at the gray world around him. Slowly, his face began to turn into a sneer.

"I'm sorry, my lord. This is the best we could do."

On hearing a new voice, Wyvern's violent nature immediately turned his senses toward killing a target. He wheeled around rapidly to the voice. But when he did, the world suddenly became colorful again. Really colorful…like a rainbow. When it did, he saw that most of the world around him was dark blue and blue. But as he keyed in on the source of the noise, he saw bright yellow light trimmed with red and green, all in a shape that looked something like Ramuh. He wasn't alone. Every other esper in the room had the same thing. The torches that were lit also cast off light. Wyvern realized it was his heat vision. Apparently, he could still key in on it. He was relieved somewhat at that, and calmed down. So long as that was still there, he was still lethal. In response, his vision switched back into black and white, and he managed to see some dim details of Ramuh's face.

_Hmm…well, this is acceptable I suppose. I'm sure this crest will serve me well…_

_Wait a moment…why is the crest already on my head?_

At that, the anger returned to Wyvern's now-eyeless face. He wheeled to Ramuh and scowled again. "Didn't I order you not to sedate me during the operation?" He harshly snapped at him. He began to grow angry. Heat started to gather around him, and the floor started to ripple. In fear, the other espers began to step back. Ramuh swallowed. "I specifically said to keep me awake! _Can't you obey orders? What if my enemies had come for me?"_

Ramuh trembled as he recoiled. Wyvern never had much stock in mind-reading before. He thought it was a stupid trick of his stupid brother's. However, for an esper of his power, some things came naturally whether you wanted them or not. Ramuh was now filled with fear…but Wyvern also picked up a great deal of confusion and puzzlement. Evidently, he quickly reasoned, Bahamut had never been fond of putting them in their place. He must have not yelled at them. What more, he quickly realized…he might have just overplayed his hand in his anger.

"S-S-Sir…you were in incredible pain… And I couldn't concentrate…" Ramuh slowly answered. His voice was apologetic and mild. "I had to be able to work correctly or you would be damaged." After that, however, his tone became uneasy. "But my lord…Wyvern is dead. You have no enemies here. You are surrounded by espers who would die to protect you."

Wyvern hesitated a moment longer. Inwardly, he cursed himself. Yes, of course. He had to watch his tongue more carefully now. He couldn't risk anyone deducing who he truly was. As soon as he could, he had to have Bahamut's magicite made into some sort of special necklace or something to keep on him. That way, they would always sense his true presence on him. He scowled at the thought of having to keep up this illusion. Yet he told himself to remain calm. Things were going well, after all. They didn't suspect him yet, and he could keep them from doing so until he gathered the truly faithful…and they could remove his brother's traitors from his midst. He felt fine. Evidently, Leviathan was still a simpering coward, for he hadn't exploited his one chance to kill him.

Yes, there was no reason to fret. He was rebuilt now, free of pain and with his sight restored. Now, he could truly punish those who had made Bahamut king over him. First and foremost, however…humanity had to learn its place. Crusader had been right. They did become too arrogant and powerful. They needed to be beaten back into submission…and corrected most harshly. He needed to hunt down the ones who had dared bring Bahamut out to leave him in this cyborg-like state. Once that was done, he could go about subjugating all people…taking his true position over the human that his brother had denied him for so long.

Immediately, the red esper went calm. A smile went across his face, and he gave a short nod to Ramuh. The other espers cringed a moment longer, but on seeing their master calm down…and having the quaking and heat subside…they drew closer.

"Yes, of course." Wyvern calmly answered. "I forget where I am after being gone for so long. And I do trust your judgment, Ramuh. And I want you to be at your best. You did the right thing. The important thing now is that I have been rebuilt, and that I am once again at full capacity."

The other espers relaxed at this, becoming calm and more regular. Some even ventured a smile to their king. Ramuh himself inhaled deeply and exhaled, and calmed down as well. Wyvern himself leaned back a bit more casually in his chair, and looked around the area.

"Ramuh…my eyes have trouble telling night from day. What time is it?"

"Nearly morning, my lord. It took us time to connect your new skull plate properly. We would have been done a lot sooner, but we had a problem. Many of our healers had to leave in order to tend to another who was injured: the summoner Rydia."

Wyvern snapped his eyeless head to Ramuh at that. On hearing this…he felt a twinge of delight. This was a pleasant surprise. Now he wouldn't have to hunt her down. She was right here, waiting for her throat to be cut. And injured? That would make it all the easier on him. A wide smile spread across his new face. This was quickly turning out to be the best day of his life.

"Truly?" He innocently asked. "Excellent. Ramuh…I wish to speak with this summoner at once. After all, it was because of her that I was able to confront my hated brother after so many years and give him his final moment."

Ramuh gave a nod. "I thought you would the moment you recovered, sir. In fact, she is already waiting in the uppermost meeting hall within this division of Terratopolis. King Leviathan and Queen Starlet await you as well. Even Lord Odin has come. No doubt, they all wish to greet you as soon as you are well. While you are meeting them, we can go and assist the others in preparing for your welcoming celebration."

Wyvern tried hard not to laugh. How easy could it get? No doubt, the weaklings were massing together in a futile attempt to destroy him. Now he could destroy them all in one fell swoop. This was more than perfect. With them dead, it wouldn't matter how scattered his faithful were. All would turn to him in terror the moment he unveiled himself. And on top of that all, a welcome home party? He actually got to celebrate the deaths of his remaining siblings as he crowned himself Emperor of the Planet? He had to struggle not to grin as he fantasized on how the day could possibly get better.

"I feel well enough already, so I will meet them at once. I have special messages for each of them."

* * *

Within minutes, he was there and opening the door.

Wyvern made sure to take his time strutting in. As he did, he fully unfurled his great new wings, making sure that all inside new the full breadth of his power. He summoned as much power out to be worn "on his sleeve" as he dared, so that all would feel the strength radiating off of him. Soon he had passed through the great doorway and was within.

Before him, he saw his least favorite people…and, by a happy chance, the only people who knew what he looked like in his esper form that were left. Stoic old Odin was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, although he was covered from head to toe in armor now. Not that it would save him. Wyvern looked forward to searing it off of his skeleton. Starlet was nearby. He noticed that she never extended so much as a hand to him to heal him. She'd pay for that. Then there was Leviathan. Oh, he would enjoy killing him. Ever since the day they met he hated the little worm, and now he could finally make him wriggle on a hook. And finally, at long last, there was the little, itty-bity summoner. She looked just as frail and meaningless as last time. Except now…she seemed to have gotten some bizarre human decoration out and on her head. Each one of them glared at him coldly. Hate was in their eyes, and they had their hands balled into fists.

Wyvern merely smiled. He waved his hand, and shut the door behind himself using his power. That done, he cast another little spell he knew over the room, effectively making it soundproof. With all of that done, he cracked his neck and freely stretched out to his full height. His tail lashed behind him, and his dark wings spread across half of the chamber. He increased his power, and the air began to ripple around him as the lights started to dim.

"Why hello there." He casually sneered to them. "I must say, if there isn't anything better than having a nice reunion with old family and friends. Don't you all have anything to say to me after such a very long time? Welcome back? Nice to see you, brother? How've you been?" A brief pause. "I hope you rot in hell? How did you kill Bahamut? Anything at all?"

There was a pause from the group. They continued to glare at him with cold and stony eyes. But one did speak eventually, and it was the last one Wyvern expected.

"Wyvern…I am your master now." Rydia coldly stated. "You will do as I command you."

To this, Wyvern merely grinned and snickered slightly. He crossed his arms and glared down at her, making sure to accent the fact of how mightier and more powerful he was than the inconsequential little gnat squeaking at him. "Oh, don't think I forgot about you, little nothing. In fact, I came to see just you. But don't worry, I'll be seeing your friends too soon enough. And when I do, I'll make sure to send them along as well directly." With that, he looked back up and glared at the espers. "Now then…my _dear_ family." He sarcastically hissed. "I've got a little score to settle with this ant. You can jump in if you like…but I advise you not to. Stay out of this, and I _might_ just let you live in my new kingdom. Though you could help me if you begged…"

"You will not harm them, me, or any other living thing that I command you not to." Rydia continued.

With a bored look, Wyvern looked back down. "Hey…horned freak of a human…I don't know how you got the new headpiece, but you seem to think that gives you a right to talk to me as if you were anywhere on my level. Shut up unless I'm talking to you." With that, he turned back up to them. "Now then, as for how you should go about begging. You should start by simply licking the soles of my feet. After that, I think I'll make you eat my feces."

"You must obey me, Wyvern. You must."

At this, Wyvern rolled his eyes and sighed. "You know, I was going to do this over a longer period of time, but I grow tired of the buzzing of this meaningless insect in my ear, even after I have commanded it to stop. And so…" With that, Wyvern lowered his gaze and focused on Rydia. He opened his mouth wide, focused and spoke a few arcane words, and then spoke calmly. "Pyrin."

Nothing happened. Not a single person on the other side of the room changed.

Wyvern looked up a bit at this. Something had to be wrong with his brain after the operation. He shook his head a moment, and then aimed again, this time calling out a bit more forcefully. "Pyrin!"

Again, absolutely nothing. The cold, hateful stares continued to glare at him.

Wyvern grit his teeth slightly. What had Ramuh done to him? All of the right words were coming up. He felt the power growing within him. Yet it aborted when it was about to exit his mouth… Sneering, he screamed the next one. "Pyrin!"

Nothing.

"Pyron!"

Still nothing.

_"Mega-pyron!"_

"I told you not to harm me, Wyvern." Rydia calmly and coldly answered. "I am your master now. Your very flesh knows this. So it obeys even when you refuse to."

Gone was Wyvern's casualness. In its place, he began to sneer. What was this? Some sort of mute spell? Some drain of magical ability? His strongest attacks…ones he could feel burning his insides with their power…doing nothing? The summoner continued to glare at him. Continued to stare right into where his eyes were, and was cold and resolute. Seeing this…Wyvern's anger began to grow.

"How dare you look at me…filthy, pathetic, wretched human!"

With that, Wyvern lunged across the room. He quickly brought his full power to bear. Focusing all his strength, he reared back his fist and prepared to smash Rydia into bloody toothpicks with one single blow. Blasting heat and anger, the great red esper swung his fist down on the summoner…

On doing so, he felt his arm grow weak. The moment it came close to Rydia, the strength left his limbs. The neural signals ceased. His arm went numb and dead, and a full foot away from Rydia's face it froze where it was. He could move it no closer. The red esper's eyes went wide, and he stared in petrified shock.

Rydia, for the first time, smiled.

"Can't you smash this little ant, Wyvern?"

Hearing that, the heat doubled in the room. Now, plants in the window began to dry and wither. The ground began to shudder and quake. Pebbles rained from the ceiling, and Wyvern's size seemed to increase as his anger and violence became unbearable. _"Damn you!"_

That was only the first in a steady stream of curses as Wyvern violently attempted to rip Rydia to shreds. He cursed her again and again, calling her every filthy name in existence. Time and time again, he yelled names of his attacks, screaming them as he went on. He backed up and put as much power and speed into each of his hits as possible. Yet for all his raging and foaming, he could do nothing. He smashed his tail against the ground. He blasted furniture. He clawed the ceiling. He spat and babbled. He hissed and drooled. And yet, for all of his ranting and foaming, he could do nothing. Wyvern went wild, insane with his anger. He tried throwing himself at Rydia in addition to hitting her. But no matter how strong or potent, his limbs ceased the moment they got near her. The insignificant, meaningless, worthless human…was totally immune to him.

Soon Wyvern was covered with sweat. He leaned over and heaved, hissing and spitting all the way. His powers were useless. What had Ramuh done to him? What had they done when they rebuilt him? But then…he remembered. They had made him unconscious. He was wrong…Leviathan _had_ done something to him. He had curse him somehow…done this to him to make him helpless. Sneering all the way, he wheeled his head violently toward the other espers. They stared at him as cold as ever.

_"You did this!"_ He screamed in rage. At that, the red esper moved to them. He would rip them limb from limb. He would melt their skeletons within their burning carcasses. He would slice them into pieces starting at the feet and working up. He…

…saw his talon numb and stop moving a full foot from rearranging Leviathan's cold face.

"I told you that you weren't allowed to hurt them, Wyvern." Rydia calmly explained.

Now Wyvern did truly throw a fit. Unknown to him, the three espers had cast numerous fortifying spells around the room. They kept Wyvern from busting loose and destroying all of Terratopolis in his rage, which he would have. He blasted, fumed, burned, wrecked, and cursed them all endlessly. He glared at them with pure, unadulterated hate. He circled them like a ravenous dog. Again and again, as fast as he could and from as many different angles, he tried to strike them. Always his blows were stopped. He threw himself on the ground and smashed, screamed and writhed. He pounded the walls. He swore endless curses. He screamed and screamed violent babble until he yelled himself hoarse. He threw himself on them so many times that his muscles burned. He continued to rage and foam until he pulled muscles in his back and gave himself a headache. He nearly bashed his own head in throwing around. Yet for all of his trantrum, there was nothing he could do. Exhausted, he threw himself to the ground.

Nearly dripping flames from his mouth, Wyvern looked up and glared at Rydia with a stare of pure hate. He babbled incohierently a few moments more as he looked at her, promising untold curses, before he finally calmed down enough for his ragged voice to speak.

_"…Stinking, cursed, wretched, bastardized, worm-fleshed, urine stained, shit eating human!"_ He bellowed at her. _"How dare you do this to me! You are nothing! Understand? Nothing! Not a damn thing! You are a worthless bug! And I am a god! I'm your god! I'm everyone's god!"_

Rydia glared back at him calmly.

"…No, you're just a wretched, insane creature." She slowly answered. "And you will never harm another living thing."

Wyvern immediately drew himself to his full height. He unfurled his wings and towered over Rydia. He blasted hot air over her, extended his talons, and made it look as if he could crush her in one breath. He hissed and foamed too. But Rydia calmly stood there, and didn't shift.

_"You will _learn_ your place, bitch! You and all of your kind! You are not stronger than me!"_

"Maybe so," Rydia calmly responded. "But I am still your master."

_"STOP SAYING THAT!"_ The monster fumed in anger…and again ineffectively tried to strike her. When it failed, he made murderous cries. "I swear I will kill you! You can hide from me, but not your world! I'll kill all you love! I'll slaughter humanity one by one! I'll turn the human civilization into a waste! I'll-"

"You'll do nothing of the sort, you filthy little troll of an esper." Rydia suddenly cut off, snapping at him. "The rest of your kind is just and noble, and have been my friends. But you're a perversion to their entire species. All you care about is making people suffer and having people serve you. So from now on, you're going to serve whoever I tell you to. And you will not harm a single hair on a single human's head. You will never harm anyone again. You serve me now."

_"I WILL NEVER SERVE A WORTHLESS BITCH LIKE YOU!"_ Wyvern blasted, his voice deafening. Or rather, it would have been…if even now he was kept from doing anything that could possibly hurt Rydia. He felt his own vocal chords turn themselves down even as he intended to scream so loud that he would shudder Terratopolis to the ground.

Rydia merely glared.

"Oh no? Kneel, Wyvern."

At once, the anger of Wyvern vanished. Instead, he felt his knees begin to grow weak. He felt them begin to fall underneath him. To his horror, he realized his body was doing as commanded. Quickly, he flailed out his wings. He put his hands underneath him. He balanced himself with his tail. He pushed up and kept from falling.

"Kneel."

Immediately, he grew weaker. His legs began to buckle beneath him. His legs started to adjust into the position of a one legged kneel. But he refused to let the leg touch the ground. He struggled, straining and sweating, with all of his might, to keep his knee from touching. He groaned and grunted. His body trembled, too weak to hold on. It was doing as it was told, and he couldn't stop it. He looked up and glared evilly at her again. In between clenched teeth, for he was biting down and straining to stop, he hissed.

"Bitch! Filthy bitch! Filthy, worthless-"

"I said _kneel!_ And don't open your filthy mouth again!"

The scream did it. At once, Wyvern's strength was shattered, and he dropped to one knee. Struggling and straining all the way, his head was bowed and he bent over to touch one arm to the ground, in the perfect position of servitude. He struggled to curse, to swear more damnation and pain to her. But his lips were sealed now. No matter how he tried to breathe or exhale, he couldn't make sound come out of them. He couldn't even swear.

With that done, Rydia continued to glare darkly at him for a moment. Then, she slowly stepped away from the other espers and went up to Wyvern. The red esper struggled in vain to break his position and bite her head off, as she bravely walked right up to the seething, giant esper and stood before his head. After that…to his shock…she extended one of her boots and propped it up in front of him.

"Clean it." She ordered.

Wyvern quivered, struggling to hold back with what strength he had left…struggling to swear or glare at her…

"Clean it!"

At that, Wyvern's strength broke. He struggled to hold himself back, but it was useless. Quivering and slowly…he felt himself slowly lower his giant, hellish head right down in front of the summoner. He bowed it almost to the ground. Once he did…his lips quivered and slowly cracked open. His tongue very slowly slid out. He tried so hard to stop that buckets of sweat bullets dropped from his brow. Yet he was powerless to keep his tongue from going fully out, and slowly began to lick the summoner's boots.

Now, a change came over Wyvern. His anger was totally spent. Instead…tears began to run from his nostrils, as he no longer had eyes to shed them from. He was crying. As strong as he had become…as powerful as he was…after having killed his brother and now taken his place as king of the espers…his pride was shattered. He was reduced to merely licking a human's boots, and was powerless to do anything about it. The humiliation began to break him even as he cringed there. The greatest of espers…a human's slave.

Wyvern hated to admit it…and was furious at himself when he did this…but he thanked the heavens when Rydia finally pulled her foot away from him.

"Now…" Rydia stated grandly. "Who do you serve?"

Wyvern's tongue was loosened again. He struggled to speak now…struggled to blare out a curse, struggled to tell Rydia to go to hell, struggled to even blast defiantly in her face, "I serve no one." But he could do none of this. He tried to make a different sound come out of his mouth. As he heard himself sound the syllables, he froze each time and tried to make them something different. But it was useless. No matter what he did, the only sounds he could make were the sounds of his lord and master.

"…Ry…d…ia…"

"Rydia what?" The summoner sharply retorted.

Wyvern began to cry again. The humiliation…the feeling of helplessness…it was greater pain to him than any blow that Bahamut had done to him. His voice began to break. His lip quivered. At long last…Wyvern was revealed for what he truly was. With his anger gone, all that was left was a miserable, wretched child.

"Master…Rydia…"

"…You are released."

At once, Wyvern collapsed flat to the floor. His body was aching from having struggled so hard to disobey Rydia in the least. Now, he had no strength left. What more, however, his pride was broken. He was reduced to a quivering shell of the mighty esper he had once been. He had been fully humiliated and humbled before the lowliest of species, in his eyes. He could only lay there now and struggle to gain the strength to rise.

"Alright Wyvern, if you're _quite_ finished," Rydia began to say to him a moment later, as she turned and walked back to the others. "I will now address you. And I'm commanding you to listen, in case you want to screen out anything I have to say. But I warn you, you should listen, because this is very important for you.

"You thought it would be fun to steal Bahamut's identity when you returned. Very well. If you want to be Bahamut, you are going to conduct yourself like Bahamut. That means you will come to the aide of humanity when they call you, and the rest of the time you will patiently observe them. You can do whatever you want on the Planet, but you are not allowed to do anything that interferes with humanity. No destroying resources, no burning crops… If you so much as bother a fly into buzzing over to a child, you will pay for it.

"You will also not hurt any of your people. You can take on the name of king now, but you will be a figurehead. You will defer all cases to Leviathan and Starlet. You will leave all matters to them of state and policies, and especially in dealing with humans and the development of this world. You can attend all of the parties and functions and show off your power, but you are not allowed to strike any of them for any reason. You can come to the defense of them when you need to, and you can run around doing whatever you like here provided it doesn't hurt any espers. You can take in all the glory, admiration, and credit as king…but you will never act as king.

"You are also lord of dragons, but you will not command them to attack anything. You may rule over them if you like, but they will never make a strike on anyone under your rule. You will be in charge of stopping rogue dragons, but you cannot order them to attack anyone, human, esper, or whatever. You will report all of your doings to Leviathan, and he will tell you what to do if more force is needed.

"I now command you, Wyvern. And rest assured that when I die my child will do the same. As will hers, and then hers, and then hers…forever. Leviathan will keep a careful account of your actions and then report them to me and my ancestors whenever discipline is required.

"That said, I give you a warning, Wyvern. You will obey all that I have commanded you forever, not deviating from it in the least. No one knows who you are. No one knows about this fit you just threw, and that you are nothing more than the plaything of a human now. For now, you still have your pride. And you still have the admiration of your people. So long as you respect life as I have told you, and conduct yourself as a civilized benefactor and not a screaming child, you will continue to have that. Perhaps one day you will remember the value of life and grow to like helping others, and if you do my children will consider freeing you. But if I hear that you bent the rules, found a loophole, or did anything sinister behind Leviathan's back…I will bring you before the assembly of espers, and there I will present you with some of my own feces and have the entire assembly watch you slowly eat them. Is that understood?"

Wyvern was broken. The fates he had plotted for his family had come back on his head. For now, he was made humble again. He could do nothing, of course, except slowly murmur in a defeated voice the answer. "…Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, master…"

* * *

Leviathan actually felt like celebrating when the party came that evening.

At that time, he came before a great assembly of espers. All of them had gathered, and had covered Terratopolis with decorations and lamps. Great food was piled up everywhere, and singing espers chanted in angelic voices while bands played. When night fell, fireworks went off into the sky, both magical and man-made. The celebration reached its zenith when all espers arrived and all partied and rejoiced. And when that happened, "Bahamut" was presented.

He met with thunderous applause. Gifts were poured on him from the people. Odes were chanted to him. The dragons arrived and saluted him with aerial shows. Great speeches were made chronicling his deeds. And after it all, in a grand ceremony, Leviathan "passed his title" onto "Bahamut", and everyone rejoiced as their king was crowned again.

Through it all, "Bahamut" did not smile. His look was somber and low, and the more people tried to cheer him up the more he pushed them away. He even began to snap at them to stop singing and stop playing after a while. That, however, was when their great summoner, Rydia, came forward and stepped aside with the king for a moment. When he came back, he managed a weak smile and mild appreciation for what they were doing. He bowed to them, and managed a very weak, seemingly half-hearted speech to the crowd thanking them all.

The party went long into the night. Espers were still dancing and rejoicing. Starlet, now a lady instead of a queen, called the new "Regent" Leviathan out for a dance when the moon reached its most beautiful point and the lanterns were let low. Leviathan had felt like doing so at that point. Wyvern was now safely restrained. His fears, for now, appeared unjustified, as Rydia reduced him to a figurehead puppet. He would not threaten them. Already, Leviathan could feel him desperately trying to think of a plan to escape this fate, and all the while promising revenge on Rydia and her family. However, he could think of nothing now, and at the time he was broken. Leviathan liked that he could sense him, for that meant if he ever did start putting a phony nice routine up, he could see his true intentions. Wyvern never had trained his mind half as well as the rest of them. Sadly, Odin, Shiva, and Atomos were having trouble enjoying the party, particularly Odin. He knew full well that if Rydia or her children wished, they too could make him bow down and kiss their feet. Yet Wyvern's restraint was good for now, and though many mourned the death of Unicorn, they were overjoyed that Rydia was alright. Some of the younger ones called her an esper herself, thinking she had become one when she grew the horn. All was right with the world.

At yet, Leviathan could not celebrate.

The peace was far too fragile for his tastes. The very fact that Wyvern still lived was a source of fear to him. Their true king was dead. Their great benefactor…and Leviathan's best friend…was gone. This part was still an illusion, praising his killer and not the man himself. Leviathan would now be king of the espers forever, though he would always be simply manipulating the puppet of Wyvern instead. And that was no source of comfort to him. The kingdom would be built on illusions. And controlling Wyvern was a ridiculous idea in and of itself. He was a loose cannon. He was a bomb waiting to explode. And the day that he did break free…which seemed likely enough…Leviathan knew that the terrible wrath he saw vented uselessly against them this morning would be unleashed on the whole world. Seeing this, he had left the party once his duties were done and returned to his study.

Wyvern had to be stopped. He had to be kept in check by true force. Yet there was no other like him. No other esper was innately that strong, and no other esper had bathed for centuries in the Lifestream to dramatically increase their own ability. Quite simply, there was nothing that existed that could hold him back. And even if there was, what then? What if this esper grew as corrupt and wicked as Wyvern? What if he or she lusted for power as well? Could an esper with more power than Wyvern ever be depended on to remain pure forever? Wasn't it more likely that they would eventually turn to evil, corrupted by their own strength? There wasn't a completely pure ruler in the world anywhere. No one that would be both strong and stainless as time went on.

Yet to that end, Leviathan received another idea.

If he couldn't find such a leader…could he make one?

Deep in Leviathan's library, he had the notes of Hades. The mad esper had tried to make an object called the Oblivion Stone. He intended for it to be an incredibly malevolent force, something that not only was made of pure evil and wickedness, but would channel more feelings of darkness, hate, and cruelty into it to increase its power. With this power, eventually the Oblivion Stone would take on a consciousness of its own. And when it did, it would be possibly to evoke the embodiment of this stone…which would be a curse on all life on the Planet…chaos itself personified.

Luckily, Hades had never completed his mad vision. Leviathan, on recovering the notes, locked them deep away in his Labyrinthine study. Unlike a normal library, the sole card catalog for that place was Leviathan's own memory. Without it, finding any specific book was useless. He had of course hid it well. If he hadn't, he feared one day that someone would find it and try to replicate the mad vision of Hades. Yet he hadn't simply destroyed them, and a day like today was the reason why.

Leviathan believed that he could apply the same construction principles to do the opposite. He believed he could make an object made out of pure goodness and kindness, that would channel more feelings of mercy, love, and peace to it with time to increase its power. Hopefully, given enough time, not only could something like this be built but it too would evoke its own personality. And when it did, the being that came out would be one of radiance and justice, bestowing an era of peace on the world and to all who lived in it.

It was a gamble, but Leviathan believed he had enough knowledge to do it. He was nervous about it too. After all, was it really possible for someone to make a perfect being? Similar delusions led people to accomplish great acts of maliciousness and evil, not to mention horrible boastful acts of pride. Perhaps his being wouldn't be perfect. But it would be good and kind, and ruled only by good emotions. And it would be strong enough to destroy Wyvern himself. And at the moment, that was all Leviathan cared about.

With that in mind, he had to leave his wife without a dancing partner. He had many plans to draw up, and he wanted to get underway with his main plan as soon as possible.

* * *

Far away, in the kingdom of Troia, a celebration was going on. Under the eye of their Eight Clerics, the people of the Earth Crystal rejoiced as their sacred object was finally returned to its proper place. The castle and city was filled with feasting and dancing and merriment the likes of which had not been seen in the history of that city or its continent.

Yet hundreds of miles away, on the edge of the continent, far on the other side of the deep endless forest that sprung forth from the rivers and power of the Earth Crystal, something else was taking place. Only a few forest creatures…a buck grazing…a chipmunk stuffing nuts into its cheeks…were there to witness it. And when they did, they merely regarded it with puzzlement, before going back to their own business. Deep within the forests, just overlooking the ocean, something strange occurred in one of the clearings.

Slowly, a metal sphere descended from the heavens. It had small fires on it, bursting out and making sure to lower it slowly to the ground. They slowly died in intensity as the sphere came closer and closer to the Planet. It passed through the tree line, and then went deep into the canopy. The buck looked up and chewed its cud, seeing the strange gleaming black object come down from the sky. At last, when it was only about a foot from the ground, the object halted. And there it stood, hovering in mid-air for a moment. The chipmunk forgot about its nuts and looked up and sniffed the air around it for a few short seconds.

The sphere hovered for a brief moment. Then…it made a whirring sound. A small panel slowly opened from right beneath it, right between the small fires that kept it suspended. When it did, a small metal arm slowly descended from it, straight for the ground. It appeared to be a gigantic catheter or needle of some sort, with an open area on the end as the arm came to a point. On touching the ground, another whirring sound went out, followed by the sound of suction. The arm readily vacuumed up all of the plants on the ground over it, and then began to suck up the dirt as well beneath it. It didn't do it for long. It only made a three inch deep hole, and then stopped. All noise went off.

Slowly…a small seed was dropped out from the end of the nozzle and into the hole. Once it landed, the machine reversed and spat the dirt back out on top of it, lightly burying it back under the ground. Soon it had vanished again, and was one with the rest of the clearing.

Its mission done, the sphere retracted its metal arm and closed it inside again. With that, the fires burst forth with new light, and the sphere shot back up into the sky once again. Within moments, it had cleared the canopy and continued to ascend into the heavens, where it rose until it vanished into a tiny blank dot and was no more.

The buck chewed once, and then turned back to the ground. The chipmunk turned away, already interested in sniffing for more nuts.

And the small seed broke open, and immediately began to take root.

* * *

FuSoYa moved his hands over a few crystal diodes. They responded by shifting themselves and turning colors. Centuries ago, Lunarians had lost the need of having push-button consoles. Now, they had devices that were keyed into their own bodies, and simply hand movements could manipulate anything, even a vessel of this size. It was child's play for him to be able to start powering down the systems of the ship, preparing to set it into drift until it reached a new planet and initiated orbit.

The son of KluYa now slept with the rest of his race. And with Zemes destroyed, it appeared as if they wouldn't be bothered again for quite some time. That left FuSoYa alone on board the monstrous, moon-shaped vessel of the Lunarians. Already, he had made them leave the orbit of the Blue Planet, leaving the people there to adapt again for a few more hundred years. There was some good news out of all this. Apparently, the humans were far more advanced than originally calculated, especially if four of them plus his nephew, a half-Lunarian hybrid, had managed to destroy Zeromus. Because of that, FuSoYa felt comfortable adjusting the hibernation clock to be much less than before. Now, they would sleep for only about five hundred more years. By then, their civilization would be advanced enough to at least take them in…assuming there weren't any more incidents like Zemes.

The ancient alien slowly sighed and stretched a bit as he finished adjusting the console. He wished that he could sleep as well. But as the guardian of the Lunarians, he would have to stay awake for the next five hundred years. Fortunately, the life support systems on the lunar craft ensured that the denizens aged very slowly. That still left FuSoYa alone for the next few centuries. To be honest…at least the incident with the Giant of Bab-Il had provided some stimulation. Now he had no one to talk to or anything to do. He groaned a bit at the thought, and with a sigh and a shrug supposed that the best he could do was take up the old libraries of the Lunarians again and read for the first thirty years or so…

_Beep beep._

However, FuSoYa was snapped out of his thoughts much sooner than that. He had just been turning away from the console, but now he fully turned back to see what had happened. When he did, he looked up over the crystal diodes and saw a clear, transparent sheet of crystal hung over it, framed in other crystal shards. On seeing this, FuSoYa noticed that the radar had come on. He had turned it on just as he was programming the orbit in, for that was standard procedure. On his current heading, he doubted he would find anything. Yet it seemed he was wrong.

On the far side of the Blue Planet, which was rapidly leaving his sensors, there was something on the move. At first it appeared to be a large piece of debris. However, as the sensors continued to work, a sub-window was opened and showed the results of the 3D imaging sonar. Something far more uniform and crafted than debris began to be formed. To FuSoYa, it looked similar to the Blue Whale shuttle model that his own people built. Only it was sharper and had different engines. This one was meant to actually be able to travel through space a little. That wasn't all, however. It seemed…as if this ship was aware of him. It was rapidly moving to the dark side of the Blue Planet now, getting out of sensor range.

_Hello…_ FuSoYa thought. _What have we here? Maybe I should investigate this a few moments longer before going any further away from-_

_"Alert! Alert! Foreign object approaching!"_

The Lunarian soon forgot about that, however, and instead turned his attention to the new sound that was blaring from his machinery. He looked down to the display, and watched as it changed from being an image of the long range sensors to show a graphic of the Lunarian moon itself. When it did, however, a small spherical object was highlighted from a far distance away. A small identifying line tagged it, and monitored it as the object slowly drew nearer to the moon. FuSoYa now focused totally on this.

"Magnify." He ordered.

The screen immediately formed a screen-shaped small frame around the object, and then seemed to take a snapshot and bring it forward. Soon, it enlarged until it filled the entire screen. What FuSoYa soon saw was a great black spherical object. It was a bit rough around the top of it…yet not so much as he would assume from most meteors or asteroids. Normally, they could be very rough and oddly shaped, but this one…seemed very, very smooth.

FuSoYa snorted. So, a meteor was coming. That was odd. Based on Lunarian astral projections, they should have automatically accounted into their course logs for any natural meteor or comet phenomenon for the next two hundred years. That could only mean that this meteor came from something that was unnatural… Perhaps an unexpected planetary collapse. Or some other space vessel crashing into an asteroid and sending it drifting. Although…that was a bit confusing too. It was approaching far too fast to be just from drift. It almost looked like a comet in that sense…

"Data on object."

_"Object is a class V meteor. Approaching Lunarian vessel at 1.4 million kilometers per hour. Time to impact: 20 minutes, 17 seconds. Extremely dense material. Top four primary composition elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen."_

Until now, FuSoYa had been frowning at the "class V" meteor rating. That was the worst. His people nicknamed that the "Planet Killer". Those kind of meteorites striking a planet the size of the Blue Planet would create a new ice age. Striking a vessel like theirs would probably be fatal…causing severe damage to 20 of the ship, ruining its gravitational stability, and probably decimating life support.

Yet all that was forgotten when he heard the composition of the meteor. He had expected iron, selenium, copper…things like that. Instead…he froze when he heard the four chief elements making up the meteor. And knowing that they were kept in ascending order of importance, he turned and looked to the display again. It hadn't changed…but his earlier suspicions were correct. It _did_ look too perfect of a sphere to be natural.

_And those readings…they're what you find in almost any life form in the known universe._

At once, FuSoYa didn't like this meteor.

"Engage parabolic course to avoid meteor."

The screen beeped, and a trail was projected on screen that rounded the meteor. FuSoYa stood patiently and looked up at the screen as it engaged. This was damn peculiar, and he didn't feel that great about it. The natural sphere shape was the worst part. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was a vessel himself, bearing some cargo. But if it was a vessel, then the scan should have revealed mostly titanium or some other durable metal. The fact that it revealed mostly those elements…indicated that the meteor itself would be the life form…

Abruptly, a siren went off.

_"Error. Unable to engage parabolic course. Time to impact: 19 minutes, 34 seconds."_

FuSoYa looked up at this in surprise. However…a cool feeling began to run through his chest as well. He didn't like this. He didn't like it one bit.

"Reengage course."

The machine beeped and did as it was told. FuSoYa stared at the screen this time and waited, seeing what would happen. Yet after a moment…the proposed trail vanished.

_"Error. Unable to engage parabolic course. Time to impact: 19 minutes, 2 seconds."_

FuSoYa swallowed a little. "Reengage course with modification. Allow for double the distance between the ship and the object."

Again, the computer beeped, and FuSoYa slowly exhaled and waited. His palms began to sweat.

_"Error. Unable to engage parabolic course. Time to impact: 18 minutes, 48 seconds."_

Now the Lunarian was growing uneasy. He licked his lips, and looked back out to the meteor for a moment. It was time to get serious.

"Calculate projected path of object. Engage perpendicular course to projected path."

The computer beeped, and soon new lines were traced on the screen. FuSoYa watched these. Soon, a line was drawn from the meteor to the vessel. There was no way that their ship had enough of its own gravitational field to draw that object to it. And yet, if it did…this should do the trick. Soon, a line was drawn perpendicular to this one, and he soon saw his own vessel began to go along it. Slowly, they moved out of the incoming line…

And then, the line connecting the object and the ship suddenly turned red…and its terminal point shifted slightly so that it continued its heading for the Lunarian vessel.

_"Error. Unable to engage perpendicular course. Time to impact: 18 minutes, 19 seconds."_

FuSoYa was now sweating. That had sank it. The object, whatever it was…was _trying_ to hit them. What more, if it had changed its course, and the time to impact was still counting down…that meant it was _picking up speed._ This was not good. He glared again at the close-up of the meteor, and narrowed his gaze at it. What the hell was this thing?

"…Arm the mark 4 charges. Prepare a spread of eight to target the incoming object."

_"Charges armed."_

"Fire."

A new image appeared on screen, as a spread of eight small dots suddenly flashed onto the display. They beeped, and the computer assigned lines of code to follow each of them, but FuSoYa didn't care. He focused instead on their path. He watched as the small dots slowly snaked through space and made their way to the phantom object. It didn't attempt to change course, it seemed. It let the charges fly to it. Moments later, he saw the dots change position and go onto the magnified screen of the incoming object. They soon connected with its surface, and the computer's image for an explosion displayed as they erupted.

A small time bar appeared across the display showing the meteor, indicating in Lunarian to please wait. FuSoYa inhaled sharply and stared onward.

Soon after, the crystal diodes turned red, and a larger warning sign went off.

_"Warning: object has increased velocity. Time to impact: 8 minutes, 53 seconds."_

FuSoYa felt his heart start to race. His mouth dropped in shock. He turned to look to the display…only to see that the meteor had only a slight depression in it from where the charges had hit. But now, it was coming faster than ever. If that thing, unbelievable as it was, was alive…he had just made it mad.

"Arm the mark 10 charges!" FuSoYa yelled at the computer, his voice growing fearful. "Prepare a spread of sixteen on a continuous stream of eight spreads to target the incoming object!"

_"Charges armed."_

"Fire!"

Again, the image returned. This time, it wasn't just a small series of dots, but one series after another, each one containing sixteen. The meteor was now clearly moving closer on the larger display. FuSoYa folded his hands and inhaled deeply. He began to feel himself chanting a prayer. After a few moments, the spread hit. The others quickly followed up. One series of eruptions after another struck the object, and again the display went dark. He inhaled deeply, and awaited the results…

_"Warning: object has increased velocity. Time to impact: 2 minutes, 8 seconds."_

FuSoYa now was definitely scared, as well as shocked. Those charges were the strongest they had. That level of spread and continuous series would have blown the Blue Planet's moon in half. As he began to tremble in fear and felt his heart pounding, he looked over to the display of the meteor. It was being updated now, and he saw that about a quarter of it was now missing, leaving only a dented sphere. But it was still coming, and now it was coming faster than ever. FuSoYa felt his mind begin to panic.

"Arm the mark 10 charges! Maximum spread! Continuous stream of maximum spreads! Use every last one we have!"

_"Error: mark 10 reserves depleted. Time to reload: 8 minutes."_

"Just fire them as soon as you got them!"

The computer beeped, and soon complied. FuSoYa felt himself starting to pant now. One by one, mark 10 charges began to go out toward the object. But at only one at a time, he knew they wouldn't do much. This was a desperate act, and he knew it. He had to think of something. That thing was coming for them. He had to do something about it, but he didn't know what else he could do. The ship was exhausting its defenses.

_"Error: volume of object miscalculated."_

FuSoYa turned to that. An error? It was reading its size wrong? He almost felt like sighing in relief. About time. He knew that the payload had to have done more than that…

_"Error: volume of object miscalculated."_

As the computer repeated its message, however, FuSoYa's look turned to puzzlement again. He stared at the screen and began to grow uneasy…

_"Error: volume of object miscalculated."_

When this latest message went off…FuSoYa gasped in horror. As he stared at the object in the display, he saw that it was changing. Every time the computer reported an error in volume, the display would change…_revealing a slightly more complete sphere_. To the Lunarian's terror, the sphere was _rebuilding_.

Or…regenerating…

_"Warning: object velocity is accelerating. Time to impact at projected acceleration rate: 1 minute, 5 seconds. Take evasive action immediately."_

FuSoYa was now sweating profusedly, and starting to tremble. He was out of time. The thing…whatever it was…was coming for them. And when it crashed, it would cause a power and life support failure that could kill half of the Lunarians on the ship. However…it would _definitely_ kill any Lunarian who wasn't in hibernation, and that included him.

"Full reverse! Maximum speed!"

FuSoYa actually shifted a bit at this. The contents of the entire planetoid did. The other movements it could buffer, but this was too great. No doubt, it was banging around some of the sleeping denizens, and may have screwed up some machinery, but he didn't care. They needed to get away. Soon, the ship was going in the opposite direction, and quickly accelerated to maximum speed. Seeing that, FuSoYa hoped and prayed they could get enough distance to fire an effective payload. Maybe at maximum they could destroy it, before it could put itself back together…

_"Warning: object velocity is accelerating. Time to impact at projected acceleration rate: 32 seconds. Collision is now eminent."_

With that, the screen turned to a series of Lunarian characters, all counting down from thirty two to the fateful value.

FuSoYa paled. That was it. That was the last thing he could do, and he still couldn't stop it. The Lunarian was scared now. Few things in the world could scare him, but in the universe…this definitely could. It was going to hit them. In spite of everything he did, it was going to hit. Thousands were going to die in seconds. Perhaps they all would die if the damage was too great. He had failed. His duty was to guard the Lunarians…but now it was too late. Nothing could save them now.

There was only one thing left to do.

"Prepare hull reinforcement. Activate all auxiliary power sources. Automatic rerouting. Prepare my hibernation capsule."

The computer immediately went about doing so, as the clock ticked down to twenty seconds. There was little time for him. Luckily, it didn't take time at all for the floor behind him to open up, and for a large gray chair to rise out of it, covered with technology and independently working computer systems. The display ahead of him altered to the view screen, for the object was now in view and fast coming. This was all he could do now. Try to cut their losses. He had to put himself into hibernation at once. It was the only way he could survive a life support failure. He was to the chair now, and quickly sat down in it. A few buttons later, and the system began to engage. A clear glass shield, yet stronger than most metals, slowly extended down over the front of where he now sat, and soon it sealed and became airtight. FuSoYa didn't have time to get comfortable or to inject himself with the probes that would keep him dreaming and nourished as he slept. He had to go to sleep now, and soon the chemicals that would knock him out before his body was placed in stasis began to enter his chamber.

FuSoYa looked back up to the screen through the glass. Ten seconds left. The next few months, he realized in growing fear, were going to be terrible. It could take weeks for the automated Red Giant robots to carry out enough auto-repairs for partial life support to be restored. When they did, whatever Lunarians were still alive would be in for a rude awakening when FuSoYa woke them up to commence whatever repairs they could to take their ship to safe place to dock and rebuild. There would be nothing for it, however. He just had to pray that whatever this thing was, that not only did it not destroy the ship on impact…but that it wasn't alive and sentient afterward…moving around and throughout the ship.

FuSoYa felt himself grow drowsy quickly. His senses left him, and his eyes began to droop. But as the clock ticked down to zero, he looked one last time out at the display as the meteor became so close he could see its surface clearly with his own eyes.

And for a brief moment, right before passing out, FuSoYa saw the surface…and thought that it looked almost like some sort of bizarre humanoid…glaring right at the screen with mercilessness and hunger.

Without the drugs to keep him having pleasant dreams, FuSoYa's own nightmares were soon filled with this horror for the next few weeks…

…this…"Calamity of the Skies".

* * *

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

_

Time for another note, Bahamut fans.

The next few chapters of this epic story of Bahamut seemed to be misplaced to me...as they don't include Bahamut in any of them. So rather than include these chapters in the "main storyline" as I originally intended to, they will be placed under their own fanfiction heading as an "addenum" to "The Servant". Keep in mind, however, that although this new section doesn't feature Bahamut, it is part of "The Servant", and hence you won't be able to understand parts of it unless you have been reading this fanfiction. At any rate, the story will mostly be told from Leviathan's perspective, just as this story is mostly told from Bahamut's perspective.

And just so you know what's coming, the name of this addenum will be "The Kuja Saga"...


	12. Neo Bahamut

_Two Thousand and Five Hundred Years Later_

Bahamut did something that he never thought he'd do again one fine spring day.

He woke up.

He remembered nothing of who he was at first. Those memories had been buried under the span of infinite time. And during that time, he had seen little. He remembered seeing faces…thousands upon thousands of faces. Many he had seen before. Many he had not. They were all running around with him, all talking to him, and yet he couldn't make them out. It was strange there. It was warm and pleasant and enjoyable…and he could have lost himself there. But he didn't. He continued to reach out. For endless centuries he had reached out and tried to know where he was. It took him a thousand years to realize, at last, that he was a face too in this whirling stream, cycling about endlessly. After that, he had begun to gain control of himself. He began to stop himself periodically in the stream, and pause and look around. He began to regain his form, and had nearly been able to talk out to them, and see where he was in this strange, warm place… But then…it felt as if his body had turned to ice. The pleasant sensation became hard. The shadowy world vanished…and some new sort of rough, jagged, harsh version of reality had settled in. And at once…even his memories of that place faded like dew in the morning sun.

And now…he awakened.

Bahamut's huge eyes slowly cracked and began to see again for the first time in centuries. He felt strange. He felt…new. It felt as if he had never done anything he was doing before. He felt as fresh as a new baby, and yet as strong and as wise as he once had been. But his memories…gone. Buried into the mass of eternity. He only remembered his name because it had been called to again and again. The voices in that place had cried out to him…wanting him to respond and come to meet them. But now, they were gone. He heard none of that now. He heard only insects buzzing and birds chirping.

Slowly, his other senses returned. He recognized nothing right now. His mind was too fragmented to even realize what things were. But he felt warm again. The sun was coming down on him, and the power of its light always rejuvenated him. Strange…he felt so weak… He felt so…new. It felt as if he had never used his body before in his life, though he remembered how. Everything he did…breathing…seeing…hearing…he felt like he was doing it for the first time. And so, he could only lie there and get used to doing these things for a moment. His mind…a shattered mess…slowly began to replace itself, and he tried to remember where or who he was. The sun's energy continued to power him, and he felt stronger slowly with time.

At last, enough of his memories returned to recognize what he saw. It was a forest. A bit young…but filled with wildflowers and young leaves. The trees swayed in the gentle breeze ahead of him. It was spring…yes, he knew that. He recognized the smell of a spring day anywhere. And there were other things here…squirrels, birds, insects…he remembered them too. They moved around now on their business, looking to him curiously for a moment from time to time, but then leaving. Seeing this, Bahamut felt strangely tired. He closed his eyes again at this, and tried to drift off…back to the place where he was before. This place was too unfamiliar…too alien.

Yet all Bahamut did was go back to sleep. And this sleep was far more rigid and rough than it had been existing in that other place. And the sun continued to strengthen him and beat down on him. He felt his body continue to move even after his mind had quit. It was not so in that other place. He felt his heart beat, his lungs breathe…everything. And as he dreamed, even the visions he saw were unreal. They were far less real than what he had seen before. But they began to work on his brain. They began to awaken parts of it, and stimulate his memories as they came back together.

Bahamut finally awoke, and opened his eyes again. It had only been a few hours. The sun was still shining down brightly, and the small creatures in the windy forest continued to move and stare at him curiously. Bahamut blinked and continued to look at them, wondering what this all was and where he was. However, he felt stronger now. He was no longer confused by the strange new movements of his body. He knew what they were, and he was getting used to them. So now…thinking came easier.

Bahamut lay there…and slowly began to remember more. He knew why he was Bahamut. He was Bahamut…because that was what the Planet named him. And his family…Odin, Starlet, Ogopogo, Leviathan, Phoenix…and Wyvern. Wyvern… Yes, Wyvern had been his best friend, but he left when they started Terratopolis… Terratopolis… Yes, he had ruled as king of the espers there. That's what he was, an esper. And he had given birth to the dragon race. Races… Humans. They were his favorite. He had watched them develop and grow ever since Palad… Slowly, it all came back to him. His memory finished rebuilding itself, and as quickly as he remembered new things they became second nature to him. It was like a cabinet full of tomes that had been dumped out into a pile, but were now being replaced in order. He remembered all the people and espers he had lived with his entire life. He remembered Wyvern…how he had turned from his best friend to his mortal enemy. Their horrible battles…first on the Planet, and then on the Lunarian Moon. And that was where he had beaten him. That was where…he had given the last of his life to Rydia and her friends…and…

_That's where I died._

Immediately, Bahamut snapped out of it. He suddenly leapt to his feet where he lay, and stared about in shock and terror. He ignored the rush of blood to his head, and he remembered. Death…he had died. He had finally died, after thousands of years of life. But…if he had died…then what was he now? He wasn't even on the moon anymore. He was…here. Was he on Gaia? He was in a forest…and he felt no pain or agony of death anymore. He felt…great. He could honestly say, he had never felt better in his life. Then where was he? Heaven? Bahamut looked around a bit at his forest. As he did, he saw a rotting log to his left, and to his right he saw a dead crow due to some parasitic disease. If it was Heaven…then it sure still had a lot of death and decay. Somehow, however…he doubted that it was. It felt too real. Too solid. And he could still feel pain and sorrow here. This wasn't Heaven…and it wasn't the afterlife either. No, somehow he knew it wasn't. The smell on the air was too familiar. It was the smell of reality…but more importantly, of the Planet. He closed his eyes and reached out his senses a moment. Yes…it felt like it too. It sounded like it. He opened them again, and realized where he was. He was on Gaia after all.

And he was alive.

But how was that possible?

Bahamut looked down, searching for more answers. Yet the moment he did, he nearly cried out in surprise. To his shock…he wasn't in his normal body. He was in a totally different one. Gaping in amazement, he looked up and to his sides and around his flesh. His dark blue color had gone, as had his old layered scales. He now had far more compact and thickly armored scales covering his body, and they were bright red, not dark blue. Only his chest was bright yellow. Not only that, but as Bahamut flicked his tail, he realized the heavy appendage he used to carry with him was gone. It was replaced with a long, whip-like tail with a clawed barb on the end. Still marveling, Bahamut looked up to his shoulders, and saw that great, independently moving spikes were now on either shoulder, giving him much more muscle and build. He couldn't see his face, but he could tell that his jaw felt different. It felt less like a beak and more like a maw now. Finally, he looked up to his wings…and received his greatest surprise yet. They were fully unfurled, and were frozen in position. They were great pieces of red scales now, and they looked to almost be like foils instead of wings.

Bahamut, shocked, felt over his own body. What was this? It wasn't his. It felt entirely new… Was that how he had come back to life? Had he possessed another esper? But if he had…he realized it had been a rather powerful one. To Bahamut's amazement…he had never felt so light or strong before in his life. He felt like a million gold pieces. And even though he felt new…he didn't necessarily feel different. He felt strangely as if this was his. As he smelled himself and sensed himself, he realized that this didn't feel alien. It felt new…but he could sense his own presence and power on it. Only he felt great. To test it out, Bahamut tried lightly hopping.

The esper soon cried out in amazement as his body leapt five hundred feet into the air. With barely any effort, he had launched himself into the sky like a rocket. Quickly, Bahamut extended his new arms and legs to stop himself. But before he could focus his auto-aero technique…he stopped automatically. Now frozen in midair, Bahamut looked around in puzzlement. Suddenly, he was hovering in the sky, but he wasn't expending any energy to do so. He wasn't even beating his wings. How was that possible? Bahamut was confused a moment…until he looked back to his new wings. He marveled at them. Somehow…these new airfoils made him capable of flight in midair without beating. They somehow channeled air to keep him in flight at all times. The esper blinked a moment…and then turned back.

_Alright then…let's try this out._

Moments later, Bahamut pitched forward and prepared himself for flight. But that was all he needed to do. As if the foils knew what he wanted the instant he did it, he suddenly pitched forward at blinding speeds. His previous speed limit was soon blown away as he shot through the sky like a bolt of lightning. Within seconds, he was miles away from where he woke up. Gaping, Bahamut quickly moved to stop himself…only to find that the wings obliged by instantly halting him. Once he did, he stayed perfectly in midair, not moving a micron. Bahamut looked about himself in amazement for a moment. Then…he tried flying again. It was a bit hard to get used to…but soon Bahamut was a pro at using his new wings. They were far easier to use than his old ones, he soon realized. Rather than need to actually engage in any maneuvers, he need merely adjust his body in the way he wished to go, and the airfoils did the rest. They instantly raised and lowered him to the exact heights he wanted with no effort on his part, and he was faster than the fiercest hurricane gale. Soon…Bahamut was smiling at himself as he darted around in the sky like a streak, until he finally returned over the area where he had awakened. Yet remarkably, for all his movement, he felt not the slightest bit tired.

Delighted with his new powers, Bahamut decided to try his strength next. He looked to the ground a moment, until his eyes settled on a boulder. Moments later, he swung a fist at it. To his shock, though the boulder was two hundred feet below him, the sheer force of his air immediately smashed it into fragments. Bahamut was overwhelmed. He turned his head to a tree next. He hesitated a moment, and then made a cutting motion in the air. Being an extra fifty feet away didn't matter…for again the force of his light blow sliced the tree in half. Bahamut was overwhelmed. Immediately, he dropped himself onto the forest floor. His wings made him land as lightly as a feather, and he turned his attention to a new tree. This one was older and more powerful, and its roots ran deep in the ground. Bahamut walked up to it and looked it over a moment. Then…he extended his weakest claw, and poked it into the tree trunk. He slightly lifted…and immediately a great ripping sound went out as the entire tree was uprooted. Bahamut felt not the slightest bit strained in doing so. Continuing to marvel, he lowered the tree back into its gaping hole, and turned away again.

_What about my mentality?_

Bahamut turned his head back to the ground at this. He looked at it a moment, and decided on something. Immediately, he reached out a hand to it and focused. Instantly, a great ball of dirt came up from the ground. Bahamut twisted his fingers and moved them about a bit, and as he did the ball of dirt was twisted, twirled, compressed, and manipulated in a million ways. Dirt flew everywhere as Bahamut squeezed it into a small space, pushed it into an indentation, and rearranged the structure within. Soon, the mud ball was gone. What was left, to Bahamut's amazement, was a crystal goblet with Bacchus wine in the center. Smiling and snickering once, Bahamut beckoned the goblet over to him, took it, and then downed it in one gulp. Sure enough…it was pure. Previously, conjuring up materials required the actual raw materials be present. But with his new power…Bahamut found it child's play to rearrange the atomic structure of any object to make what he wanted, and turning a ball of mud into crystal with wine was no problem.

Bahamut closed his eyes next…and was amazed. Before he even focused, the lives of everyone for a hundred miles were open books to him. He could see them all clearly in his brain, not as shadows but as people. He could see every move they made, and he knew everything about them at once. He need only focus on the one he desired. Not just them…but all life forms. All plants…all animals…all easily available to his new power.

The great esper broke it off, and then looked down to beam at himself. This was incredible. He was both new _and_ improved. His body was greater than ever before. As he turned and walked back through the woods to the clearing where he awakened, he wondered how this was possible. How was he suddenly alive again, and stronger than ever before? What had happened to him? Was this Leviathan's doing? If so, where was he? How long had he been out? Was it just a day? Or a hundred years? Was he in Heaven after all, with this new body?

Bahamut finally lowered his arms and looked ahead of him as he emerged into the clearing. However, as he did…a bit more reality struck him. He soon saw exactly what the place he awakened in looked like.

It was not the ground, as he had assumed, but a great circular stone table. Or, more likely, an altar. Esper runes were carved all around it, tracing into a circle that came into the center. He realized at once that he had been lying in the center of it. As he walked forward…he began to realize he could rule out being in the afterlife. Somehow…some sort of magical operation had been performed on him. He knew of nothing that could bring back someone from the dead, yet if he had to guess that was what had happened to him. But what did this mean? Who had done this? Where was his family?

All of the questions in Bahamut's mind were suddenly silenced, however, as he walked back onto the runic circle. For there was something else in the ring.

Resting on the ground, right in front of where Bahamut's head had been, lay a single envelope. Written in large letters across it, in the language of the espers, was a simple phrase.

_Read me._

The great esper paused for a moment. He swallowed inside. Apparently…someone had not only brought him here…but had required a message that was best not delivered in person. This made him uneasy. However, he wanted answers more earnestly. And so, the great esper bent over and snatched the envelope from the ground. On raising back up, he quickly tore off the top of it, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Heunfolded it, and discovered a message. What more…it was written in esper language, the kind of writing founded by Leviathan himself. Only other espers knew that. With that clue in mind, Bahamut began to read.

_Good morning, "Neo" Bahamut._

_Pardon the new phrase, but I think you will find that it suits you well. After all, what else do you call what you are now? In case you are wondering or haven't found it out yet…you were indeed dead. But now, thanks to a miraculous artifact I managed to obtain called the Crystal Stone, you live again. What more, it is in a brand new body far superior that that of your old one. You will find the power you possess to be greater than anything else that lives. Hence, I think Neo Bahamut fits you to a t._

_That said, you're probably wondering who I am or why exactly you are alive after you died. Well, to answer both, at least in part, I'm the one who brought you back from the dead. Of course, you're also probably thinking what I want in exchange for this service. You would be correct in thinking so, but that can wait for the time being. For right now, I want to tell you that the world is not the wholesome, comforting place you left. Much has changed. For one thing, you have been out of it for two thousand, three hundred years at least at this point. And this world has changed quite a bit. We'll have much to discuss when we meet about it, but I think it's best if you take it nice and slow._

_If you have time to read this, then don't worry, you won't be there much longer. I'm sending an envoy to pick you up as we speak. They'll bring you to me, and then I shall help…"bring you up to speed", so to speak. Until then._

_N._

A flood of thoughts went through Bahamut's mind as he read this. The biggest phrase that stuck out was how long he had been dead. Two thousand, three hundred years… To an ageless esper, that may have meant little in terms of aging and relationships…but it was a horribly long time. A million things could have happened since then. The Lunarians could have moved in, for all he knew. There were several generations of espers that he had never met. The human race might be flying by this point. That long…he had been gone for that long… It was a stunning thought…an overwhelming thought… It was ages ago when he died…

Yet Bahamut was strong, and had been alive much longer than that. And so, he managed to stand. This was overwhelming, but no more overwhelming than realizing he was alive again when he should be dead, and had this new powerful body. Now, he tried to sort some things out. Someone had revived him…and wanted recompense? Who was this N.? He knew of no powerful espers that began with an N… So was it a human? A human had brought him back to life? Or a Cetra? He didn't know…but in any case, he didn't like it. The tone of this letter was too smooth and dangerous. It was filled with hidden venom, and it made the esper sweat to read it.

What he supposed might have made him the most fearful of all, however…was the fact that the letter said the world had changed. And in that long period of time…anything could have happened…

"Help! Help!"

Before Bahamut could think of this any longer, however, he suddenly wheeled around to the sound of a woman screaming in terror. His new senses immediately helped him to zero in on the precise location of the echoing noise he now heard. Deep in the woods, someone was being pursued. He had been distracted until now, and hadn't heard it coming. But now, he forgot about the message and waiting for any envoy, as he heard the sounds of danger. He thought of stretching out his senses, but he realized he didn't have to. Fast as he was now, it would take no time at all to get there. His new hearing pinpointed the person at exactly three miles away.

Immediately, Bahamut sprang into the air. Using his new airfoils, he pitched forward and soon shot through the sky. Even as fast as he was going, he could still hear the sounds. Even from his distance, he could hear everything. It sounded like a struggle. A woman was screaming for help, and she wasn't alone. There was a man with her…and he too was crying out. And he heard horrible noises…monsters. They were attacking them. And there were several of them.

Within moments, Bahamut was there, hovering over the forest right where he heard the noise. With a simple gesture, he pitched himself around and then dove for the forest floor. He soon tore through the canopy and landed on the ground. Right before him was the group. On his sudden and silent arrival, they all spun around in shock and glared in terror at the new monster that had shown itself.

First, Bahamut looked to the two humans. Both of them had collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. Hovering over them were horrible, twisted looking creatures. One had some sort of strange Mohawk and carried a bloody sickle, one that Bahamut could smell had been used to kill many more humans. The other carried a wrench himself, also matted with blood, and had a greasy look about him. They had both been poised to kill their prisoners. However, on seeing Bahamut, both of them froze and turned as white as ghosts. The two humans stared at him in petrified fear for a moment. Bahamut saw that although they were humans…they were dressed very oddly. They seemed to be too fond of collars and sleeves, and they were wearing too many clothes. Their hair and faces were also much cleaner and well groomed than he expected. At any rate, with Bahamut's arrival, they were free, and somehow they recovered from dragonawe to get up and run for it. Bahamut then turned his attention to the others. There was also some giant kind of gecko creature slinking along the ground. Beyond him, far to Bahamut's left, a rather old, battered, scarred, and weak looking giant lizard lurched about weakly. It was missing most of its teeth, three of its claws, and had only one eye. But it looked weakly to Bahamut, and glared at him.

"Get him."

Despite the age on the voice, Bahamut couldn't help but hear some familiarity to it. However, after hearing it, he quickly forgot about it. He was being attacked. Both the greasy one and the Mohawk flung their weapons at the great esper. On seeing them and the power behind them, Bahamut merely crossed his arms and stood. Sure enough, on connecting with him, the two weapons harmlessly dinged off his mighty new body. The two gaped in response, and that was the last thing they did. Using his new speed, Bahamut shot forward and was soon behind them, and swung his elbows back behind their heads. Even though it was a light tap…it broke both of their necks and fractured their skulls. They were dead before they fell to the ground.

The gecko was next. Suddenly, its throat bulged. It made a horrible snorting noise. Then, it snapped its head forward and spat a disgusting wad of phlegm at Bahamut. The esper turned to this, and saw it coming a mile away. He knew full well that this species of giant gecko had toxic spittle. Though he was more than strong enough to whether it, he decided there was no point. After nimbly dodging it, Bahamut shot forward to the gecko and swung his mighty fist. The gecko gaped only once before its body was sent flying through the air, smashing through several tree trunks along the way. Long before it landed…or even finished breaking trees…it was quite dead.

Bahamut turned his attention to the old lizard next. Hissing viciously, it shot forward and began to swipe menacingly at him with its remaining claws. Actually, it would have been fairly lethal if Bahamut wasn't as insanely powerful as he was. However, he merely dodged three times, easily moving out of the range of each claw swipe, before seizing the lizard's arm and barely squeezing. The result was an instant bone snap in its arm. The thing roared inhumanely, before swinging its other claw forward. Bahamut caught this and did much the same. Soon, the monster was bellowing in agony, and helpless in Bahamut's grasp.

"D-D-Damn you…" It hissed in a horrible voice.

"Filthy traitor." Bahamut hissed at the creature in its own tongue. "You think you can so easily violate the eternal decrees of Lord Bahamut? Did I not warn all creatures, under pain of death, to not harm humans?"

On hearing this, however, the agonized monster grew livid. It suddenly thrashed and spat about madly, and was filled with hate. "And you call _me_ a traitor, you wretched human lover!" It snapped back. "You're the traitor! You've cursed your own race! _You_ deserve to die, you miserable-"

Yet as the monster continued to curse Bahamut, it suddenly looked up and glared at his face. For a brief moment, the eyes of the two locked…or rather, the monster's one eye to Bahamut's two. And when they did…immediately recognition came into their brains. At once, their look into the other's eyes told them both who they were. The monster stopped thrashing about instantly, and beamed in overwhelmed amazement. As for Bahamut…his jaw dropped, and he immediately released the creature and let it fall to the ground. Yet even there, the creature continued to stare up at him in awestruck surprise.

"Lord…Bahamut…?"

Bahamut blinked only once, before whispering the fateful name of the one he hurt.

"Khan…"

The two were rendered silent for a moment. They could only stare at each other. Bahamut was shocked. He had hurt his trusted aid so badly. And yet…he had looked so different. He looked as if he had been through hell. And the reason he was so scarred could only be because he had been injured at points so severely that even his ability to regenerate couldn't help him. But how? How had this happened to him? What more…why did Bahamut sense so much evil and rage coming off of him a moment ago? He had been attacking those humans… He had been ready to rip them apart… But how? Why?

He had little time to think of an answer, for suddenly he saw Khan thrown himself forward. Old and withered as he was, his arms managed to regenerate. The bones snapped back into place, and Khan now prostrated himself before Bahamut. But it was more than that. Soon, he began to sob and cry. He dragged himself forward along the ground, blubbering as he did so, until he was at Bahamut's feet. Then he threw his arms around his legs and began to weep against him, clutching him hard as he did so.

"Master…master! You've come back! I thought I'd never see you again…but it's you! Master…"

The esper didn't know what to say. This was a total reversal. Now he stood there in stunned silence, looking down on the ruin of Khan as he continued to cry.

"Khan…why…?"

But he was unable to get anything. Khan continued to grasp him and moan out in happiness at his master's return. He became incoheirent as he continued.

Bahamut's face slowly turned away from shock, and his voice gained more power. "Khan…why are you doing this? What's happened to you?"

Still nothing. Khan continued to cry against him and didn't say anything else except the same blubbering chants. But before Bahamut could try and push anything else, Khan suddenly came back to life again. The creature leaned up and groveled at Bahamut's feet, but stared at him with open eyes filled with fear and tension.

"Master…you have to help us!" He half-cried. "You have to help us destroy them! All of them!"

Bahamut blinked on for a moment, still puzzled. He shook his head. "Who? Destroy who?"

"The humans!" Khan yelled back. "Help us destroy them, like they destroyed us!"

The great esper was shocked. He gaped at Khan in surprise. However, his old assistant didn't back down. He continued to stare at him, with a fervent, almost maddened look. He continued to plead with him. Bahamut couldn't believe Khan would have said such a thing. What was he talking about? What devilry had happened to the world since he had went out of it? At last, he had to press for more questions.

"Khan, you're not making any sense to me!" He nearly shouted. He reached down and seized both of Khan's hands, keeping him from groveling any longer. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Khan sniffled and continued to stare at him with tear-streaked cheeks and swollen eyes. He licked his lips and was silent a moment. He was still earnest and eager, and he was trembling with anxiety and panic. However…as he sat there…he began to calm down a bit. "No…I suppose you wouldn't, master…" He slowly answered after a short while. "Nireevyou said that you wouldn't…"

This only made Bahamut blink in confusion again. "Nireevyou? Khan…I don't understand. What's going on? Why are you doing this? Why are you talking like that about humans? Who is this person? What's happened to the Planet in the past two thousand years?"

Khan continued to sniffle and sob, but he slowly managed to regain his composure. He looked like he was having a hard time of it. It took him a few minutes before he was able to calm down enough around his lord and master. For that time, Bahamut relented his wrath. Normally, he would have ripped any creature limb from limb for attacking his beloved race. But this was Khan…and he allowed him a berth for now. But what happened? What madness would drive his friend to do this? He had believed in the Light Warriors before Bahamut had. He loved humans. And now…he was so bitter and hate-filled about them…

At last, the great lizard relaxed. Still sniffing, and rubbing his one good eye, he crept back a bit from Bahamut's presence. He was going to a nearby rock. Once there, he slowly climbed backward onto it. He sounded very stiff as he did so, old and injured. He grunted and moaned as he pulled himself across it. Once he was there, he lay flat and panted a moment, getting his bearings back from the exertion he had been through. He looked lazily out and showed nothing. But then, he turned to Bahamut again and focused his full attention on him. His slit eyes were filled with sadness, and Bahamut could already sense the trouble in his heart.

"I'm sorry, master…for my lack of respect. I just haven't seen you in over two thousand years. And I am so happy to see you after so long… But…things have gone horribly, horribly wrong. Something terrible has happened to us…to this world."

Bahamut stared back at him silently at this. But seeing as Khan was getting situated, he felt he must do the same. Slowly, he lowered himself to the ground and got into his own lying position. He feared for a moment that it would be impossible due to his new wings, but much to his pleasure they at last moved when they folded back and lay in collapsed rows along his sides. It was like collapsing a fan. He looked at this a moment, but then turned his full attention to Khan. He heard the darkness and sadness in his voice…and he already knew that something serious must have transpired to drive Khan to this.

"…What happened?"

Khan continued to steady himself. Pain joined his inner sadness. He swallowed again.

"…Things were alright for about the first thousand years…" He slowly started. "We weren't as unified as we were under you, and the Planet underwent a few minors crises. The Cetra nearly died out. A great meteor struck the Planet near Narshe…turned that part of the world into a frozen waste…but things were alright. Then we found out that Wyvern had been impersonating you…"

On hearing this, Bahamut's red immediately turned white. "Wyvern!" He suddenly exclaimed. "What are you talking about? How did Wyvern get here?"

"He came back after killing you, master. He was severely injured, but he had your magicite. He fooled us all into thinking he was you. He tricked us into rebuilding his broken body, and he ruled in your place for a thousand years."

Bahamut stiffened at that. His hands balled into fists…and he felt no small surge of anger within him. Damnit…he thought he had managed to finish Wyvern back on the moon. But he had survived, and there was no telling what evil he did when he came back. "What did he do to the world?" Bahamut instantly snapped, immediately blaming Wyvern for any danger that had happened. "Where is he now?"

"He didn't do anything to Gaia." Khan slowly continued. "Lord Leviathan managed to find a way to restrain him. He didn't do anything for close to a thousand years. But then…some horrible wizard from another world came and made a deal with him. He said he'd let him free and increase his power if he'd serve him. And so he agreed. He killed Lord Odin and Atomos. He destroyed the last standing human kingdom. He would have destroyed the world if it hadn't been for Lord Leviathan. He used the cast off positive energies from all esper-kind and united them into making a single esper offspring: Alexander. He destroyed Wyvern for good."

Bahamut paused at all this, and took in this large amount of information. Slowly, he managed to lean back a bit and relax. So, Leviathan had come through at last. What he lacked in power he made up for in intelligence. He had managed to thwart his brother before he had done too much damage…and had eventually finished him by making a new esper, this Alexander. But more dread began to strike him… He had killed Odin. Bahamut cursed inwardly at that. Another member of his family was gone. It filled him with dread and sadness. However…the worst was yet to come.

"After that, my lord…humanity changed." Khan continued. "This wizard hadn't just used Wyvern. He used other espers to destroy large cities of the world. He got them by extracting the seal that Leviathan had placed on the summoner race. Eventually, humanity beat this wizard…but after that, every kingdom wanted a summoner. They became their most precious commodity. They first gave each other in marriage…but then they starting fighting wars to get summoner infants. And when they received summoners…they received the ability to control _us_. To use us as weapons in wars. Soon, any country that had a summoner was able to use an esper as a weapon and became a major power."

Bahamut looked up again. His eyes widened. Had he just heard that correctly? Summoners had been mostly unknown to him during his time on Gaia, but they had always been friends of espers. Their powers were only to be used in times of distress or noble purposes. But now…what was this devilry he was hearing? Espers…destroying cities? Using their power for war? And being forced to do so by humanity? He didn't believe it to begin with. It seemed like some sort of fantasy or fanciful scenario presented.

"Things grew worse, my lord." Khan continued, his voice growing into a quiver. "Humanity began to realize how to get our true power…through our magicite. They saw that if they took it, then even the least among them could get incredible powers. Even the ability to summon more espers. And so…soon they were grabbing for us. Any esper that appeared on the world was fair game. They began to invade our homes…seize our children and drag us out. They enslaved us. The strong ones they made fight their wars with one another…made us fight our own kind. The weak ones they slaughtered for their magicite. They began to fight openly with one another, lying each other's cities waste, making us kill one another…esteeming everything based on their own power. They turned the world into a wasteland. The skies turned black from all the smoke and chaos… Forests were burned away… Everything was gone."

The great esper heard all of this…heard the deep sadness in Khan's voice…heard him as he grew quieter and slower in speech. And when he did, and scanned his own mind, he realized the truth.

Khan wasn't lying.

Bahamut nearly fell to the ground. He continued to gape at his old attendant. The nightmare of the past thousand years was replayed before him. And he couldn't believe it. That was what had happened, though. He could see the memories in Khan's mind…and they were horrible. Absolutely horrible. It was true. His people…once the mighty rulers of this world…reduced into a state of chaos and slavery. The Planet…his mother…turned into an ashy waste. Humanity once again had succumbed to its dark side for one of these wars…

"…What of Lord Leviathan and Lady Starlet?"

Khan quivered in response to this. "…Both were captured by a horrible weapon that the humans built as their own engine of destruction…the Atma Weapon. Leviathan was killed when he refused to submit to the owner of the machine. Starlet…she lived just long enough to destroy Leviathan's magicite, keeping any human from ever using it, before she too was murdered."

Bahamut felt his blood turn to ice. His head fell, and he clenched his mouth and eyes shut. He felt tears soon begin to run from them. Murdered…they had been murdered too. He couldn't believe it. When he had ruled, the espers had lived as they pleased. But now…for someone to so easily capture Starlet and Leviathan…to so easily kill them just like that… It was like the world turned upside down. From what he heard, it sounded as if espers were now the ones beneath humanity. The great esper couldn't believe it, that such things had happened… His last brother and sister…dead. He was the only one who had survived of the original espers…

_No…I wasn't. _

_I died too…_

"Humanity continued to ravage the world. They killed off their own species by the thousands. Eventually, there were three humans who reached a level of power so great they became like demi-gods on the Planet. No esper could stand against them. They were twisted and warped by their own pride and power…and they ruined what was left of the world battling each other. There was one…some phantom man who was nearly indestructible to any level of power and loved war… Another was some vain woman who wanted all to bow down to her in worship… And then there was the last…a killing force so terrible he declared himself to be the 'god of death incarnate'.

"Our race was doomed to extinction. They actively tried to hunt us down. The only thing we could do was flee to Terratopolis itself and seal ourselves in. So we did. After that…somehow these three monsters managed to get enough of their decency back to realize they were doing something horrible. Using their last shreds of dignity, they drew all of the Planet's spiritual power that had been used for magical abilities to themselves, and then turned themselves to stone. On seeing this, one of us left and picked their statues up and sealed them away with us, so no one could use them. But we left three statues made of gold on an island that paralleled our own.

"Over the next thousand years, humanity rebuilt without magical powers. Wizards were the things of legends to them. I'm not sure exactly what they did…but eventually they became strong enough to find the entrance to our lair and break in." Khan paused at this. He bowed his head slightly, and sneered. "It was all Maduin's fault…"

Bahamut was sank into deep thought and horror by now, but he managed to raise his head at this. "Maduin?"

"He was an esper born after the War of the Magi, as we called it." Khan retorted. "Some damn human woman found the way into our world. We wanted to kill her so she could never betray us, but Maduin refused to let us. He actually fell in love with that cursed race. He even had a bastard child with her."

The esper raised an eyebrow to this. Despite all the terrible things he was hearing, this gave him pause. Never before in the history of all espers had one of their kind actually interbred with a human. Bahamut never thought much of it in his time. After all, he saw humans as beloved creatures…but nothing more. To actually want to breed with a mortal human seemed…almost beneath them. Yet he supposed…if an esper was young enough an inexperienced enough…they might want to. But that was unbelievable. An actual human-esper hybrid? However…he also picked up on Khan's fury at this.

"No doubt…she eventually betrayed us." Khan sneered. "A year later, a damned human army followed her right into our world. They started capturing us again. We managed to seal them out…but not before the bitch, Maduin, and their bastard child went through the entrance as well. I'm sure she lived like a queen for selling us out after that…for selling out her own fool of a husband and child. We didn't know what was going on exactly. Luckily…they had forgotten about us in some respects, how to use us for magicite. We assembled a force by the sealed doorway and wondered how we could help them. While we did…they used what they did know about espers to build another horrible army, this time using real machines fueled by our very life forces. Finally, the bastard came back…and she opened the door, letting us into her world. I wasn't there to see what exactly happened…" Khan trailed off for a moment at this, and bowed his head. He closed his eyes and trembled. "…But I saw everything when they returned."

Bahamut looked in closer at Khan at this…and sensed a horrible fear in him. His memories were blotted out, because the demi-esper couldn't bear to remember them. But Bahamut pressed him. "…What did they do?"

Khan held a moment longer at this. But then…he raised his head and looked mildly at Bahamut.

"Genocide."

The great esper leaned back at that. That sudden black word suddenly shot through his brain…and on hearing it his heart seemed to stop. He stared back fearfully at Khan, who silently stared back.

"They had found out how to use magicite now…and they had killed every last esper that had went through and absorbed their powers through their magicite. Then they came back to our own domain…and continued. With their new powers, we couldn't stop them. There were only two there…some demented clown of a human and some heartless old ruler…but between the two of them they started to slaughter us left and right. They stood right in the doorway, not letting anyone escape. Every one they killed made them even stronger. Within maybe an hour…our race…was gone."

Bahamut's jaw loosened again. A blackness went through his mind, and suddenly it was blank. His heart froze, and his breathing ceased. He could only stare at Khan. He couldn't say anything. He couldn't think anything. But after a moment…he managed to slowly voice his denial.

"That's…impossible."

"That's what I thought, master…but I saw it none the less." Khan trembled in response, beginning to cry again. "I watched them die…and I can still hear that horrible man's laughter as he treated us like we were collectables. I wanted to kill him…but I couldn't. There was nothing I could do as they grew stronger and stronger. They became god-like…and yet they weren't satisfied. They wanted every last piece of magicite in the world for themselves. They only wanted more and more power. And the more they killed…the faster they became at it. Children…" Khan clenched his teeth and cursed. "Damn children who couldn't so anything but sit and cry…that horrible man killed them and just took what was left… They didn't care how weak or strong the esper was. Just for power…only power… All the human race ever wants…more power."

Bahamut was speechless. Now…he could read Khan's mind and see this…see the horrible genocide as it unfolded…and see that twisted excuse of a human doing it all. He couldn't even really call him a human at this point. He was a monster…a true, unadulterated monster. And his people…his race…slaughtered without pity or mercy. The race that had struggled so hard for humanity…now merely considered raw materials to be _collected_. Humanity was no longer destroying itself…it was destroying its old saviors…the ones who had loved them for so long… Killed so cruelly and pitilessly. Not even thought of as living creatures…just means to more power.

The great esper didn't feel anger right now, however. He felt just great sadness. So many espers…espers he had seen be born and grow for generations…now gone. His people…gone. Terratopolis…the world he had made for himself…gone. Turned into a graveyard. The full measure of what had happened began to sink in. There was nothing left. His whole race had been destroyed. Wiped out. Slaughtered.

He had woken up…in a world without espers.

He feared it. He wouldn't believe it. In denial, he began to stretch out his senses. But as he did…he saw it was true. No large energy signatures. No familiar faces. All he saw were humans…a world of humans. Not one esper. He scanned over at Terratopolis…and found there was nothing there to scan. Nothing was left except a few plants. He couldn't even feel the energy of the volcano. Gone…all gone. His heart began to feel like ice…and a vicious tremble went through him. He was alone. The rest of his race…all destroyed. He was…the last of his kind. Everyone else was gone. His generations…the offspring of his family…dead. All of his friends and acquaintances…his family…had been wiped out.

The horror made the esper apoplectic. He held himself up on his forelegs a moment longer…but then wavered and collapsed to the ground. He let his head fall, and stared blankly ahead as he saw the horrible images in Khan's memory. He wasn't a man who cried often, and the mixture of negative emotions he felt now included far more than just sadness. So he did not cry…but he still looked out in sadness and horror…and realized all of his race was gone.

Khan himself sniffled and bit back tears, and then continued. "…Even after they had killed us all, they still hadn't had enough. They wanted even more power."

Bahamut paused in stunned silence at this. He stared out blankly for a moment longer. But then…his jaw slowly tightened and began to twist into a furious sneer. "…How much more power could those damn butchers want!" He found himself hissing, growing in volume as he did.

"The statues, my lord." Khan answered. "They wanted every last bit of magical power on Gaia to be given to them. So they went to the statues. I don't know what happened then…" Khan paused here a moment. Slowly…his head bowed…and he grew quieter and shook again. He struggled not to break out in more sobs. "Singh and I fled…for when they reached the statues…they made Terratopolis rise from the earth and float in the sky. They also unleashed horrible mutant abominations…and Singh didn't make it…" The half esper trailed at this, and bowed his head a bit lower while closing his eyes. Bahamut stared out in response, showing no more emotion…but inside feeling his own sadness grow a bit more. That was why Khan had come alone. Singh would have always been with him.

However, Khan recovered after a moment, and raised his head. "Like I said, I don't know for sure what happened…but somehow they did something to the statues. When they broke up…they rearranged the face of the Planet and destroyed Terratopolis. Everything on Gaia that had taken a thousand years to regrow was laid waste again. Everything started to die. The clown man killed his own master so that he could alone rule, declaring himself the god of Gaia. The dark monsters of the Ancient World were unleashed and rampant. I thought it was the end.

"Then…about a year ago, some human group attacked him. They destroyed the three statues and the madman. As a result…all of the magicite on the Planet began to disappear. Somehow, those three demigods had ensured that the very essence that kept magical power on this world was tied to them, so that our own essences faded afterward. Within a half hour, all of the magicite shards had disappeared, and their spirits returned to the Planet.

"As for those who were left…we were hunted down. Humanity has resumed its ownership of this world, and now freed from their oppressors they want us dead along with the other monsters of the Ancient World. We have been tortured…beaten…starved… We were a miserable ruin. Humanity almost finished off our entire race." Khan paused for a moment after this, and then raised his head in a somewhat more hopeful gesture. "But then… Nireevyou came."

Bahamut was sunk in his own gloom at this point, realizing now that even the essence of what his family had been was gone. It was something too horrible for him to imagine. But then, he raised his head again at this name.

"You've mentioned that before… Who is this Nireevyou?"

"One of us, my lord. One of the last of the non-human races alive." Khan responded. "He's been around for hundreds of years, ever since the end of the War of the Magi. He had sealed himself away and watched to see what would happen. After the clown man was destroyed, he finally showed himself again. He wielded fantastic power. He found the last few survivors of our races and brought us together. My lord…other than you…he is the last pure esper still alive."

Bahamut's eyebrow raised at this. Another esper? So he wasn't the last of his kind after all… But who was this? The name filled Bahamut with puzzlement. He had never heard of a Nireevyou… Then again, it had been a couple thousand years since he had died. He probably hadn't heard of a lot of espers since then. And yet…this one was the only survivor. Out of all of his kind…only one esper had managed to avoid death. Everyone else was gone. Whoever this mysterious esper was…he had to be rather resourceful and competent to have gone on for this long.

"He's the one who made us into a fighting force." Khan continued with more earnest. "But there's more than that, master… You see, he came out here the other day. None of us knew why, only that he took one of Lord Leviathan's old devices with him…the Crystal Stone. It was what had been used to make Alexander centuries ago, but he found out that it could actually be used to _resurrect_ espers! But it tookcenturies to recharge its sun energy…so it could only be used once. We knew he was going to try and bring an esper back from the dead…but I had no idea it would be you! Then again…I thought you would be the best choice. You are our king, after all…"

Bahamut said nothing. His face was expressionless now, and he thought over this latest information. So…that was what had happened. That's who the "N" was on that message. It was this Nireevyou. He was the one who had brought him back from the dead. Bahamut supposed he should have been grateful for that… However, something about this story did not seem all together a happy ending to him, and it began to unnerve the great esper. He turned back to Khan.

"How did he manage this?"

"Somehow, Nireevyou managed to get a piece of your magicite from Doom Gaze, the monster that had taken you. Using that, and the power of the Crystal Stone, he managed to reenergize your essence and give you a new body, then call back your spirit into it. I don't know all the details…" Khan trailed off at this, and then smiled wider. "But this…this is wonderful! The King of All Espers lives again! With you and Nireevyou together, we'll be unstoppable! Humanity won't have a chance! We'll rule this planet again within a year!"

The great esper's face changed at this. The eagerness with what Khan was saying got to him, and he suddenly turned dark. He held up his hand in a stopping gesture. "Khan…what are you talking about?"

The half esper calmed down at this, and then spoke up again. "Master…that's why we're uniting. We were in danger of becoming wild savages to be hunted down by mankind again. But no more. Under Nireevyou, we've been uniting. We're starting to build and train now. We're making a true army, and we're gathing more every day who are willing to work. Soon…we'll be able to forge our own kingdom again. Then we'll destroy humanity."

Bahamut's eyes widened a bit at this. "…Destroy?"

Khan clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. "We'll get revenge for all the years of suffering we endured. We'll make them pay for kicking us out and shunning us… We'll get revenge for how they twisted and warped our world…turning it into a waste. Every last one of the great espers will be avenged. Humanity has had it. They treated us like dogs and slaves…but we won't give them the same courtesy. We'll make them pay with their own blood for our blood. And with you to lead us…they'll be no stopping us! You could probably destroy humanity yourself!"

But Bahamut was not thinking of that. He was transfixed on Khan. Again, the hate had surged. Bahamut felt his overwhelming anger come forth, and he had seen how it had demented and twisted Khan…and how with such delight he talked about spilling human blood. Bahamut couldn't believe it. Had his friend changed so much?

"Khan…how can you want to do this?" Bahamut finally stated.

Khan's smile immediately faded…and it turned to confusion. He looked up to Bahamut with an almost puzzled expression, as if Bahamut was the one who was truly confused.

"You were the one who trusted the Light Warriors before anyone else. You loved humanity. And now you want to kill them?"

Khan's face nearly turned to shock. However, deep hurt was more of what was in it. He was stunned that Bahamut could be saying these things back to him. "Master…they slaughtered us! They murdered my race! Destroyed our home! Killed Singh! And they didn't think of us as anything but animals! Of course I want to kill them!" Khan's eyes began to tear at this, and his jaw clenched as he grew angry. "I want to tear every last one of them apart! I want to rip apart their babies with my teeth just as they sliced our infants up into meat! I want to burn their kingdoms to the ground just like they burned ours! They drove us off of our own world! Made us live in terror! Tortured and murdered the captives!" Khan's anger had built almost to violent rage at this point, and he suddenly threw his head down and screamed out as tears came from his eyes.

"I hate them! _I hate them all!_"

Bahamut couldn't believe it…as he saw the agony that had driven Khan mad. It had twisted him inside as well as outside, and now he could sense only ruthless, merciless anger from him. He saw horrible scenes of violence flash through Khan's mind, each one of some terrible, inhuman act to humanity. He couldn't believe it. This was his once youthful, merry assistant? This miserable, hate-filled creature, so full of bloodlust and death?

"Khan…"

But at this, Khan suddenly lifted himself off of the rock. He looked up and glared hatefully at Bahamut…and he seethed.

"How can _you_ tell me not to kill them!" He suddenly accused. "You weren't even here! You didn't see your friends be murdered before your eyes! You didn't see your world be torn up around you to satiate some ungrateful human lust! You didn't see the war when they feasted on their own flesh and sacrificed their families to get our powers! They call us the monsters…but they're _demons!_ How can you sit there and defend them! After all they did! After all the innocent lives they took! They deserve to die! Every last one of them deserves to die! They're a disease! I thought you'd see that! I thought you'd want to help us!"

Bahamut was taken aback. He never expected such violence from Khan. Now, the hate was directed to him for not consenting to this immediately. And it was so terrible…the great esper found himself shocked. Was he that full of unforgiving hatred?

But then, at the same time, another dark voice spoke inside him.

_Why _don't _you want to help kill them?_

_Look at them. Look at what they did. They killed everything…took everything away from you. They butchered your entire race. You can see it. You can see it when you look into Khan's mind…all of the horrible details. Humanity didn't come through this time. Rather…they used you. They used your people as weapons, and nothing else. They slaughtered every last one of your race. You have nothing…and all because of _them._ Again, what Crusader said has come around. She warned you. She warned what would happen if you didn't rule them. She was right. Everything she said that they would do, they did._

_They turned your world into a wasteland._

_They turned your race into slaves._

_The first war taught them nothing. They turned this planet into a world of darkness, but it wasn't enough for them. After a thousand years, they did it again. They went worse. So now what? Another thousand years? Then there will be another war. And this time…what will be left? What will they want power from now? They weren't satisfied when they made your people into their personal collection. They weren't satisfied when they gained all the power of magic in the world. When will they be satisfied? Ever? They just keep wanting more…more…more… More power…more death…more destruction… They took everything you loved and slaughtered it. There's nothing left in this world for you._

_They forgot again. They forgot everything about what you did. They turned belligerent and horrible again. They _are _monsters. They are killers. How can you sit there and defend them? Haven't you granted them enough mercy? Shouldn't they all die for this crime? Shouldn't they all pay for what they have done? You've let them live long enough like this. You should vent your judgment. You saved their race. Their lives belong to you. So revoke the gift they have squandered. They have committed a horrible, horrible crime…and their penalty should be death. They should all suffer…_

Bahamut was nearly consumed by these thoughts. The fact was…his sadness had passed, and his anger replaced it. How _dare_ they use him and his people like this? How dare they act so ungrateful, engage in these abominations? They were gaining more and more power…and they continued to abuse it. When would they be satisfied? When did it end? How much more had to die for them? And besides…they had committed a horrible crime. And Bahamut couldn't forgive it. He was furious at humanity…filling with rage. They had treated them like sheep for the slaughter…perhaps they did deserve to be slaughtered in return…

Had he never endured the Age of Chaos, he might have joined the wizard there.

However, he had.

_…No. No, I won't believe it._

_…Not yet._

_Good never fades out from humanity. Always…there is a remnant. There has to be something. After all…who else would have gone against that madman? Sure, they could have been doing it to save their own lives…but I doubt it. Their whole race can't be finished. They can't all be wicked. There has to be something here worth saving…some genuine people who are still true and just. There have to be people like Palad still in this world… Somehow, in the midst of all this darkness and chaos, good has to have remained. Even these psychotic demigod magi had enough decency in them to end their horrible war. There still must be something left._

_I cannot wage war against this race knowing that. I can't put them all to slaughter like they put us to slaughter. If for nothing else…I have to show that I am more merciful than them. Khan…he is too clouded with hate and rage. His story is biased. I owe it to the human race, especially after the Light Warriors, to see the whole story and both sides._

_Besides…if this Nireevyou _did_ revive me to have me help him wage war on mankind…then, esper or not, _he _is simply using _me_ as a weapon. I once pledged myself as an enemy to the enemy of humanity. I can't break that so easily._

"…Are there any others besides you, Nireevyou, and myself left that have esper blood in them, Khan?"

The half esper hesitated at this. He was still brimming with anger, quivering with it now. However, this question made him calm slightly, although he continued to glare at Bahamut. "…Nireevyou has two other half esper assistants. Then there's the bastard. You and he are the only pure espers left."

Bahamut hesiated after hearing this. But then, after a pause, he slowly began to stretch himself back to his full height. Soon he was on his feet, and he was unfurling his air foils again. On seeing this, Khan's calmness faded. It turned into a mixture of confusion and anger. Bahamut didn't explain himself. He merely turned away and faced the forest.

"Where are you going?"

Bahamut hesitated for a moment at this. But then, he turned his head slightly behind him. "…I am going to talk with the human-esper hybrid for myself. I owe it to humanity to hear their side of the story."

But on hearing this, Khan suddenly leapt off of his rock and went vehement with rage. "I was right!" He screamed at him. "I don't believe this! You're actually going to side with _them!_ You're going to help them! You're going to assist the murderers!"

"I did not say that." Bahamut calmly replied. "I merely want to hear both sides. Perhaps I can negotiate a peace…"

"_PEACE!"_ Khan screamed. "You…you traitor! There is no peace! There is only one of us living and the other dying! They don't deserve peace! _They deserve to die! Why can't you see that! We need to kill them now while we still have time! Damn peace! And damn them all to hell!"_

Bahamut heard Khan seethe behind him. His anger was dangerously high. It was pushing out all other pity or love. He had only his hate now…and it was surging at everything, but especially Bahamut. He sensed horrible hurt and feelings of betrayal in him, and it was stripping Khan of whatever mercy or decency he had left. Bahamut stared at it…and almost couldn't bear to watch. He wasn't the Khan he remembered. He was being turned into the same monster he hated. He didn't recognize him anymore. If nothing else…Bahamut realized he had to show mercy to the humans to keep this from happening to him. If he had given in, this might be him right now. Slowly, Bahamut could only turn away.

"Farewell, my friend."

Bahamut was moments from taking off. But right before he could…he felt something unexpected.

Khan was suddenly on his back, sinking his teeth into his neck and trying to stab him in the back with his remaining claws.

_"Traitor! TRAITOR! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU! Curse you! Curse you and every last human! I HOPE YOU DIE AND ROT IN HELL WITH THE REST OF THEM!"_

Bahamut was not one to tolerate being attacked. Khan could barely hurt him…but Bahamut realized something else. Khan was too far gone. He would never forgive humanity…and he would always be a threat to them. He had forgotten about the Light Warriors. He remembered only his pain…and he could never forget it. It had driven him mad with hate. He now wanted only to murder Bahamut as well…and to Bahamut's terror he realized now, as he scanned Khan, that his former attendant would do so if he ever got the chance. Seeing this…Bahamut's small tolerance left him. His righteous anger began to replace it, and he felt his strength surge.

Suddenly, the great esper snapped around so fast that Khan was left suspended in the air where he had been.

Before the hateful creature could realize what had happened, Bahamut drove his fist forward and put it through his head.

The esper immediately froze, and his jaw dropped. Moments later…the sounds of the contents of Khan's brains hitting a nearby tree splattered…and the body went limp on his wrist. Bahamut stood in stunned silence.

He…had killed him.

His attendant and friend…he had killed him. He hadn't known his own strength. He didn't know he would have been that strong…

But then, as Bahamut stood there, he rethought that. No…he knew. He knew he was going to kill him. He killed him because he could do nothing else with him. He killed him because of what he had become. He knew what he was doing when he spun around. He knew he was going to murder his own friend. But he had no choice. There was nothing left he could do for him. Khan had started down his own dark path, and he wouldn't come back. He knew there was nothing he could do to bring him back. He would have only hurt people now…

_No…_

_No…I didn't murder Khan._

_Khan had been dead ever since the war broke out._

_I murdered a madman._

Bahamut slowly let his arm fall. As it did…Khan's remains slowly slid off. He stared at him in silence for a bit longer. His friend was gone. The last person alive he would have talked to and trusted…gone. Now he was truly alone. Alone in a world without espers or magic. A world where only humans still dominated. It was later now. The afternoon was coming on, and still Bahamut stood there for a few moments longer in silence, thinking about all that had happened and what this meant. What would he do now? What was his place in this new world? Did he even have one?

Bahamut didn't know. But he would find no answers here. His answers were with this hybrid…or at least, they would start there. He had to find out.

Despite his thoughts that he had done the right thing…Bahamut looked down to Khan's fallen body. He stared a moment longer…before his mouth whispered something silently to him. He stared at him a moment later…and shed one single tear, letting it slowly roll off of his cheek and fall to the ground. After that, he looked back to the sky and prepared his airfoils again. Moments later, he was not only in the sky and flying away, but already miles away.

* * *

_To be continued..._

Yes, I'm treating Neo Bahamut and Bahamut as the same person. (Sorry, nightdragon)

Some of you may be wondering about how Bahamut's magicite could have been used, or gotten from Doom Gaze when Terra and company did it. Here's the thing. They managed to get the magicite from Doom Gaze, but a _piece_ of it was still left on the monster when it fell. This is what Nireevyou collected, and what he managed to keep from vanishing when the rest of the magicite shards disappeared. They'll be more on this in later chapters.


	13. Dreamscape

Bahamut soon forgot about his mission to find the hybrid for a while. Instead, he raced across the surface of Gaia, trying to burn off his anguish. Now…he freely wept. His tears dotted the countryside of the world over. Just seeing the Planet…seeing how barren and devoid of life it was…not sensing so much as a single other esper…brought him to tears. The world wasn't even as he remembered it. It had been totally rearranged after the destruction described in the story. So much of the world was nothing more than barren plains, without any sign of life on any of it. But even if there was…the world would still be as empty and cold as it had been years ago.

They were all gone. The world, which had once been ruled by his kind, was no more. His age had totally come to an end. Now…he was just a relic. He was the sole survivor save for this other…and what could they do except sit around and wait to die? There was no world left for them. They had nothing…no peace to go to after this. No wonder that this other had turned to war. War could be the only purpose he had left. It was something. It was a bad something…but Bahamut knew that after it was over this man would have nothing again. There was nothing left for any of them.

_After everything we tried…everything we did…the world is the same as it was before we arrived._

Bahamut had to fly now to burn it off. He had to weep for this world. He was a stranger in a strange land now, and that was enough to make anyone miserable. He had to have his time to grieve. And so he did. For hours and hours he flew over this world, silent and sobbing. He indulged the full measure of his misery, letting it all come flowing out. For a long time…there was nothing else he could do.

But then, at an appointed time, Bahamut took in a deep breath to stifle the last of his tears, and wept no more.

He had to make a new start now. He was still immortal, and very strong. He could not run around weeping for the rest of eternity. He had to find a new place in this world for him. He didn't know where it was, but he had to try. In time, he had to regain what he had lost. He was alone…but he was one. Somehow, he would have to try and rebuild. He wasn't sure how to begin. He wasn't sure if he wouldn't be hunted down like the rest of his kind. But he had to try. He had to live…for the memory of his slaughtered kindred. He had to survive.

With that in mind, Bahamut slowly got his wits about him. His grieving was over. He needed to think of what to do next. He began to scan the ground to make a new mental map of how the world looked. As he did, he considered again the hybrid. He thought of her for a moment. Apparently, Khan had little love for her, her mother, or this Maduin. But regardless of that…she was one of the few individuals that had esper blood left in her. And much of Khan's story had been biased toward hatred. There was a chance that it had been stretched. He thought he should find out for himself. She would be an interesting specimen to examine, if nothing else. And she was part esper…which meant that he would want her allegiance eventually.

But if she gave the impression that she had collaborated with the worthless men that had massacred his race in opening that gate…he would gladly finish her as Khan had threatened.

With that in mind, Bahamut stretched out his senses again. Soon…he picked up on an interesting reading, and immediately he made a perfect ninety degree turn in midair and flew for it.

* * *

With his new speed, it took Bahamut no time at all to get there.

Bahamut still had only a fragmented concept of what the world was like now, especially after what had happened. He wasn't sure what kingdoms or governments were in power…if any after the apocalypse that Khan had mentioned. Where the signature led was far from human civilization, on the end of a very long peninsula. There wasn't another living soul for miles, and it was getting dark out. This kind of situation, to a human, was not a welcome situation. Normally, he expected to see lights from one of their cities as he neared. However, as he drew closer, he saw nothing of the sort. As the light darkened, he only continued to see darkness. Soon night had fell, and still he saw nothing.

Fortunately, Bahamut had other senses as well. His new body seemed to be excellent at picking up other sorts of light, such as infrared. Soon, he was seeing the world in a black and white, yet clear, view as he continued to go forward. And after traveling a few more miles, heat last saw something. There was a town out here near the seashore. Rather…there was the ruins of a town. There were a couple of wrecked buildings surrounding a mass of ruins, and looking rather overgrown and unkept. On seeing this, Bahamut immediately dropped out of the sky and to the ground.

On touching down, Bahamut called on his superior abilities to be as stealthy as possible, and continued his approach. The town was nestled between rock cliffs…but it was still easily visible. Some of the few trees left in the world grew around it. Bahamut was a bit confused. This place looked like a ruin. A ghost town. No one was here. Not a single light was showing, not even from a campfire. It was dark and silent, and night creatures were moving without hindrance through the town, examining things and moving on. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked. Perhaps his target was only resting here.

But after a moment, he stretched out his senses to confirm it. Sure enough, he soon saw several sentient beings there. They weren't in the wreck. They were beneath it, in some sort of basement chamber no doubt. There were about nine in all. On closer examination, Bahamut recognized five children (three boys, two girls), two teenagers, the hybrid (who seemed to be in her late teens herself), and a toddler girl. All were human save for the hybrid. On scanning her, Bahamut saw that her powers already far transcended that of normal people. She merited a closer investigation at the very least. This would actually answer a question of his that he had for some time. Humans were the only species close enough in nature to espers that they were able to utilize the powers of magicite. So what kind of creature would a hybrid be?

Bahamut didn't know, but he continued to creep forward. He was perfectly silent as he did so, although the crickets and cicadas managed to keep him concealed. It was late now. As he drew closer, he could sense that some of the children were already asleep. The older ones were awake, but he had a feeling they were lying down too. With his new body and knowledge, it would be child's play for him to slip into this building and investigate further…

However, just as Bahamut began to grow within striking range of the first wrecked building…he heard a vicious barking. He looked up, and saw that two guard dogs had suddenly leapt up and began to sound their alarm call. Bahamut saw this, and frowned. So much for a clean entrance. He should have suspected this, in actuality. This was a wilderness out here, filled with dangerous creatures. No wonder they had gone below and not had any lights. They didn't want to attract any predators. And now that these dogs were barking, no doubt the hybrid would soon be around. Indeed…these weak humans would never have survived without her for defense.

Soon, Bahamut's sharp hearing heard a door opening and closing far in the distance. A dim light began to flutter in the window of one of the wrecks, like a torch. It was time for him to make his escape. Immediately, he turned and took off again. His airfoils made him totally silent, and he didn't leave a sound as he soared a mile away within seconds. By the time the hybrid had gotten to her dogs to calm them down and look for signs of an intruder, Bahamut was well out of range of a scanning spell. From this safe distance, so far away he could barely make out the trees and buildings around this town, he monitored the hybrid. It was odd. It seemed…for a moment…that she was trying to draw some inner power out from within her. Bahamut was intrigued by this, and focused on it. It seemed that she had an inner energy within her…but she was unable to draw it. It was intriguing to Bahamut. It seemed as if it was similar to the trance form of Starlet. She couldn't transform into Ashura unless this "power" was "charged up" in a way. Perhaps this worked in the same format…

However, on thinking a bit harder of this, Bahamut thought of something new. This inner power…whatever the hybrid was trying to draw out…seemed "discharged". Because she was half esper…Bahamut wondered if this might be a side effect of magical energy "disappearing". Well, of course all magical energy hadn't disappeared. Bahamut still had his powers, and he believed this other esper did as well. They'd be dead if all magical energy had faded. But if that was the case…how come the power had faded from the rest of humanity? And how come the shards of magicite had disappeared?

Bahamut's only thought was that somehow, these three statues had made themselves the "sources" of magical power when they took it all to themselves…like some sort of storage tank or capacitor, from which all other magical power now came from. Perhaps…as the espers had lived on in the years following the incident, their innate power had gradually been replaced by this "borrowed" or "outsourced" power. That would explain why, when the statues disappeared, that the magicite had disappeared as well. Magicite wasn't the soul of the esper so much as their distilled essence and energy. And if all of that energy had come from the three statues, then naturally it would have disappeared. Yet if any of those espers had actually been alive, their own innate spiritual energy would have been able to remain fixed on this world, and therefore would have lived even after their power was taken away. It would have drained them, yes…but once the statues were gone, there would be nothing keeping the natural flow of power from coursing through them and restoring their strength. No doubt, this is why the hybrid had survived. She was still alive when it happened, so her spirit must have tied into something of this world and therefore survived the end of magic. Pity there weren't more living espers when this happened…

At any rate, by this point the hybrid had cautiously turned and returned to the house. As she did, Bahamut was left alone in the night to rethink his strategy. Perhaps approaching now was too soon. He should try to get a better idea of what he was dealing with first. And that chance would come tomorrow morning.

With that in mind, the esper slowly settled himself on the ground, folded his arms, and lay his head down. He wouldn't sleep. He was too full of energy for that. But he would wait. Early tomorrow, before the sun rose, he would take his new position.

* * *

As it turned out, Bahamut soon received a wave of déjà vu the next day. The only place that could hold his massive size in a concealed area was one of the cliffs overlooking the human settlement. So, he rested there, much as he had thousands of years ago to watch Palad's tribe. However, not trusting his massive size and bright red color to be obscured, he quickly used a vanish spell he had learned prior to death on himself. Soon, the light was bent around him and turned him almost invisible. He wasn't completely invisible, but so long as he lay still no human would notice he was there. Thus prepared, Bahamut lay in patient wait for the hybrid.

When dawn finally broke, she was the first one out. From her cautious behavior and mannerisms, Bahamut immediately guessed that she was looking for some of the rough creatures in the area. As it was, she soon found one that had managed to slip past the dogs and was now digging around in a small garden planted near the home. It was an ugly great insect creature, and it dug up the rough ground with its massive claws and crammed vegetables into its large mandibles. The hybrid soon saw it, and with expert skill, deadly accuracy, and incredible strength, she slaughtered it with a single blow from the back of her hand. Bahamut was justly impressed, but not surprised. On scanning her power, he knew that was more than possible with her given level of strength. Once she had killed it, she walked over to the garden and looked down to it. Despite her quick response, the creature had been feeding for a while. A third of the crop they were growing was gone, and he caught a heavy sigh from the hybrid and look of anxiety.

The hybrid had definitely inheirited most of her characteristics from her human half. She appeared, by all accounts, to be a normal human young woman. She had a light battle dress on, all of it bright red and shades of pink, and she wore a light set of dress armor over her shoulders. Her eyes were a stunning blue, vivid and strong despite the rest of her mild mannered appearance. Her hair, the only unnatural item on her, was bright green, like fresh leaves in spring. It was tied back in a short tail. On the exterior, she looked perfectly normal. It was easy for this one to pass as human.

After pausing a bit longer, the woman went to the house again and called inside for those within to come out. Soon, the rest of the troop came, along with another guard dog. The younger kids immediately began to rush around the ruins and play, having the time of their lives. They acted as normal children did, laughing and shouting and teasing and generally making a big ruckus in their wake. The teenage woman came out soon after, taking the toddler with her. Once out, she found a place to sit on a large stone, and led the toddler walk around in front of her. In response, the girl began to stare and grab for everything. The older girl, obviously the mother to Bahamut, frequently had to grab things out of her hands when she grabbed them, for everything she didn't was promptly crammed into the toddler's mouth. She also pointed to many things and babbled words, and with a smile and encouraging look, the girl told her the full right name and called her a "good girl".

As for the hybrid and the male teenager, the former led the latter over to the crop. On seeing it, the teenager sighed, rubbed his brow, and uttered some sort of curse. Obviously, he had to be the father of the toddler. There were no other "developed" males in the area. He and the hybrid continued to look with troubled expressions at the ruined field, and crossed their arms and shook their heads. Bahamut only paid slight attention to this as he looked over the other children. As he did, he began to smell them this time, as well as scan them lightly. He didn't want to too much. If this girl was half esper, she would probably pick up on it. All half espers could clearly hear telepathic messages, even if they weren't trying. He could tell that she even had the ability to speak telepathically a little herself.

When he did scan, he found that most of these children were just that…innocent children. But they did not belong to the hybrid. He tried prying in a bit deeper to get their pasts…when he saw the hybrid suddenly snap out of her worry and turn her head to cliff. On doing so, Bahamut immediately cut off and went still. But even after doing so, the hybrid continued to stare up in his direction with an uneasy look for a few minutes, before turning back to the male. With that done, Bahamut realized he'd have to get information the old fashioned way…by spying.

After about a half hour, he was able to pick up somewhat. His smelling revealed that these children actually belonged to several different parents. Only two were related. The hybrid wasn't related to them all either. However, whenever one of the children had a problem, they ran up to the hybrid, calling out, "Mama! Mama!". Hearing that, and seeing how the teenagers were deferring to her, Bahamut began to understand what had happened. Perhaps this town had once been flourishing, but guessing from its position it had obviously been turned into a ruin in the wake of the statues being moved. Perhaps these children were the only survivors. This hybrid seemed to have appointed herself as their guardian or matron.

Realizing that, Bahamut soon believed that Khan had to be wrong about her in at least some ways. Obviously, she did have some love in her heart. However, that was all he would allow for the time being. She had love for humans…but her paternal race? And without being able to scan her mind, he couldn't guess her true intentions. However, he could smell heightened anxiety on her. It seemed that his latest probe in addition to the dogs last night had made her wary. Bahamut began to realize he was overplaying his hand, and had to be more careful. These weren't some easily deluded, dim-witted humans. This one might actually sense him in the area.

Bahamut continued to watch them for hours. They stayed out most of the morning. He eventually learned some names. The male teenager was named Duane. The hybrid was named Terra. Only the older teenagers called her Terra. The younger all called her mother. They all stayed close to her, and always ran to her for protection and love. She had definitely filled the role of mother for them. For the most part, she was very kind to them. And if she was faking the love she bore them…then she was the most convincing actor that Bahamut had ever seen. Even without scanning her, this woman wore her heart on her sleeve. She never held back any emotion she was feeling. In fact…it almost seemed as if she enjoyed loving other people, as if it was an emotion that she craved. Beyond that, however, she also felt fear. He could tell that too…smell it on her. She was hiding it from the children, but not him. From the conversations, he knew the reason. That creature had effectively ruined their meager crop. Now, they were in danger of starving after the next harvest. Frankly…Bahamut thought they were in danger of starving anyway. That puny garden was hardly enough to feed nine people. Yet he understood the problem. There were no animals here for plowing, and only three of them could actually do it. The rest were too young yet. At least externally…Bahamut didn't see anything wrong with Terra. And she didn't give off any residual dark emotion. At least as far as this group was concerned…she seemed to be genuine.

Eventually, as the afternoon began to come on, Terra called the children inside. It was still fairly early, but she seemed eager to get them in. Perhaps it was lunchtime. At any rate, they obliged and readily went inside. The teenager and her baby were taken up and went in, and Duane brought up the rear with the dog, shutting the door behind them. Bahamut heard it double lock, but he knew full well that only something that was interested in getting in by turning a handle would be kept out. Anyone else would just break it down. As it turned out, going inside was a pretty good idea. After the high of the day, and the sun began to set, wilder animals came out again. These ones were far more dangerous than the typical fare that was out that morning. It was an unnecessary risk to leave them out. Things would only get wilder as night came.

Bahamut, therefore, was left to sit and stew over his latest considerations. However, to his disdain, he had learned little of what he considered important. He wanted to know who this person was up close and personally. He wanted to hear her story. But she had little need for recalling things about espers or her travels in front of a bunch of children. If he wanted a real answer…he needed to talk to her personally. Or at least get in her mind more formally. Yet he didn't want to do it normally. She'd resist then, or try and come after him and ruin his secretive approach to this investigation.

That gave him one other option, and he realized in short order he'd have to go with it.

He could wait until she fell asleep.

* * *

_Terra sleepily opened her eyes. When she did, a pale blue glow greeted her. She was surrounded by it on all sides. This was definitely not Mobliz. However, rather than react in fear or astonishment, she was perfectly calm. She didn't know how she had gotten here or why, but she didn't care or think about it. After all…a dreamer often doesn't consider how they got to the place where their dream began, or could even remember it that well unless they thought harder about it. She just calmly accepted her reality, and reclined where she was._

_Still…this seemed more real than usual._

_It was a forest…a very deep, very old forest. It was a place that looked like it was from an enchanted fairy tale, one of those places were old fairies and elves lived. It had an open, empty undergrowth, because the canopy was too thick to let any light through. It stretched on endlessly in all directions, as far as the eye could see for miles. Then there was that pale blue glow… It covered everything. It poked through the trees overhead and bathed the world in its soft light. Small specks of blue light danced in the sky around her, gently floating on the breeze. All was calm and quiet…and she felt cool and comfortable here. That was strange…she never recalled feeling anything in a dream._

_Slowly, Terra began to rise from where she lay. As she looked down, she received another unexpected thing. Yet again, like in any dream where something out of the ordinary happened, an air of familiarity was on it, and so she didn't react. She had changed clothes. She was wearing a longer, more elegant gown now. But it wasn't the same style as the opera singers wore or the nobles. It was much simpler…older…and yet still made of some fabric she couldn't identify. It seemed to shimmer too. She next raised a hand to her head, and found that her hair was still tied back, only now with fresh flowers. _

_At that, she sat still for a moment, seated up and looking about the area. The normal purpose that one felt in a dream, the pressure to accomplish some goal, didn't exist here. And because it did not…she grew more aware of reality. What was she doing here? Where had she been before that she would dream of this? What was with these strange clothes she was wearing? She continued to think as she ran her fingers gently along the soft petals of her hair band…_

_"Like it?"_

_A single male voice, powerful yet inquisitive, sounded behind Terra. It was unnaturally calm and controlled, far more than any mortal should be. The woman, shocked at this, immediately went to her feet, spun around, and then began to back off from the source. It had been right over her shoulder, and she hadn't even heard it coming. The dream part was over. Now…her mind began to feel that she was totally in reality._

_Standing next to the tree she had lain before was a powerful-looking man. His hair was pure white, but he looked neither old nor young. He was dressed in some sort of silk that was a royal purple, and he wore a seven spired crown on his brow. His eyes were vivid and powerful…far stronger than anything Terra had ever witnessed. And now, with a dark look, they were turned fully on her. Seeing that gaze…those powerful eyes…it made her feel different within. It excited something she thought that was long gone by now._

_It excited…her other half._

_She couldn't bear looking in those eyes. They were intoxicating…mesmerizing. She had to turn away from them. But she only did that a moment before looking back up to the cold man._

_"Who…who are you? What do you want?"_

_In response, the man calmly removed himself from the tree, not changing his dark expression, and began to walk toward her. "…I am your lord and master, Terra." He simply responded. "I am the King of All Espers. I am Bahamut."_

_Terra felt herself backing away from this man. It was strange. Strong as she was…powerful as she was…she didn't want to be near him. In her dreams, she was always uncertain about herself. But here, she was even more so. There was something about him that made her afraid…and continued to appeal to that other side of her._

_"Bahamut…?" She echoed. "That's impossible. We had Bahamut's magicite. It disappeared with the others."_

_At that…the man before her suddenly stopped in his tracks. However…his face suddenly turned darker. His eyes blazed, and Terra suddenly felt very, very afraid of this man. He drew himself up and his jaw tightened. "You were…collecting magicite? From espers?"_

_Terra trembled slightly. Somehow…this man had control over her other half. And when he used it…she felt herself humbled before him. She felt scared and terrified…and she nearly fell down before him. Her legs were turning to jelly. Her body began to sweat. But somehow, though it all, she spoke out in response._

_"Me and my friends didn't kill any espers, if that's what you're accusing." She finally managed to spit back, though it was more of a nervous splutter than the bold retort she had planned. "Most espers gave us their powers willingly. We found the magicite of others."_

_The man didn't seem convinced of that. He gave a slight snort. "Gave them to you? They so willingly surrendered their lives to increase your power?"_

_"They wanted us to keep Kefka and Gesthal from using them." Terra answered immediately. "I would never kill an esper to get their power."_

_The man was silent and continued to glare at her darkly for a moment. Terra continued to tremble under his gaze. She backed up more…but finally ran into one of the large trees. She was unable to move anymore, and now pinned under the gaze of this man. After a moment or so longer, however, he continued._

_"…Regardless of what you feel about me…I am Bahamut. My magicite is gone, but I am very much alive. And because I am…I remain the King of All Espers. And you, Terra…you are an esper. Your service is owed to me. Your allegiance is mine."_

_Terra blinked in response to that. This Bahamut was beginning to sound commanding…like he was the boss of her. He spoke as if he was still a king, although the rest of the esper race was gone. She didn't know what to say to this. "Service…? Allegiance…?"_

_"Answer me this." Bahamut cut off in a cold voice. "Why did you undo our seal? Why did you invade our world?"_

_Terra, despite her confusion and fear at all of this, looked surprised at that. "Invade? I didn't invade the esper world. I just tried to open the seal to see if the espers would help us…"_

_At that, Bahamut seemed to grow twice as angry. He drew himself up, and his eyes blazed. The world seemed to turn cold and dark. In shocked fear, Terra actually cringed before him as he appeared to tower over her, and his eyes blazed like fires in darkness._

_"So…you were working for this…Gesthal…in the end?"_

_However, on hearing this…Terra snapped out of it. Though she was still scared…terrified of this giant, powerful esper…she wouldn't be accused of this. _

_"No!" She immediately cried back…so loud that Bahamut hesitated a moment in his dark overshadowing of her. "No! I would never have helped him fight his war! He killed my mother and father! He made me his slave…forced me to kill hundreds in his name! I opened the seal so that the espers would help us _defeat _him! But after I did…they went too far and destroyed the Imperial City…killed thousands of innocent people. I tried to help him then…but only because he claimed he wanted peace and I wanted the keep the espers from hurting anyone else. But right when we started to negotiate with them…" Terra had calmed down by this point, and now bowed her head sadly. "…He tricked us. He had Kefka kill them all…and then invade the gate I had opened."_

_Terra stopped then, and looked up to the dark man towering over her. She continued to tremble in fear. In truth…she feared that he wouldn't believe her. The story was too fantastic…and just happened to coincide with many of the victories of Gesthal and Kefka. She now realized just how easy it was for Kefka to make her look like a spy and traitor, what with all of the trouble that had happened. She could only pray that the man knew she was sincere…and try to find a way to get out of this place she now found herself trapped in. She was all alone in this silent forest…stuck with him here unprotected and defenseless._

_Bahamut continued to glare at her for a short moment. But then…he relented. He seemed to return back down to normal, and the sky grew brighter again. His face turned from angry to cold, but showed no more of his rage. His eyes turned back to their normal glow. Slowly…Terra began to rise, still looking panic stricken and staring at the powerful man._

_"…I won't say I believe you…because your story seems too convenient." Bahamut darkly answered after a moment. "But it's enough for me to give you a berth. You'll have your chance to prove your loyalty to your race soon enough…now that you're in my service."_

_Terra hesitated at that…and blinked a few times. "…I don't understand…"_

_"Understand this." Bahamut darkly answered. "From now on…your life is mine."_

_The girl swallowed a bit at how cold and serious Bahamut sounded, but didn't reply._

_"You belong to me now. As your king…I claim rule over you. You will do as I say from now on. When I request a service from you, you will do it. When I wish to know something, you will tell me. Your life as it has been will be allowed to continue for the time being…but if I wish you to end it then you shall. And I will, eventually. You are one of the last members of the esper race. Based on what has happened, I will soon be having you leave this world of men and coming with me as I try to see what type of new world I can found for myself. For right now…you will make yourself available. There is much more that I want to know about what you have been doing and what you are doing, and eventually you will tell me."_

_Terra blinked in response to this a few times. She didn't like the sound of this. This man had just appeared…and now was claiming lordship over her. The woman had served under another against her will once before. She would not do so again. However…Bahamut was far too commanding and domineering. She couldn't outrightly refuse him. _

_"I…I can't. I have to stay with the children…"_

_"They are no longer your concern." Bahamut flatly answered. "Your race is. In days to come, you will rethink your priorities and devote yourself to your race more clearly."_

_Terra's face turned more insistant. "I can't leave them."_

_"You will, whether you like it or not." Bahamut responded. "I wasn't giving you a suggestion. I was giving you an order. I command you. You obey me."_

_Terra paused only a moment longer, before she drew all the boldness and courage she could muster. Doing so, she forced herself to straighten up, and forced a defiant look on her face. She glared back strongly at the man and stood her ground. "…And what if I refuse?"_

_Terra had barely stopped hearing her last syllable before she found Bahamut two inches from her face. His overwhelming presence washed over her and nearly made her swoon…and her blood turned to ice in her veins. That was all in addition to realizing that an iron grip was now laced around her neck. Long, dangerous nails were poking into her flesh behind it, just short of breaking the skin. Bahamut's face was cold as death, and he made sure that Terra knew that he could snap her neck with the slightest gesture. Her confidence faded…and she now gaped up at Bahamut in full terror._

_"…Then you _die_, just like any other traitor to our race."_

_With that, the esper released her. Though he hadn't throttled her, Terra had been unable to breathe while he held her. She now had an imprint of a hand around her neck, and she grasped for it as she gasped for air. She couldn't move or react in Bahamut's grasp. She couldn't do anything…not even raise a hand against him. He held her perfectly in his gaze, and had subjugated her so easily. Bahamut, at any rate, turned away and walked back a certain distance. When he did, he continued to speak in his bold, strong voice._

_"You don't realize the delicacy of your position. I am seriously debating now whether or not you betrayed your people. Don't give me reason to think a choice that is not in your favor. Currently…you seem to be fairly genuine in your story. But I am still wondering why you are wasting time with the very race that killed your own. On seeing you this close…I realize now that you can be much more than you are now. I will need that esper part of you in order to give our race new life."_

_Terra continued to cringe for a moment, still grasping at her neck and fearing for her life. But in the end, after this, she managed to straighten a bit. She looked to the back of Bahamut, and then slowly shook her head. "…Then you're wasting your time. I'm just a human now. My esper half is gone."_

_Bahamut paused for the briefest moment…before Terra thought she heard a snicker._

_"That's because it hasn't been properly…stimulated."_

_The moment Bahamut said that…Terra suddenly felt strange. Immediately, she felt warm all over. A wave of some sort of power had come over her senses, and she was dizzy. She felt sick to her stomach, and her arms and legs seemed to grow weak. She didn't know what had happened…but some great power had come over her. And she couldn't push through it. In fact…it quickly began to grow worse._

_"What…what are you…doing to me?"_

_Bahamut simply turned around in response, but Terra couldn't see him. Her heart was racing. Her breathing increased. Beads of sweat began to drop down from her forehead. She staggered about on her feet, but only continued to feel warmer and warmer. She felt sicker and dizzier. The world began to fade in and out, and she couldn't focus on it. But through it all…she realized something else. As the power increased, she began to be familiar with it. She remembered this… She had done it so many times before…and every single time it scared her. But it was impossible. She lost this part of herself. She should never have been able to do it again. She was human now…human…not this creature…_

No…

Not again…

_But despite all that had happened…despite how much she had changed…she nevertheless suddenly saw a burning yellow aura erupt around her. It was so strong that it tore through the air, producing some strange burning noise, as it flared up to full power. Soon, the woman was enveloped in flame from the power. The feeling within her became too strong. It became overwhelming. It collected and surged within her, trying to break out from her body. Finally…he could take it no more, and turned her head back and screamed._

_However…her voice was no longer human, but a bestial roar._

_Terra's hair suddenly became wild and fierce, like a lion's mane, and grew to the point of shredding the hair band that held it back. It extended to her waist soon after. She balled her hands into fists at her side, as her nails became long, cruel claws. As she screamed, her face began to twist and deform, until her lips split into a cleft and became catlike. Long, sharp teeth grew from her jaw. Though her eyes stayed the same, a powerful light shone forth from them, filling them with inner power. Finally…her very clothing was burned away as her whole body turned a bright pink color, from her toes to the end of her wild hair dangling down her body._

_Terra stopped screaming and gasped, her animal-like eyes wide with shock and fear. She panted, struggling to get her bearings back as she looked over her body. She never thought she would see herself like this again…but it had happened. She had transformed into her esper body. She thought this part of her was dead. But now…not only did she feel it, she felt as if she didn't have a limit on it either. She felt she could maintain this form indefinitely. Until now…it had always taken an incredible amount of energy for her to stay in this body. But not anymore. In fact…she suddenly realized that she didn't know how to change herself back. Before, it was simply a matter of releasing the power. But now that she wasn't struggling to hold it, there was nothing for her to let go. She was stuck in this body._

_Immediately, her fierce, feline face looked up to Bahamut and glared. "What have you done to me!"_

_"Why are you surprised?" Bahamut simply answered. "This is your body, after all."_

_"No, it's not!" Terra yelled back. "I'm a human now! My esper half died!"_

_"It didn't." Bahamut calmly and flatly answered, actually making Terra recoil a bit at that answer. "Your esper half drew from the energy of the three statues. Once they faded, your esper form became powerless, and you turned back into a human. But since then, the flow of the Planet's energy through your own life force has refilled it. Your side merely went dormant because you were still drawing on it via the old way of gaining power. But I reawakened it."_

_Terra stared back at Bahamut in fear. She had hoped to be free of this. She didn't want to be this creature anymore. She didn't care if her children accepted her in the end…she didn't feel human like this. She felt like a monster._

_"Turn me back."_

_"Why?" Bahamut simply answered. "This is who you are. This is as much a part of you as the other being. Why do you fear your esper side?"_

_"Because I don't want it!" Terra nearly screamed back. Her eyes widened, and she felt terror in her heart. Her animal eyes nearly pleaded with Bahamut. "People enslaved me for this… They killed people for this… And all I've ever done in this body is terrify people and drive them away. They all just wanted this half so I could destroy things…so I could fight wars and kill others… I wanted to just live a normal life, like everyone else. But because I was half esper…I could never have it. I just want to be a normal person… I just want to live like a human…"_

_Bahamut stared expressionlessly back at Terra. He showed no emotion in reply to that. But as for Terra…she began to be fearful. What if he wouldn't do it? What if he left her like this? Then what? Would the children fear her? Would everyone fear her? Would she never be able to lead a normal life again? Would everyone who saw her see this? Would they remember her as a destroyer? Would they hunt her again? The horrible fears of her past became resurfaced. She had forgotten this part of her…but now it was back. She didn't want it. She began to tremble. Her anger was fully replaced by fear. She quivered and dropped down to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself as if cold, and bowed her head. Her eyes began to tear…_

_"Please…please change me back…"_

_Bahamut coldly stared back, not saying a word. He betrayed not the slightest emotion. But then…at long last, he held up a single finger before Terra and made a gesture with it. In response, Terra felt some powerful force penetrate her. It traveled deep into her mind and body, and began to manipulate things against her will. But she was too distraught to care. She began to cry, and continued to kneel against the ground and hold on._

_Finally, it happened. The aura around her flared up once again, and once more she was wrapped in flame. But this time, everything was reversed. The pink glow around her body died. Her hair became smoother and shrank back. Her clothing seemed to rematerialize around her where it shattered. Finally, her face became normal again. The aura died again, revealing Terra just the way she had been before. But the girl seemed to not recognize it immediately. She reached up to her own face and felt over it, distrusting that it was really there. _

_But even after she confirmed it, she continued to quiver and shake, and struggled to sniffle and dry up her tears. She couldn't rise. She could only sit on the ground and tremble. She said nothing else. She refused to look up to Bahamut again. She thought of all this…and wondered why it was happening to her. What did Bahamut want with her? Now, she realized…she could be forced to do what he said. He could turn her back into an esper if she didn't. She realized she was helpless before him… She couldn't beat him…and now he had her. That knowledge was too much…and she couldn't move._

_At last, she heard his voice._

_"…Alright. That will be all for tonight." He calmly began. "In a few moments, you will awaken, and find yourself in your human body in your own bed. For now, your life may continue as it has been. But I will be talking to you again. Maybe not tomorrow…but eventually. So go about your regular life until then. Don't try to run. If you do…I'll find you."_

_Terra didn't answer. She couldn't answer. She merely continued to quiver and sit there. She couldn't even look up to see Bahamut as he stood there and issued his edict. She just felt afraid…deathly afraid of what this all would mean for her…_

_At last, Bahamut made one more statement._

_"Our conversation is over."

* * *

_

"AAH!"

Terra threw herself violently up out of bed, clutching herself in terror. Her body was soaked with cold sweat, and she was absolutely terrified. For a moment, she was frozen in wide-eyed fear, trembling and sitting up in her bed. But then, as she gasped and tried to catch her breath, she turned and began to look around the area. She was back in her room in Mobliz. She was in bed…just where she had gone to lay down hours ago. All the lights were out, save for a single candle, and she was all alone in the room. Everything was quiet. There were no signs of the forest, Bahamut, or anything else from her dream. Even the feelings she had been sensing were gone.

Terra continued to gasp, trying to catch her breath. And when she did…she threw herself back on her bed and cried out softly in misery. She wiped her sweat covered brow and clutched her chest. She wouldn't stop trembling. But…she was back. She was back with her children, and she was human again. Bahamut had been left far behind in the dream world she had left. The dream was done, and she was safely back in reality, back with her family.

However…how long would she stay that way?

Feeling herself start to cry again, Terra knew she had seen no dream. This wasn't a fantasy. It was more like what she had seen when she touched her father's magicite. No…this was very real. An esper still lived somehow. And now…he had his sights on her. He wanted her and her powers. He was demanding that she serve him. He was going to take her like another slave…force her to do his bidding. And there was no telling when he would come. When he did…he would take her away from her children and spirit her away to some other world…and she'd be alone save for him. She'd never see her family or friends again. And seeing his horrible power…she knew there was nothing she could do about it.

This was too much.

Feeling crushing fear inside her, and horrible dread for the future, Terra turned in bed to bury her face in her pillow and weep.

* * *

_…Perhaps I was a bit too hard on her._

_Well, that's too bad. She needs to learn to help her own kind._

Bahamut thought this from his vantage point, back on the cliff side. He stroked his chin and looked below to the valley, where this town called Mobliz lay. Everything was quiet now…save for the sound of crying and a very rapid heartbeat. Bahamut could pick up on that easily enough. However…it told him little other than he had successfully scared the life out of Terra.

Talking to her in her dream had actually been a way of mind reading. In that place, emotions were far less likely to be fabricated. It took one of special training to hide anything. It appeared that she was telling the truth, however unlikely, that the espers had willingly given their lives for her. Maduin probably had for certain. Yet given the animosity that Khan had toward espers, it seemed unlikely that they would have done so. He trusted Khan to give an accurate reflection of esper mentality toward humans. But then again…perhaps Khan's own judgment had been twisted by this Nireevyou. He wouldn't be the first to play on the feelings of others to gain power. At any rate, Terra appeared to at least _believe_ she was telling the truth.

Still, she didn't set well with him. She had far too great a fear of espers for him to trust her that much. If she truly had a devotion to espers, why did she shrink from them as any other human did? Why did she want to stay with humans so badly? Well…there were a lot of reasons for that. It wasn't unheard of throughout history. Nevertheless, they no longer had that luxury. There was precious little esper blood left circulating among the living, and all who had it would have to be utilized. In time, Terra would have to leave these people and help him in founding a new civilization for their race. Currently…esper kind had much greater need than mankind.

However, that also made him uneasy. She was far too emotional about her esper half. He had hoped that she would be grateful for restoring her esper side. The fact that she feared it did not work in his favor. And frankly…Bahamut hated coercion. Despite the dubiousness he had presented before, Terra…appealed to him, in a way. She had the kind of spirit and face that he wanted to trust. Fantastic as her own version of the story had been…he found himself believing it over Khan's. Perhaps it was because it wasn't mired in hatred. Bahamut hadn't lived for thousands of years and been unable to read people without the aid of telepathy. This girl seemed…no, she _was_ innocent. If she did aid those who had murdered his race, then she had done it without knowing the full extent of her damage.

And frankly…he did bear some pity for her. One way or another, she had suffered as being the tool of others. Just like the rest of her kind…she too had been used by other powers…

He preferred to willingly have the help of this half esper. In truth…he was very fascinated with her. When he made her transform, he was surprised at what had resulted. She could have fooled him as being a full esper. That was a rare sight. However…he realized now that directly coming out would not work. She feared him now. The only way he could get her to willingly join him would be if he could work around her fear of espers…get her to not only accept her esper half but actually _enjoy_ it.

But there was more than that too. Bahamut didn't need to be a genius to realize that Terra would not respond to being commanded to do anything. He had set off a traumatic response by trying. And the last thing he wanted was an aid who would be terrified of him and bear nothing but hatred for him. He had to try a different approach. He had to restart again. Back up…and give this another shot from a new angle. The question was…how as the best way to approach this?

He didn't know, but he had time…and patience. The answer, he was sure, would eventually present itself. For right now…he would lay off of Terra for a little while. In time, perhaps she would begin to think she really had been dreaming. Then he would be in good standings to try a different approach.

With that in mind, Bahamut folded his arms in front of himself, rested his head down on them, and closed his eyes to wait until the next morning.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	14. Sea Dragons

"Shh! Don't wake mama!"

"I stubbed my toe!"

"Just shake it off! Don't be such a baby!"

"I'm not a baby!"

This chatter, whispered rather loudly, was what awakened Bahamut bright and early the next morning. Actually…the bright part was a little off. It was still pretty dark out when he cracked his eyes open to the sound of this bickering. On doing so, he blinked to adjust his vision a moment, and then looked up to the sky. Only half of it was a dark purple, at the moment. The rest of it was still dark. There was barely enough light out to see in front of you, and being spring it was rather cool. Most of all, however…he noticed that it was far earlier than yesterday. This was odd…

Bahamut leaned his head slightly up and looked over the abandoned town below. Why would Terra be letting the kids out this early? Was she trying to escape him? However, as he looked down, he soon realized that wasn't the case. Terra was nowhere to be seen. A quick scan confirmed it, revealing her energy signature to be in bed. She had been up most of the night, and must have finally gone to sleep about two hours ago. Yet there were people out…kids, by the sound of it, and they were making noise and alerting him.

The great esper quickly gave a look over the area, and soon saw them. Two children were already to the outskirts of the town, creeping out. They weren't using the main entrance with the dogs, but rather were worming their way through a tree filled, rocky area a bit farther away, going around and behind one of the ruined buildings. No doubt, that was the way that the monster had come in yesterday. It was a good secret entrance. Bahamut himself hadn't noticed it until today. That monster from yesterday must have totally stumbled upon it. But forgetting that for a moment, Bahamut instead tried to focus on the children. What were they doing up so early? With Terra asleep, this was obviously not her request. And considering the wild environment, the kids shouldn't have gone far from their shelter. Yet here they were, already vanishing behind the building and moving away.

Bahamut hesitated in puzzlement. He scratched his chin again and paused. Obviously, these two children were doing something they weren't supposed to be doing. Terra hadn't let them play yesterday unless she was out with them, and only a total imbecile would let children that young wander around a place like this, unsupervised. They were probably just being disobedient. Bahamut would have preferred reading their minds to know for sure, but that wasn't an option. Terra would pick up on it too easily. The best thing to do would be to just sit tight and wait to see how this situation developed.

And yet…Bahamut felt uneasy at that. No one knew these children were out here. No one was looking after them. And despite his recent apprehension at the human race…Bahamut wasn't so cold as to feel that a couple of kids were responsible. They shouldn't run off by themselves though…and he felt that he should do something. His logic told him not to. So long as he stayed hidden and neutral, he could continue his spying. Every involvement risked detection. And he had to worry about his own race, and how to get Terra on his side.

Still…in the end, Bahamut couldn't shake it. He felt he had to do something.

The great esper sighed and looked over himself a moment. Alerting Terra was out of the question. She had been scared too much. Sounding a signal might be possible…but it would be more likely they thought he was a monster attacking, and would forget about the missing children. That left only one option…and Bahamut frowned a bit at it.

The esper looked down at his body for a moment. He unfurled his air foils, and strengthed the weakening invisibility spell on himself. He would have to keep a careful eye on it. If he didn't, the children would see a king-sized dragon hovering over them, and would probably scream and panic, running into who knew what or where. Still…it might be hard to watch them. He preferred to find a place to rest and do these sorts of things. Yet after a moment…he remembered he had new powers. He thought for a bit longer, and then simply leapt off of the ground and into the air. When he did…he immediately told his body to halt. The airfoils responded, and he found himself hovering in midair. He hesitated a moment longer, and then told himself to go forward slowly. In response, the airfoils complied, going at the exact slow speed Bahamut had in mind.

Happy with this, the esper turned his head back down to the ground. Soon, he had located the two children, emerging on the other side of their canine guards, and going out into the wild. The esper pitched himself forward soon after, and followed them.

* * *

The sun was nearly up before the children stopped. Where they had gone had been some distance from Mobliz, about three miles. That wasn't good, Bahamut thought with a frown. No one would hear them cry for help from there. But the children seemed oblivious to that. They were acutely aware of danger, no doubt about that. On the way there, they had been nervously shivering, darting their heads about fearfully, and trying to be very quiet. Bahamut could smell the terror on them…and it was far stronger than what he expected. Watching them, even without directmind reading, he occasionally caught images of some great green abomination…which looked far more deadly than the standard fare. Nevertheless, Bahamut continued to follow them, and saw that they made it safely through the long wasteland and to their destination.

Where they went ended up being quite an unusual sight in the middle of this wilderness wasteland. From far off, Bahamut saw it long before the children got there. It was a forest. Well…perhaps forest was too strong a word. It was more like a grove, or a patch of trees still standing out here. That was unusual indeed. Bahamut had been looking at the type of biome around here, and he knew already that even prior to the destruction of this world, this had been a dry area. To see trees that managed to survive the end as well was quite a surprise.

However, as they neared it, Bahamut grew uneasy about the children. It grew increasingly clear as they got closer that they were headed for this place. That was bad. Bahamut knew that all sorts of wild nocturnal animals probably made their home in this grove, being the only shelter and forest for miles. Regardless of what time of day it was, in this wilderness he wouldn't think any human would be safe. Yet the children continued, and did not relent. They were scared…and frequently they traded words of who was a "baby" or "chicken", but they kept coming.

Finally, they reached the forest edge. The two paused there a moment, and both of them swallowed. Bahamut thought they might turn back. And now…he truly hoped they would. Bahamut could sense this area as well…and he could sense that this place was filled with lifeforms, and not all of them were plants…

"W-W-Well…here we are."

"Y-Y-Yeah…"

"W-W-Well…g-g-go on in."

"…You go first."

"What, are you scared?"

"I'm not scared!"

"Then do it!"

"How come you won't do it?"

"It was my idea!"

"You're scared too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Then watch this!"

Immediately, one of the children ran forward and plunged just barely into the woods, just a few feet under the canopy and near one of the trees. The other one hesitated, surprised that he had actually done it. She stared back blankly, and continued to tremble and look nervous. But the one who had gone in, having proven himself brave, soon boasted of it.

"Ha! Nothing to it! Now come on, you big fraidy cat!"

The other child hesitated at this. But then, she forced herself to frown, balled her hands into fists, and planted them at her sides. She would not be outdone by this other one, who now mocked her with a grin. Being as brave as she could, she stomped in marching format into the forest after the boy. Once both were inside, and stood together, they turned and began to walk deeper into the forest.

Bahamut rolled his eyes and cursed the infallible human ego. That done, he quickly powered up his invisibility again, and flew over the area after the children. They slowed down as they entered. Apparently, fear soon grabbed the both of them again. They were soon nervously cringing and looking around, staying close to one another for protection. They were shrouded in darkness now, and it was hard to see. This area was rather night-like in the dim light of the early dawn. As for Bahamut, he kept an eye out on the various life forms in the area. None of them had reacted yet…and didn't seem to be too aware of the children. But this was not a safe place. They had to get moving. What madness was driving them to come here in the first place? He didn't know…but the children only continued to move forward and deeper into the woods…farther away from anything that could help them if they got in trouble. Bahamut impatiently waited for them to get done with this, and turn back while they could.

Finally, the two children came to a stop. When they did, Bahamut's view was partially blocked by the canopy. However, he heard one of them call.

"There! There they are!"

"Wow!" The other answered. "They're beautiful!"

"She'll love these! Let's get them!"

Bahamut twisted his brow in puzzlement at that. He looked below, and he saw the children run over the ground toward something that was in a bit of a clear spot. The sunlight was able to come down through it, although for right now the sun hadn't risen enough to illuminate it. It was as dark here as everywhere else. The great esper craned his neck and struggled to see around them, but he could see nothing as the kids came forward and bowed low to the ground, and then began to work.

Frowning, Bahamut moved himself around. He hadn't followed these kids this far just to not even see why they had come out here. He shifted around a bit longer, and finally he reached the other side. Then, at long last, he saw enough of the ground to see what the source of their concern was.

It was flowers. Rather beautiful flowers, at that. They were a pale blue like the sky on a cloudless day. They were still shimmering with dew from the early morning, and they grew in such a way that they were gorgeous. In the early light of the morning…they seemed almost to shimmer. Bahamut knew of these flowers. Leviathan had named them "sea dragons", for their pale blue color and their similarity to snapdragon flowers. It was these flowers that the children were getting. But they weren't just picking them as some children would. They were digging around them and pulling them from the ground, roots and all. Once they did, the children revealed that they had broughtsomething with them. They went for their overalls and produced glass jars, and they slowly began to put the ends of the flowers in them, and then fill themup with soil.

"I sure hope mama feels better after this."

"She will. These are magic flowers."

Then at once, it hit the esper. That's why they were here. Terra had been afraid and troubled yesterday when she saw what had happened to the crops. She had no doubt been in a sad mood. These children were trying to cheer her up by picking these special flowers. However…Bahamut knew that sea dragons only grew in forest understories. This was the only forest for miles, and they had come here to get them. That surprised Bahamut a little. So…it seemed as if these children really did care about Terra after all. For no other reason would they have risked life and limb to come out this far, especially when they had been so scared. Realizing that…Bahamut had a bit more faith in Terra. She had to have a kind soul, if nothing else. Such a thing these children had done was only motivated out of true love.

It was actually…a little sweet.

However, this rosy thought was soon driven far from Bahamut's mind. For as the children continued to gather their precious treasures…he sensed something. The life in the area was moving…and it was near the children. Bahamut quickly shifted his gaze and looked to the source. For a moment, he could see nothing. But it was only a moment. Then…the ground suddenly bulged. It wasn't an incredible large bulge, only about as large as the children themselves. But it was a bulge. And after a bit longer, it began to pulsate a bit. Bahamut felt a ripple of anxiety go through him as he stared on, waiting for something to show itself.

Finally, it did. Abruptly, the bulge cracked and a black, stick like leg poked out. Soon, another one followed it, and two long sticks came after and began to sweep around the ground, vibrating and swishing it. Moments later, the earth was flung off as the thing beneath shook, and Bahamut saw what it was. He wasn't sure of the exact scientific name or what the humans called it, but these were what Leviathan had once called "pyramid beetles". They were called that for the unusual tall, pointed shapes of their shells. They lived underground most of the time, eating things like moles and gophers. However…the digging that the children had done had obviously alerted one.

After a moment, however, Bahamut soon realized more than one had been alerted. Four more bulges began to rise around the first one. And after that, more bulges started to spread around in a semicircle that surrounded the children. They were behind them, well out of their immediate visual range. After they rose, more bulges appeared behind them. Bahamut felt a chill down his spine. The children had awakened a whole colony of them. Soon, the first four began to shake off dirt and come to the surface. They flexed their cruel mandibles and felt around with their feelers. But then…they seemed to catch wind of the children. The first five soon began to crawl toward them. But as they did, the ground seemed to come alive. More began to burst from their mounds, one after the other, and followed suit.More of the giant beetles came from the ground and began to crawl after them.

Bahamut began to panic. He turned to the children…but they didn't know what was happening. They were still too fixated on their flowers. The beetles weren't totally silent, but they didn't make much noise. They were creeping up on them right now…and Bahamut realized they wouldn't hear them until the beetles were close enough to pounce on them. The esper turned back to them and grit his teeth. They were still finishing up, and wouldn't get up for anything. He turned back to the beetles, and now saw twenty of them crawling toward them with more coming. They were continuing to move around, trying to cut off their escape…

The esper forgot all about his spying or thoughts of humanity, and instead began to think about what he could do. He still didn't want to show himself or alert himself, but the kids weren't moving. They didn't even know what was coming. He had to warn them somehow… He looked about desperately for a moment, searching for something that could be used to help. Finally, he focused on a tree branch not far from where he was hovering. He looked down, and saw it was right about where the kids were. It was fairly light, and it wouldn't hurt much on landing. But it would make them look. Immediately, the invisible esper swooped forward, and with a single slice of his talons cut off a section of the branch and let it fall to the ground.

Moments later, the branch struck both children on their backs. It was light enough to not cause any pain, but it did make them both jump. After all, they were still afraid of this place. Yet, to Bahamut's relief, they also turned when they felt the branch hit…and their pupils soon shrank as they saw the virtual army of beetles massing behind them. Immediately, they took up what flowers they had and leapt to their feet. They both screamed out in fear. Panicking, they began to look around them for a way to escape. But on seeing the beetles moving around, they locked up and stood there, absolutely petrified. Their fearful eyes darted about, and they quivered and held one another as they stared at the little monsters surrounding them.

Bahamut cursed inwardly. They had to run before the beetles fully closed the circle! They could still make it if they ran now… But they were too scared. They didn't want to get anywhere close to these creatures. And that fear would seal their doom in a moment. Bahamut balled his hand into a fist and swung it. They were going to die if he didn't help them again. He hesitated a moment…but then he finally spat and cursed again. He had to do this. It didn't matter whether or not Terra could still pick up on it. These children would die if he didn't.

Bahamut blared a mental message to them…a command.

_Run for the break in their circle! Now!_

Both of the children froze as they heard the sudden sound in their minds. Their headsperked up and their eyes went wide. But the command of Bahamut could not be denied. The power was too great. A second later, both children, clutching their flowers close to their chests, turned and ran for the break. The beetles, nasty as they were, were only so fast. They tried to speed up to finish closing the circle when they saw the two run…but it was too late. They broke past just in time, with the beetle's leg just catching the trim of the boy's pants. Once they were out, they continued to run into the forest. The beetles took only a moment to reassess the situation, and then ran after them.

Despite the narrow escape from death, Bahamut frowned again. The children had been driven not to the forest edge, but deeper into it. They needed to get out of there, and soon they would be stuck again. However, they were at least as fast as the beetles. Though the creatures increased their speed and soon dashed after the children as fast as they could scurry, the two were still faster. What more, their very systems were geared for longer periods of activity compared to the beetles. Due to the terrain, they didn't gain or lose ground at first. Bahamut continued to follow, and earnestly awaited their escape.

Then…all of the sudden…the beetles froze. The one in the lead stopped first, but as the other beetles came up to the same position, they stopped as well. Soon, there was a great beetle pileup, while the two children ran deeper into the forest. Bahamut hesitated a moment at this, and looked down to them curiously. What had made them cease? Were they too tired? Did they give up? He didn't know…but he soon began to reach a conclusion. A big tip off was when the beetles suddenly gave out a cry, one that sounded like distinct panic rather than any mating or assistance call. Then…they all suddenly thrust their heads into the ground and began to bury themselves again, as fast as they possibly could. That…coupled with the fact that Bahamut now sensed a much larger, much deadlier energy begin to move…confirmed the true reason for breaking the chase.

Something they feared was coming.

"AAH!"

Bahamut turned his head up the sound of the children screaming yet again. He saw that they too were stopped, just a little ahead, and were now frozen in terror. A new horror had emerged. Crawling off of the nearest tree and planting itself right in their path was one of the largest spiders Bahamut had ever seen in his long life. It was hideous…having the body of one of the more spindly members of their race like the Black Widow. It hoisted itself on little black legs, dragging its massive swollen abdomen forward. Its black, soulless eyes peered at them as its massive manibles shifted, dripping venom and drool out from its jaws.

Somehow, the children managed to snap out of it enough to back up and then turn to run away. But it was too late. The moment they did, some sort of sticky stretching sound resulted…and another giant spider, just as hideous and monstrous, extended down in front of them. The children froze again and screamed in terror. The horrible creature continued to dangle in midair for a moment, before it dropped itself off of a strand of silk protruding from its end and plopped down on the ground. Now, the two hideous creatures both leapt forward toward the kids.

Bahamut cursed yet again. This was not his day…

_Turn left! Go left!_

However, if the children heard him, it didn't matter. Suddenly, both spiders lunged at them. The kids could do little except suddenly get grabbed by their long, cruel legs. Soon, both of them had been seized. They both continued to cry out in fear. One tried to beat against their foe, but it was useless. These things were bigger than them, and wouldn't be so easily killed or thwarted. The spiders didn't even react as they carried both of the children up to the first set of branches on nearby trees. It was only so they could get proper leverage, however. Once they were there, they stretched themselves out in a position that was more comfortable, and then they began to wrap their respective prisoners in silk.

Bahamut grit his teeth. Mental messages weren't going to help now. They were beyond that. Now, there was nothing that could help them from external sources… There was only one thing that could do it now…

_…_

_Damnit._

Bahamut grit his teeth in frustration, hoping he hadn't blown a future opportunity. Immediately, he dropped down through the canopy and into the trees. He brushed past a few branches, breaking some along the way, and then landed on the ground. He was still invisible, but he had left more than an impression behind when he landed. Both spiders briefly ceased their wrapping to look up and stare in his direction. However, after a moment of silence and stillness, the dim-witted creatures resumed cocooning their prey.

As for Bahamut, he thought a moment. He didn't want to just jump out there. He'd just scare them into running into another trap. Besides…he didn't want to reveal his full form just yet. He thought for a moment of what would be best, but knew he couldn't hesitate long. Finally, he reached a decision. He just hoped he remembered how to do this. It had been some time…and he wasn't even sure if his body would do it. Quickly, he stepped behind the nearest tree. If he was visible, it would have scarcely hidden him. But the invisibility spell would hold until this was finished at least…

Bahamut closed his eyes and focused. Luckily…his ability was still clearly ready and flowed easily. If anything, his new powers just made it easier. As his body slowly began to fade back into clear vision, his massive airfoils collapsed and sank back into his flesh. His neck shortened and crest vanished. His tail fell off and disappeared, and his red scales vanished. He paused a moment there…only long enough to decide on a new pair of clothing. In the end, he decided to dress himself in a fairly basic package. Loose pants...a light shirt, and a light jacket over it. He didn't worry about shoes right now, as he turned his clothing into blue colors like his old namesake. After hesitating just long enough to mentally sweep his long white hair back and generate a tie around it, he was done. Now, Bahamut was visible and in human form.

The esper turned human inhaled deeply and cracked his knuckles.

_Back into combat already…_

Bahamut stamped his foot on the ground. As he did, a long, solid branch that he had knocked down moments earlier was knocked into the air, and he immediately snatched it out of it. Grasping it, he ran his hand along the side, pulling off the twigs and branches, and then moved to the end and broke it off. On doing so, he managed to break it at such an angle that it produced a point. With that done, Bahamut stepped out from behind the tree and surveyed his situation again.

The spiders had been very fast. Already, both children were up to their elbows in silk. By now, they had both been immobilized enough so that, if the spiders didn't mind them screaming until their mouths were wrapped, they could finish at their leisure. They failed to notice Bahamut, which only was typical because the esper could move so silently. However, that was also good for him. Hoisting the stick behind him like a javelin, Bahamut took aim at the nearest spider and let it fly.

Even in human form, Bahamut's strength was inconceivable. The deadly missile whizzed through the air with blinding speed, and imbedded itself right in the spider's head. It only had time to give out an abrupt death gurgle before the force ripped it completely off of the branch, carrying it across the air for two hundred feet before pinning it to a tree. The girl, still partially cocooned and immobilized, was dropped, and in a mixture of amazement and sudden surprise at what had happened, she fell to the ground and landed with an oof. As for the spider, its lifeless body curled, and it swung around on the new "axle" that was through its head before facing downward and coming to a rest.

Immediately, the other spider broke off its own wrapping and looked up to what had happened. It soon saw that there was another in the immediate area, and that it had just killed its relative. Forgetting about finishing up with the boy, the creature merely dropped him to the ground, almost discarding him. Giving a mild screech, the horrible black arachnid leapt off of the branch and to the ground. Its jaws began to move and salivate again as it started to creep toward the man. Bahamut, on his part, merely glared at it, unmoving since he had harpooned the other spider. The one approaching him hissed and spit, and made itself large and impressive as it advanced. After landing with his own oof, the boy blinked once and then turned to stare at this new sight. The girl likewise had recovered by now, and gasped as she saw the hideous beast make its way toward their savior.

Bahamut continued to coldly stare at the creature. He didn't move as it drew nearer and nearer, no matter how menacing and vicious it became. Finally, the spider halted just within striking distance. It reared back and opened its mandibles, screeching at Bahamut in some hideous voice. The man just stood there and stared.

Finally, it reared back, and lunged with both of its front legs out, meaning to stab the intruder.

What happened next took place within the span of two seconds.

Bahamut, moving like lightning, raised his own arms and seized both legs as they were about to hit him. Not wasting any time, he clenched his hands into fists, and broke both in his iron grasp. That done…he merely gave one powerful yank and ripped both out of the creature's sockets. Before it had time to scream or even bleed, Bahamut shifted his grip and went for the creature's mandibles next. He seized both by the fang, making sure not to cut himself, and then with another mighty tear ripped those out too. By now, the spider had felt enough pain reach its nervous system to cry in agony…but Bahamut soon ended that. After discarding the appendages, Bahamut drove his fist forward like a bar of steel and smashed right through the eyes of the creature and into its skull. The head caved in around his arm as he did so. Immediately…the screeching was cut off, and the creature soon began to go limp around his limb.

That done, and haven't even having broken a sweat, Bahamut pulled his hand out and let the body fall to the ground. He looked down to his arm at that, and frowned at the mess he made. He proceeded to shake it violently, scattering most of the foul material off. But that wasn't enough, and soon after he bent to the ground and began to wipe it off on the grass.

Bahamut was justly pleased. In fact…he was a bit amazed. He had so much power as Neo Bahamut that his human form was almost as strong as his original body was. And that wasn't all. In surpressing his inner power to take human form, he had realized something else. He wasn't at the peak of his strength even in his Neo body. He found the capacity to call on vastly larger amounts of strength lurking deep within him. He wasn't sure how long he could sustain power at that level…but it was good to know. For now, he finished cleaning himself off and looked to the kids.

The moment his own powerful blue gaze met theirs, both children gasped. Human or no, they had never seen anyone do that before. What more, they had learned to distrust strangers since their parents had died. They were silent, and stared back blankly at the great esper before them. Then, suddenly, in response to them both…Bahamut managed a smile.

"Well then…" He began, being as friendly as possible. "Let's get you out of those webs, shall we?"

The children merely blinked in response, not sure what to say and still amazed. However, Bahamut was perfectly calm, and he kept that smile on his face. He tried his best to convey an aura of being friendly and comforting. Now that he had blown his cover…he realized that he might yet be able to make this work. But to do so, he had to start by earning the trust of these little humans he had just saved. To that end, he had to make sure they knew he was a friend and not an enemy. He didn't dare betray any of this, of course. He acted perfectly regular, and continued to exude positive emotions.

Soon he reached the girl, and bent down to her side. The moment she did, however, the children's fear of strangers set in. Though Bahamut had just saved them, she began to cry out again in fear, and inched away from him as best as she could. The boy likewise was fearful, and cringing before him. Bahamut endured this for a short moment, but then he reacted. Very calmly, he extended a single finger and put it to the girl's lips, in a silencing motion. The girl, in response to this, was so surprised at this kind of reaction that she stopped immediately, and looked to the esper in puzzlement.

"…If you two don't be quiet…you'll attract more spiders and who knows what else." Bahamut calmly addressed them. His smile had left, but his voice was still pleasant. "I'm not going to hurt either of you. I'll try to help you, if you'll let me. I'm going to free you…but only if you agree to stay calm and not run off. If you run into these woods there's no telling what kind of monster will jump out and grab you, and next time it might prefer to just start eating rather than gift wrap you first, and I might not be fast enough to kill it. Do you understand?"

The two children continued to tremble a moment. However, Bahamut was relying far more on just his normal voice and personality with them. He began to exert his own aura over them both. He spread out feelings of comfort and peace on them, like a blanket spread over a sleeping child. He soothed their anxious emotions and made them feel calmer and more tranquil. Soon, both of them began to relax, and their logic set in. This man, strange as he was and strong as he was, just saved their lives. And they definitely didn't want to lie around in the spider cocoons any longer. Finally, the girl nodded, and the boy followed soon after.

Bahamut gave a nod to that, and then looked down to their bonds. To a normal human, a knife would be plenty to cut them free. But force for ripping would be useless. Five yoke of oxen couldn't break a spider web like this. Luckily…Bahamut was far stronger, even in this body, then five yoke of oxen. It was a simple matter of him reaching behind the girl, grabbing the top of the silk, and then giving a quick and clean rip down. He easily shredded the webs, and soon the girl was free. Immediately, she scrambled out of the cocoon, grateful to be out of it. But once she got to her feet, she stopped, remembering what she had said. She looked to Bahamut somewhat nervously instead. As for the esper, he moved over to the boy and did the same. He quickly ran up and joined his sister. They didn't move, but both stared at him. Bahamut himself calmly rose to his feet, and then stood before them both. He towered over them easily, and they looked up to him nervously.

Neither said anything for a few moments. But then, the girl managed to bow her head slightly, and then issued a small, quiet mumble. "Thank you…"

Bahamut smiled again at last. "It was nothing." He calmly responded. With that, he bent down to the ground again, and proceeded to pick up the jars with flowers that both children had dropped when the spiders had grabbed them. He very carefully took both, turned them right side up, and then stood and presented them to their respective child. "I believe you dropped these."

Both children now looked up at this, and their nervousness was forgotten. Immediately, they reached out and seized their precious treasures, and brought them close to their chests. Now, it was the boy's turn to respond, still uncertain but a bit more readily. "Thank…thank you, sir."

"Perhaps it's best if you two stick with me until we're out of the woods." Bahamut suggested calmly. "In case anything else happens."

Both of the children were silent at this, and uneasily recoiled. They turned away from Bahamut and were silent a moment.

"…Mama told us not to take walks with strangers."

The esper hesitated at that. It was good advice, after all. However, he knew an old adage to get around something like this. Cracking one side of his mouth, he merely put his hands on his sides and gave them a nod.

"Very well…what's your names?"

The two children paused at this. They looked to each other nervously, but then looked back again.

"…I'm Ai." The girl finally answered.

"I'm Yu." The boy added after a short pause.

Bahamut gave a nod to this. "Alright. Well, my name is…"

Here, Bahamut paused for a second. He realized all of the sudden that he didn't want to throw his name around, especially considering what he had planned. He realized it might be best if, for now, he was incognito. With that in mind, he turned back to the kids, and quickly thought up a fake name.

"…Tumahab." He finished. "Just call me Mr. Tumahab. Now then…since we aren't strangers any longer, Ai and Yu, what do you suppose we go out together?"

The two children hesitated a bit longer at this. However, there was still the feeling that they got from Bahamut that was comforting. It wasn't like any other relaxing feeling they had ever felt from a stranger. And the truth of the matter was…both of them were scared half to death after nearly becoming spider meals. They knew that this guy could kill anything else in the woods. In the end, fear of self preservation won out over fear of strangers.

"…Alright."

Bahamut smiled again at this, and gave a slight nod. "Alright then." After doing so, he reached up and pointed through the forest, to the left as he had wanted them to go before. "I think that if we go that way…we will be able to get out of here as quickly as possible. Shall we?"

Bahamut extended his hands out to the children at that. However…it was too early for that move. Both of them recoiled, and clutched their flowers tighter. After a few moments, Bahamut realized they weren't going to bite. With that, he simply replaced his hands and began to move forward. Soon after, the children followed him. Once they did, Bahamut quickly slowed and put himself between the two, and the three continued to walk onward through the forest.

They only went a few steps before the silence started getting to Bahamut. He needed to connect with these children more. After a few moments longer, he suddenly looked down to the flowers. "So…did you kids come all the way here, through that dangerous field, just to get these flowers?"

On hearing this, Bahamut was pleased at the result. Children may have distrusted strangers…but they loved chances to brag about themselves. Immediately, Yu brightened up and looked up to Bahamut. "Uh-huh. This is the only place we can get them from. They only grow in this forest."

"Weren't you scared?"

The boy smiled confidently at that. "Ha! I'm not scared of nothin'! My sister was though."

Ai wheeled around with a sour look at that. "I was not!"

Not wanting another spat to begin between the two of them, Bahamut spoke up again. "So, why did you two want to get these flowers?"

Both of the children stopped at that. They hesitated a moment, but then Ai spoke up in a sad voice. "…We're doing it for mama."

Bahamut raised an eyebrow to this, feigning ignorance. "Mama? Who's mama?"

"Our mama." Yu replied. "She looked after us ever since the town blew up…except for that one time when she went away for a few months. She said she was making the world safe for us to grow up in. I don't know any more…"

"I think Duane and Katarin might." Ai responded, and then began to pout. "She's always telling them stuff that she won't tell us, because they're grown up."

Bahamut hesitated for a moment at that, taking in this new nugget of information. A time apart? It had to have happened after the end of the world, which according to Bahamut's timeline was after the esper genocide. This was interesting… Bahamut wondered if this had anything to do with the attack against the man who set himself up as the ruler of Gaia…

"…I'm sure she has a good reason." Bahamut finally answered. "But why flowers?"

Ai smiled in response to that, and held up her own jar right into Bahamut's face. The esper was taken aback a little, but looked at them none the less. He could smell them…and they were very lovely and fresh indeed. Bahamut had never had much love for flowers, but there was no denying that these were very pretty things.

"We want to give mama a present. She's been looking so sad since yesterday, and so we wanted to cheer her up. We wanted to get her the best gift we could find."

"Before our first mama went away…" Yu added. "She always told me that these flowers were magic. They would make anyone sad laugh and smile. That's why they were so hard to find, and that's why they only grew in dark forests. They brighten up wherever they grow. So we thought we'd bring some home for her. We thought maybe we could plant them…and then mama would be happy every day."

Bahamut looked over the two of them and thought about this story. A kid's fable, to be sure. But apparently, Terra was no stranger to trouble. And she was definitely struggling with the latest misfortune that had befallen her and her charges. Still, this managed to give him another idea.

"Well then…they must be very special flowers. So I'll make sure you two get back safe to your mother and give them to her."

The children had eased up a bit by now, after having talked about things that interested them. But they still turned and looked a bit uneasily at Bahamut. "Oh…you don't have to do that." Ai answered.

"I insist." Bahamut simply replied. "Your mother must be someone very special to you for you to risk the danger in getting these flowers. I would like to meet her if she is. And besides…" Here, Bahamut's look turned a bit crafty. "…Perhaps I can help get you two out of trouble for running off into the forest by yourselves, when I explain the situation."

Both Ai and Yu swallowed here. Bahamut inwardly praised his good thinking. These children would probably be looking forward to a spanking when they got back…assuming Terra had the heart to do that to these children, which she didn't. However, they would probably be due for some punishment. And any person who would intervene was welcome…especially a big person like him. After all…grown ups only tended to listen to other grown ups. Every child knew that.

"Well…alright." Ai finally consented. "It's a bit of a long walk, though."

"Oh, don't worry." Bahamut calmly answered. "I'm perfectly fine."

* * *

_To be continued..._

To those of you who are familiar with Final Fantasy Unlimited, you'll notice I named the twins after the same twins in that Anime. However, there is no relation. I was just looking for a name to give the kids. So there. :P


	15. The Wanderer

"Mr. Tumahab…?"

Bahamut received a puzzled address as he reached into his coat and, seemingly out of nowhere, produced a large, wide-brimmed hat. He immediately pulled it over his head, and adjusted it low over his brow to make sure that it concealed his hair and features. Yet he turned to Ai after hearing this.

"Yes?"

"Why are you putting on a hat? It's still early."

"Oh…let's just say that I think your mother might be a little set off by my appearance at first glance…"

At last, the three were coming back to the ruined town. The sun was up now, but it was still very early. Even at a distance, Bahamut already sensed that everyone was awake. He also could smell their fear and anxiety at this point. No doubt, they had realized they were short a couple of children, and were wondering what had happened to them. Yet Bahamut remained calm for now…and tried not to smile at the fact that he would soon be bringing them back, alive and well.

The three passed through the main entrance on returning. The guard dogs turned to them, and immediately responded by sounding their alarm barks. Bahamut ignored them, and calmly walked on between Ai and Yu. He looked ahead, down the old, broken lane and to the houses ahead. As he walked on, he became conscious that the kids were wandering around, and they were calling out the names of their missing playmates. They also were looking in the ruins and cracks and other hiding places. He happened to catch a glimpse of Terra run by before the dogs started barking. Even from a distance, he could see the panic on her face, terrified that something horrible had happened to Ai and Yu. She had disappeared again before the dogs had a chance to sound the alarm. But once they did, immediately the children in view ceased their searching and looked to see the source.

They paused for a moment, as they saw Bahamut walk forward with the two missing children. Again, their fear of strangers and outsiders held them for a moment, and Bahamut, large and impressive as he was, had commanded their attention at first. But once they saw who was with him…and saw Ai and Yu begin to smile and wave at them…they forgot all about the stranger and turned their attention to them. Immediately, their faces turned into ones of delight.

"Hey! They're back!"

"Yu and Ai came back!"

"They're alright!"

The children immediately rushed forward soon after, coming to meet the oncoming group. At that, Bahamut halted and crossed his arms, letting the two children continue to move forward and merge with their friends. Immediately, they were lost in a storm of hugs and chatter, as the children forgot about their arguing or bickering and were glad just to see the friends returned safely. Even that young, they had sincerely been worried about them. It didn't take long for all of the young children to collide. Yet even as they did this, they soon forgot about the danger they were in when they saw their flowers. Within moments, the children began to "ooh" and "aah" at the flowers Ai and Yu had recovered, and began to give calls of amazement and wonder as they praised them for their achievement.

This lasted for a short while, until the others arrived. The young woman didn't come up. In fact, she hadn't even come outside. Abruptly, the door on the far building opened wide, and her body partially emerged from within. She was holding her child in one arm while staring out in open mouthed confusion as to what had happened. But soon, the one called Duane began to run forward into the crowd of children as well. He drew close to the children for a moment…until he saw Bahamut. At that, the young man immediately slowed, and he stared at Bahamut uneasily. The esper looked to him, and soon saw his face turn to a bit of irritation and fear…maybe even anger. He balled his hands into fists and glared at him, but did nothing else.

Finally, Terra came running up. Her eyes, laced with fear and anxiety, ignored Bahamut entirely and went straight for the kids. She scanned them for a moment until she rested her gaze on the two children she had been looking for, right in the crowd of the others. Immediately, Bahamut sensed her fear be swallowed up by relief, and joy flood her heart. Terra immediately leapt forward and entered the crowd of children, so that she could be right next to Ai and Yu and hug them both at once. On seeing this, the two children, seeming just as happy to see her, immediately returned the hug tightly.

"Ai… Yu…" She spoke out loud, closing her eyes and leaning over to kiss either child on the cheek, first one and then the other. "You're alright. Thank God you're alright…"

The girl smiled in response to this, while the boy, in typical young male fashion, grimaced and made signs of his manliness being embarrassed. Bahamut patiently waited through this, keeping his arms crossed as the half esper reunited with her children. However, Terra's hugging and gratitude, predictably, lasted only for a few moments. Still embracing them, she called out to both. Though she had a soft face, her voice turned upset.

"…I told you two never to go outside without me, Duane, or Katarin. Why didn't you listen to me?"

The children both grew nervous at this. The threat of punishment loomed again. At that, they both turned around and looked to their new acquaintance for help. Seeing this, Bahamut immediately uncrossed his arms, licked his lips, and took a tentative step forward. "Um…they were getting a present for you, miss."

At this, Terra finally became aware of the new arrival. She looked up, and immediately uttered a cry of surprise. She quickly reached out to touch as many children as possible, and began to push them back, away from the new man. Bahamut frowned inwardly. Very distrustful…obviously. However, he didn't believe that she had actually recognized him. His features were too concealed. Nevertheless, after she drew back, she became apprehensive, and the young man tensed up.

"Who are you?" He almost demanded from him. "What do you want here?"

Bahamut immediately put his hands up in an innocent, defensive gesture. "Just relax…" He responded to Duane. "I'm not here to hurt anyone…"

"Get out of here!" Duane immediately snapped at him, his face growing angry and passionate. "We don't want you around here!"

Bahamut muttered inside, but tried to look as innocent as possible on the outside. "If you'll just listen to me for a few minutes…"

"I said get out!"

Bahamut began to feel irritable. Another irrational human being. It was tempting to stretch out his influence and drop him like a sack of potatoes. He might if he didn't get anywhere soon…

"It's alright, mama."

Both Duane and Bahamut turned to the sound of this, forgetting about their spat for a moment. Terra, until now, had still been looking to Bahamut with fearful eyes, cringing away from him. But now, Ai had spoken up and gotten her attention. "He helped us back in the forest." She continued.

Terra turned down to Ai and stared in silence a moment, still seeming a bit stunned from this sudden arrival. But then, she gasped slightly when she heard where they had gone. "The forest! I've told you children never to go anywhere near that forest! It's too dangerous!"

Yu frowned in a pouting gesture. "But we're fine! Tumahab helped us and made sure we got back ok."

Terra hesitated at that. "Tumahab?"

Ai responded by pointing straight ahead. With that, the half esper turned and looked back up to Bahamut. The esper kept his own arms up for now, and put on the friendliest, most innocent smile he could muster. It was a good thing for those children. They may have saved him just now. At any rate…Terra went silent. She stared at him, and her face was frozen. Bahamut, however, saw that a look of worry or confusion was on it as she stared at him. She continued to do so for a few silent moments. Bahamut, noticing this, swallowed a bit. Obviously, she thought she recognized him…or remembered him at least. His facial features obviously weren't hid well enough.

Quickly, the esper formed an innocent grin. "Heh…it was nothing." He answered with a shrug, seeming as sweet and innocent as apple pie. "I was just wandering around, traveling the countryside, and I had settled down to camp in that forest for the night. The next morning, I heard the kids screaming and I thought I'd come see what was up."

On hearing this, the other kids, nervous and obeying their mother until now, suddenly perked up, and gazed at Bahamut in amazement.

"Wow…" One said. "You actually _camped_ in the forest? With all of those monsters running around in it? That's where Phunbaba used to live…"

Duane, however, was still hard as stone. "That's a load of crap." He spat back at him. "No one can stay in that forest without getting eaten alive. What were you really-"

"…That's enough, Duane."

The soft voice surprised everyone present, especially Bahamut. They all turned to the source, and found that it was Terra. Her puzzlement, for the moment, had faded. However…her face was still dark and grim, and was very still. Her gaze was soft as she stared gently at the great beast before her. Duane bristled a bit, but he backed down, turning back to Bahamut to glare darkly at him but obeying his matron. For a moment, no one said a thing and simply stood in their positions, waiting for something else to break the silence. At last, Terra looked up a bit to him. She didn't meet his gaze, which was typical because his gaze was hidden, but she did look on his face.

"…So…you're a traveler?"

Bahamut hesitated, but then quickly got back into his persona. Smiling, he gave a graceful bow before Terra, seeming as friendly and pleasant as he could be. "I go by the name of Tumahab, as the children said. I've been…going around the world, ever since I lost my home in the destruction."

One of the children blinked at this. "So…you're from Vector?"

Bahamut was caught a bit by that…but then decided to go with it. "Oh…yes, yes! I was from Vector."

Duane crossed his own arms, and straightened up to glare at him. "So…you were an Imperial soldier."

Bahamut didn't know whose empire Duane was referring to, but he didn't have to be telepathic to realize that the title had a bad connotation with it. The esper stifled and "ulp" before raising his hands and waving them in a refusing gesture. "Oh…no! Not at all!" He quickly responded. "I just lived there! I didn't have anything to do with the Empire. And once it was blown up, I just fled from it as fast as I could. I've been wandering around ever since."

Duane, quite predictably, looked at Bahamut with total distrust. But children were far less receptive to lies, and they simply stared at Tumahab in puzzlement and wonder. It was rare that they saw any other living souls. After a moment of silence, Yu turned back to Terra, who hadn't taken that look off of Bahamut since she had asked her question.

"He's really strong, mama. He killed this giant spider with his bare hands, and he tore through their webs without using any weapons…"

However, this soon snapped Terra out of her daze. She turned back down to the children and gaped at them. "What? Spiders? What happened to you two in there? Did you run into any creatures?"

Both Ai and Yu paled again at that, realizing that they had spilled the beans. Now, they were facing the chagrin of their matron. However, at that, Bahamut decided to jump to their defense again.

"…Perhaps it would be better, miss, if we all sat down somewhere and sorted things out. If you please…could we go inside for a few minutes? I've been outdoors for quite some time…and I'd like to be under a roof. In addition…I'm a little thirsty, and I…lost my canteen. If you could spare me a drink, I'd be most grateful."

Terra looked away from the children, and back up to Bahamut. She stared at him with that odd look again. As for Duane, he continued to glare angrily at him, without the slightest hint of trust. But the children, on hearing what Bahamut had done, turned back and looked to him with awe again, amazed at his physical feats. There was silence for a long time, and Bahamut feared that he may have overstepped his bounds. These people were very distrustful. It was likely that bandits or rogues had taken advantage of their hospitality in the past. However…in the end…Terra, seeming to still be in a daze, gave a short nod.

"…Alright. Come with me."

* * *

"Oh my…" Terra responded, putting a hand to her mouth in horror.

"Thank God you were there, Mr. Tumahab." The young woman, Katarin, responded, gazing at him with wide-eyed shock as well at that story. "There's no telling what would have happened to those two if the spiders had finished with them."

Bahamut found that he had at last gained entry into the inner rooms of Mobliz. Where he was now was actually a sub-basement, making it a fairly effective shelter against any threat, living or nonliving. It was behind a secret passage behind the basement wall of one of the ruins. It looked mostly carved out of old rock. As such…it was a bit dank and dirty, but it was livable. Torches had been set up, beds and furniture had been arranged, and a few amenities like plants and rugs had been put out. Where he was right now seemed to be an all purpose room. Most of it was taken up by the children's beds, under which all of their meager clothes and possessions were stored. There was no room for them all to eat, and most of the cooking apparel and other basic necessities were all shoved onto one large cabinet against a nearby wall. There was only one other room behind one old door. This housed a fireplace area, another bed (likely for their matron), the winter clothing for the children, the gardening tools, the wash tub, and just about every other appurtance that hadn't been stored in the previous room.

There was a single small table that could just fit four at it in the first room. This is where Bahamut found himself seated. The chair was hard and creaked, looking like it wouldn't hold his weight. He also was a bit cramped. This wasn't exactly the best place he had ever been before. It was, for many intensive purposes, a hovel. At any rate, the other adults, Terra, Duane, and his wife, or at least the mother of his child, Katarin, were seated around it. Katarin had taken an interest in Bahamut the moment he was brought in, and had been listening to him in between attending her child. As for the rest of the children, amazed to have a visitor, most of them were gathered in close around him. What more…when he told the story about all that had happened, making sure to edit it carefully regarding how he came upon the children, they were justly amazed.

Bahamut, looking innocent again, merely shrugged. "I'm just glad I was able to help."

"Here, mama…"

Terra, for the most part, had stared at Bahamut with that same empty look during the tale. But now that she heard the children calling her, she turned to them, and found Ai and Yu at her side. Both of them now presented her with their glass jars, filled with the pale blue flowers. Terra was amazed to see them, and with some surprise she reached over and took them from the kids. However, Bahamut examined her a bit more closely…and saw that these flowers did something else. They seemed to trigger something…

Terra blinked once and stared at them in amazement, letting their odor come over her. "These…these are…"

"Water Dragons!" Ai called out, smiling at her. "We knew you were feeling sad, so we wanted to cheer you up by getting these flowers."

Yu turned to her with a slight frown. "Hey…it was my idea to go get them. You just tagged along."

The half esper didn't answer. She continued to stare at the flowers, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide.

"…I put these…on General Leo's grave…"

The others were silent to this, and Bahamut raised a slight eyebrow to it. However, no one said anything else for a few moments. After a short while, Terra looked up and to the children. Both of them beamed back proudly in reply. She held for a moment longer…but then managed a smile. It was soft and somewhat melancholy, but it was happy and genuine. She was glad to have these flowers.

"…Thank you. Thank you, children."

Both kids beamed in pride at this.

"…But you still should never have gone into that place by yourselves."

Duane still looked at Bahamut distrustfully and with a dark expression. "…I'm still wondering what you were doing in that forest to begin with. I don't buy that story about you camping in there, especially if those spider creatures were in it."

Katarin turned to him with a frown at this. "Oh, hush." She scolded, before turning back and smiling at the esper. "We're all very grateful for this, Mr. Tumahab. Ignore Duane. He's just very protective of everyone, and he doesn't trust outsiders. The fact is…we've had little reason to trust anyone but ourselves. Our lives here have not been easy. We've endured attacks by both other people as well as monsters… For a whole year we were terrorized by a horrible monster named Phunbaba alone."

Bahamut reacted a bit to this. "I've heard that name before. I heard it mentioned when I first came into your town. Did he live in that forest?"

Katarin gave a nod. "Yes. That's why, for months, none of us could even set foot outside the ruins. He was a horrible demon of the Old World. The rift in the Planet caused him to come out, along with many other horrible creatures that had been sealed away. Fortunately…" Here, Katarin turned and gave a smile to Terra, who still stared at her flowers and said nothing. "Terra managed to save us, along with her friends."

Yu poked his head up at that. "That's when mama turned into a superhero! She thrashed Phunbaba easy!"

Terra stiffened on hearing that, and her smile faltered. Katarin herself grew a bit uneasy, and she quickly turned to Yu and shushed him. Bahamut, meanwhile, took this in, and unconsciously began to stroke his chin once again. So…apparently there was a time and place in which Terra did evoke her esper nature. She did it to defend those she loved. Well…that was a pretty good time for it, in Bahamut's opinion. But what caught him more was this story about Phunbaba… Khan told him that creatures of the Ancient World had been released when the world was destroyed, but he had just assumed, until now, that it was a few meager beings that weren't much of a threat. But if this monster needed Terra to turn into her esper side to kill it…then perhaps he was wrong. He began to wonder if there was any connection to the release of these creatures…and this mysterious Nireevyou.

"…Mr. Tumahab?"

Bahamut suddenly found himself snapped out of his train of thought by a small voice at his side. He turned his head, and soon saw one of the younger children looking up to him curiously. The esper hesitated a moment, but then put on his friendly smile once again.

"Um…yes, child?"

"Did you really come from Vector?"

The esper was caught off guard by that question. Did she detect his lie? But as he looked again…he saw that her question wasn't meant in that sense. It was simply a little girl confirming something. And so, the esper managed to smile and gave a nod. "Oh…yes, yes indeed. I lived in the Imperial Capitol right up until I saw Terratopolis fly."

In response to that, the rest of the people gathered looked in puzzlement to Bahamut.

"…What is Terratopolis?" Ai asked.

Bahamut looked around to begin to answer the child…when he froze. Looking quickly around the room, he realized no one had any idea what he was talking about. Each one of them had blank expressions as they stared at him. The esper felt himself sweat. Khan had known the name of the place…but he realized it was highly unlikely that any human had known it. None of them knew what he was saying. Swallowing, and trying to keep from visibly showing his slip, he responded.

"Oh! Well…Terratopolis was…what my mom…always used to call…"

Bahamut froze again. Call what? He wasn't sure what the landform where Terratopolis had been looked like, or where it had been in relation to Mobliz or Vector. He wasn't sure if it had a special name for the gate or anything. Trying not to break…he quickly finished.

"…The place where the espers were supposed to come from."

Bahamut groaned inwardly at how lame that sounded. Luckily, however, they seemed to buy it. Duane was still distrustful as always, but luckily there were kids here. It appeared that Katarin believed he had intentionally dumbed down the expression for their sakes, so they would understand. Slowly, his heart began to quiet down again as he tried to relax.

"So…what was Vector like?"

…Bahamut's relaxation was blown away as he heard the little girl ask another question, and he struggled to keep his eyes from bulging in fear.

"Mama has been there before…but she didn't live there. How was the city like?"

Soon, however, other children began to join in.

"Did you see the armies? The Magitek armor?"

"What about the Magitek factory?"

"Or the Emperor? How was he? Was he a mean person? What did he look like?"

Bahamut felt his pink flesh turn white. His stomach began to turn. This was getting very difficult, very quickly. The worst part of it all was that there was someone with them who had actually been to Vector. Any lie he would make could be seen through if it wasn't close enough to the truth. He felt his heart begin to pound and he licked his lips in confusion.

"Oh, cut it out, you all." Katarin suddenly scolded. "I'm sure Mr. Tumahab is tired, and if you bombard him all with so many questions at once he'll be too confused to think."

The children groaned in response, and sadly bowed their heads. Inside, Bahamut once again felt relief, and began to quickly like this Katarin best of all. That was two she saved him. He struggled not to sigh in relief. This was getting to be more nerve wracking than some of the horrors he had faced in his lifetime. If he knew it was going to be this much trouble, he might have tried doing more research. Wiping a bit of perspiration from his brow, he took up the glass of water he had been given and quickly drained the rest, finishing it.

On seeing this, Duane seized a fresh opportunity. "Alright…now that you're done having your drink, I trust you can see your way out. Goodbye."

But in reply to this, the children reacted negatively. Their faces became anxious at the thought. They had a powerful new person in their midst, and they had all marveled at his tale of battling the giant spiders. What more, now that they were no longer timid, they were interested in talking to this man and hearing more about where he had been, and what the great Empire had been before it was destroyed. To that end, they turned away from Tumahab and looked to Terra. Terra, on her part, was back to being somber and quiet, and seemed to not be focusing on what was going on at the moment. Nevertheless, the children looked to her and held a moment, as if anxious or trying to say something. But after a short while, one of them finally ventured forward.

"…Mama…" Yu finally spoke up. "…Could Mr. Tumahab…stay the night?"

Duane snapped around at that in surprise. Terra, however, did much the same. She suddenly came out of her daze and looked up, turning to Yu at that comment.

"He did help us and all. And he said he was tired and wanted to be in a house. Maybe we could give him a place to sleep."

"And besides…the forest is too dangerous." Ai threw in. "I don't want him to run into any monsters if he's going to camp back there. It's safer here."

The other children immediately chimed in with their own words of approval. They too began to plead that he could stay with them. They all wanted the chance to quiz him or see him do what he had done to kill the attacking spiders. Terra stared blankly back, not showing anything in response to this. She was quiet and unresponsive. Duane himself crossed his arms at this and frowned.

"…He's a stranger. And we don't know whether or not he's a thief or murderer."

Katarin cast him a frown at this, but then turned back to the half esper with a smile. "Terra…it's really the least we can do for him. He did help Yu and Ai, after all. It would give him a chance to get a warm meal and place to sleep. And if he really did that to those spiders…then we're probably safer here with him helping out too. I think if he was really dangerous, he would have done something to Yu and Ai."

Bahamut felt like giving Katarin a kiss. But he tried not to show anything. In fact, after a moment, he thought it would be good to feign modesty. He put his hands up in a stopping gesture. "No…I'll be fine. I don't want to impose. I'll be safe enough in the forest."

Katarin turned to him at this, and waved her hand. "Oh…don't let Duane put you out. And you don't have to lie. You'd be safer sleeping in the open rather than out in that deathtrap of a forest, and that's not saying much. I'm sure Terra would feel terrible leaving you out in the cold after what you did for Yu and Ai." At this, the young woman turned to Terra again, still smiling. "How about it, Terra? Just for one night?"

The half esper continued to hold. Her face hadn't changed. Bahamut looked at this, and was puzzled. Was she that affected by the dream from last night? Or did she recognize him? Or was she just this worried for her children? He didn't know the answer, but was forced to wait for a response. Finally, Terra did change. Slowly, her uncertain, melancholy face managed to form the smallest of smiles, and then she just looked up to give it back to Katarin.

"…Alright."

* * *

It was a pretty uneventful day after that. Well…at least in the traditional sense of the world. Bahamut barely had a chance to leave that chair, because soon all of the children began to follow up with their earlier questions. Luckily, it was far easier to address them one at a time, and especially to manipulate some questions back to them to get more information from them. Still, he didn't risk any mind reading, especially not now. Luckily the adults stayed away, and his conversations could be private. This continued later in the day when the kids went out again. However, none of them played around that much, they mostly just hung around him once he went out and asked him more.

Later that evening, when the kids went in and had exhausted their inquiries, Bahamut was left with time to gather his clues. By now, he had names to go with the faces, based on what he heard today and what he learned last night. From what he could gather, this Empire had been the one primarily involved with using the esper as their power source. Typically, like most power hungry humans, they turned this power first on their own people in order to subjugate the world under their feet. There had been two main leaders. One was Emperor Gesthal, and the other was General Kefka. The former of these two was the one that Terra had such animosity toward. However, the latter of them was the true threat. This was the one who had laid the Planet waste and delighted in the deaths of his people. Bahamut almost wished that Terra and her as-of-currently unnamed friends wouldn't have finished him. He would have delighted in killing him himself. He had to have been strong, and were this the old Bahamut he might have won. But as Neo Bahamut, and at full power, even that clown would not have been able to die laughing…when his breath attackssucked the very air out of his lungs.

Dinner eventually came. All of the children gathered around, but Bahamut saw that most of them sat on the stone ground or on beds. The only table was big enough just for the four adults, and Katarin set her own child on her lap. The food was very meager. A mostly water stew of potatoes, leeks, and a single thin rabbit. There was barely enough for them each to get a small bowl. Bahamut knew their resources were strained by feeding him as well, however. On seeing this…he couldn't help but feel regret. This meal wouldn't fill him anyway. Later, he would have to go and find a large creature to feast on. It would be better if they would just keep it for themselves. However…seeing as Bahamut had enough manners to know that such would be insulting, he ate it regardless. It was rather bitter and old tasting too…but he forced it down.

Once dinner was finished, all of the kids helped out to clean their dishes and put them away. With that done, it was getting late. The kids had a few hours to play indoors, but then it would be time for bed. Bahamut mostly sat in his chair and waited during this time, thinking over his information and watching the group. Once the hours had passed, Terra instructed all of the children to start getting ready for bed.

At this, Bahamut rose from his seat, and stood next to the young woman. "…Where do you want to put me, miss?"

Terra hesitated for a moment. Again, she seemed to be unnerved. She didn't even turn right away. But in the end, she turned her gaze back slightly, and without actually looking at Bahamut responded.

"…We don't have enough beds for everyone. All we can give you is a blanket, a pillow, and a rug in the inner room."

Bahamut raised an eye at that. "You mean…I'll be sleeping in the same room as you?"

"Yes." Terra readily and calmly answered.

Bahamut hesitated at that, but he supposed it only figured. After all, assuming she didn't fully trust him, she would want him to be with her in the chamber where he would have to make the most noise if he woke up. However…he still felt a bit uneasy about it. After all…he was a loner. The truth was, in all the time he had been alive, he had never slept in the same room as a female. It was rather silly, not to mention unbelievable, but it was true. He never had the opportunity, and he had never been interested in marital relationships. Nevertheless…he quickly swallowed it. It was nothing to get bent out of shape about, after all. And so, he simply gave a nod to Terra, and then turned and made for the back room.

Within moments, he was inside. A small oil lamp was lit up near the bed's headboard, providing the only illumination in the room. He didn't remember seeing a rug earlier… However, he soon saw it. It was more of a straw mat than anything. It was flat and shaped the contour of the rough floor, and it looked like it was mostly used to set wet boots somewhere to dry in winter. The mud stains testified to that.

Bahamut gave a slight frown on seeing it.

_Better than the ground, I suppose._

In his true body, Bahamut could sleep on a bed of nails. But in his human form, he had to worry about cramping up, pinching his soft flesh, keeping his body aligned, and all other problems. He had rarely slept in his human body, and when he did it was usually on a couch or recliner of some type. This was neither. Grimacing somewhat, the esper made his way over to the rug, crouched, and then plopped down on top of it. After doing so, he shifted a bit and then leaned back, extending his body over it. As he touched down to the ground, he already became aware of it being bumpy and uneven. He frowned again. It kept the sharp corners from poking him, but not much else. Nevertheless, he decided to lay there until Terra arrived.

As it turned out, he waited for close to an hour. Getting a house full of children to lay down and go to sleep was not easy for anyone. In addition to tucking them in, getting them glasses of water, and kissing them goodnight, Terra usually read a story as well until they all fell asleep. Duane and Katarin were old enough to go on without this, but the others weren't. Bahamut was lucky that Katarin's baby had started sleeping regularly, or he might have been waiting even longer for Terra to show up. But at last, they had finished. Terra went around and dimmed the lights one by one, and then went back to her own room. Very slowly, she pushed the old, creaking door open.

On seeing this, Bahamut, having been lying back until now, leaned up and looked to her.

"Oh…hello miss." He greeted.

Terra said nothing. She merely passed into the room with an expressionless face.

"I couldn't find the pillow or blanket." Bahamut continued. "I figured I should best ask you first before going through your things."

Terra didn't answer or even act like she heard. Instead, once inside, she turned back to the door and pressed herself against it. Moving very slowly, absorbing as much of the squeaking as she could with her own body, the young woman pushed it closed again. It took painstakingly long, but after a few moments it was back in the frame. Terra slowly pushed it forward the few more precious inches, and the bolt shifted out and locked into place, finally shutting it closed.

The instant it did, Terra wheeled around to Bahamut. Her face was no longer expressionless. Now…it was impassioned, anxious, and a little angry.

"What are you doing here!"

Bahamut's smile faded at that. He hesitated and stared back blankly at Terra.

_Sigh…I guess the cat's out of the bag._

Then, all at once, Bahamut changed his demeanor as well. The smiling, innocent man from before disappeared…as Bahamut at once seemed much older and stronger. His body seemed to become solid and hard, and as he inhaled the power in his eyes seemed to flare up while his weakness disappeared. Soon…Terra began to shrink back a little as she felt Bahamut take on his cold, powerful persona. However, she managed to hold. As for Bahamut, he very calmly pulled himself up into a seated position. He crossed his legs in front of him, and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"…So, you've figured it out." He remarked, his voice much stronger and colder.

Terra hesitated for the briefest moment, before she received the strength to speak again. "Of course I figured it out. I knew it this whole time. I knew it since I saw you. I have esper blood in me, remember? I can sense other espers. And I have a link to their thoughts. I've heard everything you've been saying to yourself. You really don't know what happened to this world, do you? You don't know anything about what's been going on."

Bahamut gave a somewhat dark look at that. "You know…in esper culture, mind reading like that is considered rude."

"Well this is human culture." Terra retorted.

Bahamut showed nothing in response. This was a dilemma, wasn't it? Apparently, his thoughts had not been so private as he had hoped. It had been some time since he had the necessity to try and cover up his own thoughts from prying eyes. He supposed he had to do it again. Immediately, he started setting up a mental wall in front of his reasoning and calculations. As he did, he raised one of his hands and waved it. In response…a wave of white smoke suddenly erupted around the room. Terra panicked. Immediately, she recoiled from it and stared at it. The smoke continued to fill up the room, however, but only on the edges. It seemed to only affect the area around them, not near them. What more, after a few moments, the smoke faded into thin air just as quickly as it had come. Terra looked at all this, and then wheeled back to Bahamut.

"What have you done?"

Bahamut sighed calmly to this demand. "If you insist on yelling so much…then I had no choice but to place a mute spell around this room…unless you want the children to know about who I really am."

Terra fumed and glared at him. "Who are you?"

"I already told you. I am Bahamut, King of All Espers…and as such, your king."

"What do you want from me?"

To this, Bahamut's eyes narrowed and became a bit angrier. "…I despise having to repeat myself, so I'll make this the last time. I want your allegiance as an esper, and your service."

Terra continued to frown. "You mean you want me as your slave."

"I have no love for slaves." Bahamut responded. "I prefer servants."

Terra snorted. "What's the difference?"

"Benefits and a common interest, but that's hardly relevant right now. I don't intend to claim you just yet, so you should feel grateful."

Terra didn't change. Instead, she balled her hands into fists and grew angrier. But she couldn't be too cold or defiant to Bahamut. His own overwhelming presence wouldn't allow her. She silently fumed for a moment, trying to think of something else. At last, she spoke up again.

"…You were obviously stalking my children. Why did you save them?"

Bahamut simply shrugged. "Because, at the time, it felt like the right thing to do."

"I thought you didn't care what happened to them."

"I don't recall ever saying anything to that effect."

"You were going to take me away from them."

The great esper merely leaned forward at this, and propped his head up on one arm. "Really?" He calmly responded. "And do they really need you?"

Terra was caught at that. Her eyes enlarged a bit, and her fear loosened. Bahamut, however, did not let up. He continued to stare right back at her, waiting for her to respond to that comment. Terra didn't for a while. She looked troubled and surprised at that sudden question. However…she did finally break. Abruptly, she bowed her head, as her own eyes began to look sorrowful. Her arms raised and crossed over herself.

"…I don't know." She finally said, very quietly. "…But I need them."

Bahamut raised a single eyebrow to this, but said nothing else. Both continued to be silent for a few moments. Terra kept her head bowed, and looked to the ground as her eyes grew sad. Bahamut noticed this, and was a bit surprised. So…she really did care about these children, it seemed. She definitely had a love attachment to them, and from all that Bahamut had seen they did as well. Nevertheless, he only let this go on for a few moments. It wasn't his concern. Eventually, he leaned back to where he was before, and put his arm back across his body.

"…To answer your first question," He finally began. "I'm here because I'm curious. There's only so much I can learn from talking to you personally. I want to know more about you. And I am still getting used to this world, and I am trying to figure out how to best implement my plans. To that end…I think it would be best if I hung around you and your charges for a little while."

Terra snapped out of it, and looked up to Bahamut in surprise. "What…?"

"I'll keep up my persona of Tumahab, of course." Bahamut went on. "I'll even earn my keep, if you want me to. But I'll be staying here with you and the children from now on. I'll keep interacting with them…playing, talking…that sort of thing. And you can just pretend that I'm the same person you let in today."

"But…" Terra responded, still surprised. "But…you can't…"

"As your king, this is my first order to you." Bahamut cut off. "It is non-negotiable."

Terra quivered where she stood, unbelieving what was being said. She hesitated. But then…her face suddenly flushed in anger, and she took a step toward the great esper.

Bahamut was perfectly calm.

"If you fight me, not only will you lose…I'll use my full strength in my true body. I don't think I can control my power well enough to avoid hitting the children."

Terra froze again, as he eyes widened and the breath caught in her throat. Bahamut calmly looked back, showing nothing. The young woman held for a moment, staring at him in sudden fear. That was a horrifying possibility. But what more…it also helped her remember what else Bahamut could do. He could turn her back into an esper and leave her powerless to return. He could injure or kill her. And right now…she wasn't sure if he wouldn't stoop to hurting the children. With that in mind, she couldn't resist. Slowly…her arms fell back at her sides and her fists relaxed. She closed her eyes a moment afterward, and clenched her jaw tightly.

"…Just don't hurt them."

"You should know, after this morning, that I'm not evil enough to wish to see kids, even human kids, die." Bahamut calmly answered.

"…You're supposed to leave tomorrow."

"We can work around that easily enough. I'll find something to do."

A brief pause between the two of them. Terra opened her eyes and looked back up to Bahamut.

"…So now what?"

"Now…we sleep." Bahamut answered simply. "I'm still looking forward to that pillow and blanket. After that, you need to rest more than anyone. You look like a mess, and it won't take long for them to realize something is wrong with you if you don't calm down."

Terra's face suddenly turned livid again, and frowned. "You expect me to be calm!"

"I'm not taking you anywhere, and I'm not changing anything in the foreseeable future. The longer I stay here with you, the longer you stay here as well. Be grateful. And if nothing else, control yourself for the sake of your charges. Whether you like it or not, those two did something very reckless and dangerous out of a desire to see you smile again. It would insult their struggle if you didn't at least make an effort to be happy."

Terra's anger vanished, and she recoiled a bit at that. She hadn't expected that sudden response. But now that Bahamut said it…she realized he was right. Those flowers had been obtained from a very dangerous place in the world. She would never let them have gone normally. But like Bahamut said…they had gotten them for her so that she would be happier. It was obvious to them now that she wasn't happy, and that she was brooding more often than not. Yet when they heard some silly fable about how those flowers would cheer her up, they foolishly risked their lives in order to get them for her. It was a stupid mistake…but the reasoning behind it was indeed very noble and sacrificial. Thinking of it like this, the great esper made sense. They had been trying to help her…and doing anything to upset them now would only make them feel worse…might even drive them to another reckless feat. She wouldn't dare. Those children were her life.

With that in mind…Terra at last closed her eyes and clenched her jaw again. She straightened back up and calmed down as much as she could. With that done, she walked slowly over to one of the nearby shelves, and practically tore a blanket and pillow of of it. She nearly threw both at Bahamut…who, in response, without batting an eye, seized both of them together, and with one easy twist put the pillow behind his head and the blanket over his body.

Terra didn't care. She simply walked back over to her own bedside and blew out the lamp. Without bothering to change, she threw herself into her bed, covered herself up, and said no more the rest of the night.

Bahamut let out a slow exhale, but then went down as well, turned his head, and tried to sleep.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	16. Down On The Farm

Bahamut had worse nights.

Still, it was rather hard for him to sleep. In his new body, he felt like he wouldn't need sleep for a month. Most of the time he spent lying on his makeshift bed, hoping that he would eventually nod off. But he couldn't. If nothing else…he was not used to sleeping with the scent of another so close. Terra was nearby, but she didn't sleep well either. Bahamut knew that. He knew enough to know what a sleeping body sounded like, and she didn't settle into the rhythms of a normal individual. She tossed and turned far too much. Yet, she was part human, and eventually her own exhaustion took her down. After that, Bahamut was left alone to lie there in the darkness of the cave.

It was still well before dawn when he decided to get up. He made sure to be very quiet, not waking the woman or the children. He very slowly pulled his blanket off, rolled up, and got to his feet. Afterward, he made for the door, and rather than risk it squeaking simply put a mute spell on it before calmly opening it, not making the slightest noise. After that, he carefully crept past the sleeping children and to the exit door. This too he muted, and slowly opened up. Soon he went through this as well, and after shutting it behind him he was in the clear.

A minute later, Bahamut emerged outside. It was still early, but not as cool as yesterday. Summer heat was coming, pushing out the spring chill. It felt good to be out in fresh air, however. He stretched his limbs from being in that cramped space and walked around a bit. He thought of transforming to really stretch, but then thought against it. He didn't want to risk anyone seeing his true power yet. Eating wasn't an issue either. His new body could go for days without food, and he wasn't the least bit hungry. That left him with very little to do to satisfy the needs of the body…other than ease nature. As it turned out, that was what he did.

After doing so, Bahamut cast a mute spell on both guard dogs and walked to the front of the ruined city. Both soon barked their heads off at him, but they soon stopped when they realized nothing was coming out. A bit frightened at this predicament, they tucked their tails between their legs and backed down. That gave Bahamut a free look at the surroundings of the town. He didn't like what he saw. This area was very vulnerable. The cliffs managed to protect the east and west somewhat, and the waters below and above helped. But other than that, there was nothing. Anything could walk down the main street and annihilate anything in its path. That was probably why that Phunbaba creature had continuously attacked this city. It was an easy mark, and filled with young manflesh. These dogs were the only defense they had. But to anything bigger than a fox, these dogs would serve only as an alarm. That Phunbaba creature was likely very stupid, or it would have killed the dogs at night and come in while they slept.

That, however, was only one item of disdain Bahamut had for the town. Most of it was still rotting since it had been destroyed. There was a lot to still be salvaged from it. One of the buildings, an old store, was pretty much intact. On examining it, Bahamut found that even the door and lock still worked. It was small, but it was a good place to possibly use. Most of the ground hadn't been cleared either, to make room for a bigger garden. There was no extra escape path save for the tiny little crawlway Bahamut had seen yesterday, and there was no way to call for help if one of the children became sick or injured. The esper frowned at Terra's earlier reaction. She should have been thanking him for reawakening her esper side. Now she could use her own ability to heal the children rather than have to risk them dying in an emergency.

At last, Bahamut released the mute spell on the dogs and then traveled back to the garden. On reaching it, he looked over the area and gave another frown. This garden was practically a mess of wild foods. It wasn't properly hoed or dug, it was surrounded by mole tunnels, the weeds had their roots left in the soil that had been pulled, and there was too much emphasis on variety and not on making sure they had enough of any one thing. The great esper supposed he couldn't have blamed them. It was unlikely that they even knew how to garden. And the kids couldn't help that much. Still…by far the worst part was the damage from the other day. On turning and looking at it, Bahamut sighed and shook his head. They probably couldn't have gotten by with the full crop…but without it they were in trouble.

"You're up early."

Bahamut raised his head calmly to that sound. Standing near the doorway of the ruin with the shelter, looking over Bahamut and the garden, was Terra. Her face was grim and melancholy again, but it was more active than yesterday too as it stared at the great esper.

Bahamut hesitated a moment, but then nodded. "I have trouble sleeping on a human's time frame."

Terra didn't seem to hear that, or at least care. She looked down over the garden as well. When she did…a sigh escaped her lips, and her worry increased. Slowly, she walked down off the porch steps and began to come over to the garden. She put her hands on her hips and stared at it.

"I don't know what I'm going to do about this…" She finally remarked, her voice sad and worried. "Especially now that we have another mouth to feed."

In reply, Bahamut raised a hand in a stopping gesture. "Oh…don't worry about me. I can hunt my own food."

"Then the children will start wondering why you never eat."

Bahamut merely shrugged at that. "I'll just tell them the truth. That I get my own food."

Terra sighed again, shaking her head at the garden. She crossed her arms in front of her soon after. "This is not good… I don't know how that thing got past the dogs yesterday, but it might as well have attacked the children for all the damage it might have done to us… This isn't enough."

The great esper paused for a moment, looking down at the garden itself.

"…I could catch food for you all as well. I can just say I hunted it."

Terra looked up and cast Bahamut a momentary glare. The esper caught it, and he recoiled a bit. The type of look automatically gave a clear message to him, even though he didn't read Terra's mind.

_I don't want your pity or charity._

"Most of the meat around here is poisonous to humans." She responded. "All of these foul creatures are diseased and rotten."

Another pause of silence between the two of them. Bahamut recovered a bit, while Terra looked sad again as she stared back at their meager crop. The esper, however, was not finished. There had to be other options yet available to them.

"…You'll just have to replant."

Terra groaned, put a hand to her brow, and shook it. "It's no good. The planting season is over. It'll die before it's time to harvest. Besides, we're out of seeds."

"Then you'll need to travel to the nearest town and purchase food."

Terra frowned a bit at this, although she mostly looked tired. "With what money? I don't have a gil on me. Any money I managed to get during my travels with my friends I spent on getting these kids through the winter. Besides, I can't carry anything back without help. And Duane and Katarin would have to stay and watch the children. I don't have the money to rent a chocobo and a wagon. Besides that…even if we did have more plants we'd still be in trouble. The children need milk. They're going to be growth deficient if they don't get it. But even if I could find the time to clear this land, even if I could find the money to buy a cow, even if I could find the space to raise it, even if I could build a barn to house it…the creatures around here would break in some night and eat it."

Terra ended this all with one large sigh. Her arms dropped in frustration, and she shook her head in confusion and futility. Bahamut saw this, and saw a great weight come upon her. Obviously…she had been worried about this all for some time. She knew full well that there was a lot she could do to make this town better, but she hadn't the time or the resources. She was just one woman, struggling to keep the kids alive in an unforgiving wilderness. She had no one else to help her in this endeavor, and she was struggling not to just give up…

And to all this…Bahamut found himself impressed.

This woman wasn't even twenty yet. She was still a young lady in most terms, at an age when other girls would be worried about getting married and having fun. But she had taken on a tremendous responsibility with these children. She loved them and cared for them, and spent her every waking hour trying to think of how to better care for them and get them through the day. She was in dire straights right now, and yet even here she refused to accept Bahamut's help in procuring food. The esper was justly amazed. It was rare for a human to take on such hardship so willingly, and attack it so strongly day after day. And if there was one thing Bahamut admired…one thing that seemed to stand out in his history that made the difference between the dead and the living…it was determination. Determination to survive and win against overwhelming odds.

In choosing to be the matron of these children, Terra had taken on a great responsibility, and evoked great determination to succeed.

Bahamut wasn't fully aware of it yet…but from that day on, he began to admire her.

At last, Terra sighed again, shook her head, and then turned back to the house. "…I've got to start making the kids breakfast…" She remarked aloud. "You can come in whenever you want."

Bahamut didn't move in response to that. Terra didn't seem to care. She just walked herself back up the porch and back into her house.

And despite the mass of problems that he had to deal with in order to make his own way in the world…Bahamut suddenly found himself beginning to think about the problems that Terra was forced to deal with.

* * *

A bit later in the day, after the children had eaten yet another meager meal, they came out. Bahamut went on and stayed outside, awaiting them. The children had been fearful that he had left already before coming out, but they seemed very pleased to see him when they went out that day. To keep up his proper personality, Bahamut smiled at them and gave them a wave, before settling down on a large piece of wooden debris. After that, he merely leaned back and watched what was going to happen that day.

Much like the time he watched, things played themselves out. Terra and Duane were the big difference. They went to work on the garden, pulling weeds, doing some hoeing, and trying to get the roots they had missed. It would help, but Bahamut knew right away that it was hardly enough to make that large of a difference. The best they could do was save the crop they had. As for Katarin, she began to play with her own small child again. The other five children ran around with each other. The great esper watched this all…and still couldn't help but think about what Terra had to deal with. He frowned a bit at the thought. He should have been focusing more on how to get Terra on his side, or what he was going to do to recover what he had lost. But he kept thinking about that instead…

"Mr. Tumahab!"

Bahamut was most surprised, however, when he suddenly heard his name being called. He turned his head over to the source, and found that the five kids were standing in a crowd. An old leather ball was being held by the smallest girl of the group, a child who Bahamut now knew was named Athena. She had been the one who called out to him.

"Could you come over here?"

The esper was puzzled. Why did they need him? However, he only held for a few moments. Then, a bit confused, he rose from where he was and made his way toward the other children. He towered over them powerfully, easily dominating them in size. But they were used to him by now, and just stared up to him when he joined them.

"Yes?"

"Could you play dodgeball with us?" Athena asked innocently. "We only have five players. We need three on each side."

Bahamut was a little taken aback. Unknowingly, his eyes opened a bit and he caught himself. They wanted him…to play a game? Bahamut had never played any games with children other than with Wyvern when he was younger, and most of those were things these humans didn't need to be playing anyway. Some of the espers like Leviathan occasionally went out and played with the kids, but Bahamut had never done anything like it. But now…a crowd of children were actually asking him to play with them. Despite how simple a request it seemed…Bahamut found himself nervous. He didn't know why. He had never played with children before, he supposed. Even his own dragon offspring had been self sufficient… And he had never come so low as to actually play a game with humans… Well, except maybe Palad, but that was different…

"Er…um…" Bahamut uneasily replied, shifting in place. "I…I'm not sure how to play…"

"Oh, it's easy!" Yu immediately responded. The boy ran away from the crowd and out to the wide open space that he and the others had been playing in. He took up a stick from the ground, and proceeded to draw a rough line that managed to generally divide the space in half in the ground. Once that was done, he threw the stick aside and ran up to Athena, taking the ball from her. He ran back to the line, and set it on the middle, right between the two sides.

"The ball starts here." He explained. "We say one, two, three, go…and then we both run out and try to get it. Once a team has it, they try to throw it at the other people and hit them with it. If it hits them, they're out."

"But you can't go over the line." The oldest boy, Marcus, added in. "You have to throw from your side, or you're out. And if someone catches the ball you throw, you're out. Once everyone on one side is out, the game is over."

Bahamut took these rules in. They seemed simple enough…although he was still uneasy about actually playing a game with kids. "…Ok. So…whose team am I on?"

"You can be with me and Yu!" Ai immediately suggested.

Marcus frowned at that. "That's not fair! Then me and Essner are stuck with Athena! And she's too slow!"

The little girl crossed her arms and frowned. "I am not!"

"Hey, don't get into a fight about this." Bahamut immediately spoke up, quieting the children down. After a moment, he turned to Ai, and then pointed to the other two boys. "Ai…why don't you be on that team, and Athena can be on me and Yu's team."

The girl paused at that, a bit regretful that she couldn't be on the same team as Bahamut, especially after seeing him throw yesterday. However, she also liked a chance to get even with her brother for calling her a fraidy cat. In the end, she smiled. "Ok!" She chirped, before running over onto the other side. Athena soon switched and ran over to Bahamut and Yu's team.

After that, the two respective teams went over to their respective sides. Bahamut took the right side of his court, Athena took the left, and Yu took the middle. As for the other side, Marcus took the middle, Essner took the left, and Ai took the right. The ball was already in the middle, and so there was no need to set up. The two teams hunched forward and prepared to go for it. All except Bahamut, that was. He looked this set up over for a moment, and then he understood. It seemed that you had a gamble when you went for the ball. If you got it first, then your opponent, who would be right next to you, would be an easy target. But if you didn't make it first, then you would be vulnerable. It was very important that you get to the ball first when the game started.

"Ok! I'll count to three!" Essner called from his side. "One…two…three…go!"

Marcus and Yu had just taken the first step to get to the ball…when they froze.

Before Essner's voice had even finished sounding the "go", Bahamut was already in the middle and holding the ball.

The kids were stunned. They hadn't even seen Bahamut move. As for the great esper, he held the ball for a moment on his side of the court. But when he looked around and saw that the children were now staring at him with their jaws hanging loose…he felt himself break into another sweat. He had forgotten. He was far stronger than these kids. He hadn't adjusted to his new strength that well yet, and he had accidentally used it full power. He had to watch that. At full strength in his human body, he could probably put the ball through the cliffs on either side of him. He had to be more gentle.

Smiling sheepishly, Bahamut slowly began to back away from the line doing a backward hop, and made ready to throw the ball. Slowly, the other kids snapped out of it. The game resumed, and they began to get back in. Marcus' team began to hop around on their side, getting ready to dodge. As for Yu and Athena, they turned to Bahamut and began to cheer him on.

"Come on, Mr. Tumahab!"

"Get them out!"

"Go for Essner! He's the slowest!"

"Hey, be quiet!" The middle boy yelled back.

Bahamut looked around at the kids on the opposing side. He swallowed a bit. He had to be gentle. If he wasn't gentle, he could seriously injure them. He had to be as soft was possible… Finally, he picked a target. He aimed for Ai, pulled back, and then threw as gently as he could.

The children were soon stunned in silence again, but not because the power was great. Rather…Bahamut had gone too far. Now, the ball sailed forward a whole two feet before dropping to the ground and rolling over onto the opposing team's side.

Bahamut tried not to smack himself in the forehead. He had no idea impersonating a human could get so frustrating. Now, the children were even more confused as to why, after having related how he harpooned the spider the day before, was barely able to get his ball over the line in a dodgeball event. Especially after moving in the blink of an eye to get the ball to start with. Perhaps he should have spent that morning practicing using his strength properly…

At any rate, Marcus soon took up the ball. When he did, the others snapped out of it. Athena and Yu began to move around, and Bahamut himself snapped out of it and quickly moved back to his side of the court. He tried to put a bit more strength into his moves, and hoped that it was the right amount. As he did, Marcus' side began to cheer him on and encourage him to get one out. Bahamut thought back to the rules. If you caught it, the other side was out. But other than that, you couldn't touch it.

After a moment, however, Marcus grinned a bit darkly as he zeroed in on Athena. Athena herself began to get frustrated, and pouted in disgust. She was always the first to get knocked out. She was too little to move as fast or as quickly as the other children. She could only struggle in vain to try and avoid Marcus' own accuracy. But as she tried to make herself a moving target, Marcus reared back and took careful aim at her legs. Moments later, he let the ball fly, and Athena winced and tried to twist herself out of the way…

However, the ball never hit her. Again, the children froze as they saw what had happened. Rather than stay on his own side of the court, Bahamut had rushed over in a lunge and had snatched Marcus' ball out of the air before it could touch Athena. He did a somersault on landing, and quickly used the force to force him back on his feet. His team was stunned, staring at what he had done. Athena was the most shocked of all. The other side was likely surprised. Bahamut himself swallowed, and looked over the area. In the end, he turned to Marcus, and gave a shrug.

"…I think you're out, Marcus."

The oldest boy was simply too stunned to care. He stood amazed at how his ball had been so easily caught. Even when he finally snapped out of it to walk off the side, he was still too shocked to be that mad about it. However, once he was off the field, the teams once again began to snap out of it. Ai and Essner started to run around, while Bahamut's team slowly recovered and began to cheer him on again.

"Come on, Mr. Tumahab! Do what you did to the spider yesterday!"

"Put everything you have into it!"

The esper swallowed at the thought of that. He most certainly wasn't going to do that. But he did have to use more strength. What he had just used to snatch the ball seemed like a good level. And so, he turned his head back to the opposing team, licked his lips, and readied himself to throw again. He decided to target Essner this time. Focusing his strength at the proper level, he reared back, adjusted his course, and threw the ball.

_…I just can't get a break, can I?_

That was the thought that ran through Bahamut's head a moment later as the ball sailed right into Essner's chest and knocked him right off his feet. He had been in a prime position to catch it, but the force was so great that it knocked him down before he could grab it. Now, he fell to the street, and let the ball limply roll from his grasp. He wasn't knocked out, but he was stunned. After lying a moment, he moaned and began to look around in puzzlement, wondering how he had got there. As for the other children, they once again were shocked. They turned to Bahamut, and then back to Essner, and then back to Bahamut again.

Bahamut began to turn red. This day was not starting out too well.

"Um…can we play hide and seek instead?"

* * *

Things went better as the day went on. Bahamut managed to eventually adjust his strength, but as it turned out the children liked him when he was stronger. Their shock gradually gave way to awe, and soon everyone wanted him on their team in various games. He was the tallest and strongest of them all. He was faster than anyone else and could climb anywhere to retrieve a lost ball. He was able to find everyone when playing hide and seek, and he made a good monster when the children pretended. They were able to all jump on him at once and beat on him for all they were worth, and unlike Terra, Duane, or Katarin he never got hurt or tired. He was soon their favorite playmate.

And, much as Bahamut may have been ashamed to admit it…he actually had a good time. It had been a while since he could just relax and let loose. He had never really played with children before…but this was a bit…fun.

When everyone went in for the day, Bahamut saw that the garden had little improved for all the work that Terra and Duane had put into it. He frowned at the sight, and found himself thinking of it again. Once inside, the esper made the announcement that he was expecting a friend of his to come along with a wagon once he managed to purchase one, and he would be leaving on that. But he wasn't sure when he would be by, and until then he wanted to know if he could stay there. The children, by now, all pleaded with their matron to let him. Katarin, seeing how good he had been with the kids, agreed. Duane was irritable, of course, and Terra was uneasy. But she wasn't going to say no, knowing that this was all fabricated anyway. And so, it was settled.

The rest of the day went by much like the night before. After lunch, the children played indoors for a few hours. Bahamut mostly sat this time out. Ai and Yu actually went up to Terra and asked if they could go out and play with Bahamut more, just for today. But she refused, and Bahamut told them to listen to her. Inside, unfortunately, there was little Bahamut could do with them that wouldn't reck the place. As it was, the children were so riled up from roughhousing with Bahamut that it was hard to calm them down. Yet as they played, Bahamut kept an eye on the older people. He watched as Duane, his own head bowed and quiet, talked softly with Katarin, and after he was done her own face looked worried. As for Terra, she bathed her own red, rough hands in water, from having dug so much.

Dinner came and went. Bahamut passed for tonight, stepping out instead and telling the children he'd get his own dinner. They were amazed by that, seeing as he had no hunting weapons, but once outside Bahamut did little other than pace around and practice using his strength. He still wasn't hungry, and he probably wouldn't feel the need to eat for the rest of the week. At any rate, that time had soon passed as well, and Bahamut reentered again. When he did, Terra and the kids cleaned up their things, and soon they began to get ready for bed. As for Bahamut, he went off to his own room and shut the door behind him. Once there, he lied down on his own "bed" and tried to sleep.

Again, he had too much energy to do so. The children never made him break a sweat that whole day. But even so…he couldn't sleep that easily. He was thinking too much…about what had happened that morning between him and Terra. He thought again of this young woman…struggling to survive against all odds in the wild. She was a brave person, and truly devoted to these children. And as for them…he found himself actually smiling a bit at the thought of playing earlier that day. It had been a new experience, but it had been…a bit amusing. He supposed he felt a bit of regret at not being able to go out and play with them more. Sure, he had his own childhood…but compared to the eons in which he had been an adult, he supposed…he liked the opportunity to be a "boy" for a few hours.

Yet still, this was a serious problem. Terra and the children couldn't stay like this. They either had to move to a new town or alter their situation here. Bahamut frowned at the idea of them moving. He had a feeling Terra did too. If they went to a town, conditions would improve, but not much. They would need to make money, and there was no way that Terra could support all of these kids herself, assuming she could even find a job. Human nature would probably think she was some sort of harlot for having all these children and no husband. Duane and Katarin could help, but none of the others were really old enough to take care of Katarin's child yet. One would have to stay at home. Even then…what would they get? Some dingy hard labor job for a meager salary. If they could live on this land, then it would be theirs. No one would take it from them. They could keep up this life they had now, for hard as it was they were all happy and together. That wouldn't be possible, however, unless they did something, and did something soon.

Bahamut had offered to hunt, but he realized that Terra was telling the truth. All of the creatures around here smelled unnatural. That was why he was putting off eating. Besides, she wouldn't accept his help. She was still angry at him for what he planned to do with her. Yet still…he thought it would be wrong to just ignore this. After all, he did owe them something for sheltering him. There had to be something he could do…

Then, at long last…some of Bahamut's large wisdom came to mind…along with some of his recently reawakened playfulness…and he got an idea.

_There might be one way…

* * *

_

Bahamut again didn't sleep that night. But instead, bringing up his infinite patience, he lied on the ground and waited for next morning to come. When Terra came in after reading to the children, he pretended to be asleep. She tried calling to him to wake up, but he merely acted like he was down too deeply, until she wouldn't risk alerting the children. Bahamut was curious there. He wondered if she considered risking taking the children and leaving. But if she did, she didn't ask on it. After all, she had no idea how he had found her in the first place. Soon, she went to bed, and the lights went out, leaving Bahamut to wait through the long hours of the night.

Finally, it was the same time as Bahamut had arisen yesterday. He quickly scanned Terra, and saw that she was asleep. With that, the great esper proceeded to slowly disengage himself from his "bed", get up and to the door, and then exit the room without a sound. Once that was done, rather than go to the exit, he turned his attention to the larger room where the kids were sleeping. Luckily, his infrared vision allowed him to see everything clearly, and he made his way through the darkened room and to the nearest bed. It was Ai's bed, and she was still sleeping soundly, hugging a big stuffed moogle to her chest that had seen better days. The great esper waited until he was at her side, and then slowly bent down next to her. He then put his head next to her ear, and whispered very softly.

"Ai? Ai?"

The girl winced a bit, disturbed from her sleep. But as Bahamut continued to whisper, she eventually moaned once, and then raised a hand to her eyes and rubbed them. After a moment, she pulled back and blinked, waking up fully. She soon saw Bahamut leaning over her, and addressed him at full volume.

"Mr. Tuma-"

"Shh." Bahamut immediately hushed, putting a finger over her lips. He looked up after that and quickly scanned around the room. He was most satisfied to see that no one had changed. Everyone else was still asleep. After that, he turned back down, and gave Ai a big smile. "Good morning."

Ai was alert now, but she also looked puzzled. "Why did you wake me up?" She asked in her own whisper.

Bahamut continued to smile. "We're going to give your mama a surprise."

On hearing that, Ai immediately brightened up, and soon grew excited. "A surprise!" She called in a louder whisper. "What kind of surprise?"

"I'll tell you when we get outside. For right now, I need you to wake up your brother, Marcus, Essner, and Athena. Don't wake up Duane, Katarin, or Seras. Just go right outside to the porch. I'll be right behind you."

Ai blinked in confusion at this for a moment, but then nodded and whispered back. "Alright."

The girl soon began to get out of bed to do as Bahamut had said. As she did, Bahamut turned away and slowly and silently made his way back to his room again. He was so quiet, that it seemed like only Ai was awake, because only she made any noise as she went to Yu's side and began to shake him. Bahamut didn't pay much attention to this, however. He soon was back inside, and once he had shut the door he quickly and quietly made his way over to the shelves on the walls. Continuously checking on Terra to make sure she still slept, he gathered up all of the gardening tools from the wall. There were only two hoes, two small shovels, and a small soil aerator, but they would suffice. Holding them all close to him, and trying not to make a sound, he turned and crept back to the door, slowly made his way through without rattling, and then closed it again. With that done, he made his way up the stairs.

In a few minutes, Bahamut was making his way to the front door and out it. The sun still hadn't risen, and it was still mostly dark out. There was enough light to see one's way, however. The children were all standing on the porch, waiting for him as he came out with his arms full of tools. They were mostly still in their nightclothes, and Athena still had her own stuffed chocobo with her. But they looked at him regardless and waited to see what was up.

"Good, you're all here." Bahamut announced. "Everyone, follow me to the garden."

The children did as they were told. Soon, the whole group was moving off the porch, around the side of the ruined building, and out to Terra's meager vegetable patch. Once they were there, Bahamut dumped all of the tools on the ground next to it, and then turned to the field itself. The other children pressed in close, while he looked over the area for a moment. He quickly calculated the corner of this field to go all the way to the Cliffside, and then the back of it to go all the way to the first tree. It was a pretty good distance. A couple acres at least. Well…it would be if he put his own muscle to work. Once he saw this, he turned and looked to the kids. Some of them were picking up the tools already.

"Oh, don't worry about those just yet." He told them. "We won't use them right away. Alright everyone. Here's what we're going to do. Your mother wants to grow a bigger garden, but she doesn't have the time or the power to do it. That's why she's been so sad lately. So we're going to dig one for her, so that she can grow lots and lots of crops."

The children seemed to get a bit enthusiastic at this. After all, they loved the chance to make Terra happy. Marcus looked around for a moment, and then turned back to Bahamut. "How big will we make it?"

Bahamut turned and began to point around him. "We're going to do it from there…all the way to over there. Then there will be plenty for you guys to eat, and extra."

Essner frowned at that, however. "But…there's trees in the way." He protested, pointing to the nearest one.

To this, Bahamut formed an innocent look, as if he hadn't noticed that before. "Trees?" He asked simply. Essner nodded, and kept pointing. Bahamut turned and looked to it, and then turned back with a mock confused expression. He jabbed a thumb behind him. "What? Those trees?"

The other kids, seeing this, immediately nodded.

Bahamut didn't know why…but he thought it would be nice to have fun with this. And so, he formed a mock concerned expression, and scratched his chin as if he was confused. He made a thoughtful sound, and then slowly walked over to the tree while seeming to puzzle over it. Soon, he was right next to it, and he looked up and down it while continuing to stroke his chin and look confused. Then, abruptly, he gave a simple shrug, put both of his arms around the tree, summoned some of his power…and with a slight grunt pulled the entire tree out of the ground like it was nothing more than an oversized weed. The stump and roots came with it.

The children gazed in astonishment. Their jaws dropped as they stared at Bahamut with the tree. Meanwhile, Bahamut simply began to whistle, turned, and walked over to the side, away from his planned area for the field. Once he was there, he moved as if to toss it to the side…but then he stopped and smiled at the kids. "Don't want to make too much noise and wake up mother before we're done." He explained, and then proceeded to slowly set the tree down on its side. It still made a tremendous amount of noise as the branches cracked and buckled, but it wasn't as loud as dropping the huge thing.

The kids blinked and gaped. Yu rubbed his eyes as if he was dreaming. "How did you do that?"

Bahamut merely smiled as he walked back toward them. "Oh…it's a little magic trick I know." He simply answered. Soon he walked back to the others, and stood in their midst. Gradually, the surprise of the others gave way to more awe. They beamed at Bahamut in astonishment. Now, their admiration of him grew even more, and soon they were smiling at this legendary superman in their midst. As for the esper, he clapped his hands together in an eager fashion, and then looked over the kids.

"Alright…it's time we get started. First we're going to pull up all the boulders and stumps from this field and throw them over by that tree. I'll pull up the rest of the trees too while you guys are doing that. Then, I'll show you guys how to dig and plow this field so that lots of things can grow in it. But we've got to hurry and do this. Your mom will be up in an hour, and I'll want her to see all the hard work you did."

At that, however, the smiling vanished momentarily.

"But Mr. Tumahab…we can't do all that." Athena protested. "We're too little."

"I tried moving that boulder before." Essner threw in, pointing out to the field to one of the medium sized rocks. "I couldn't budge it."

"And how can we do this all in an hour?" Marcus asked.

To this, Bahamut gave a knowing smile, as if he had a great secret in mind. "Oh…you guys can do it, alright. Didn't I tell you I pulled up that tree with a little magic trick? I'll tell you guys a magic word that will make you all fast and strong like me. But it will only last until we finish working, so don't get too excited."

Hearing this, the children immediately brightened up.

"Really!" An enthusiastic Yu responded.

"Sure, sure. But we better do it quick." Bahamut responded, getting the kids back on task. "First of all, you guys all need to get together and close your eyes. Then I'll whisper the magic word in each of your ears. After that, I'll stand out here, and I'll count to three. After I do, we'll all say the magic word together, and you guys will be able to do all I told you. Alright?"

"Ok!" All of the children cheered in response. Trembling with eagerness, they all quickly got into a group as Bahamut had said and closed their eyes. They all grinned and bounced around excitedly. They all loved the chance to be as strong as Bahamut, and they could hardly wait to be like that. After they were all ready, Bahamut leaned over and whispered a word into each of their ears. He started with the youngest, and made his way to the oldest, one at a time. He had to shush them from speaking it out loud at first, but finally he told them all what it was. After that, he stepped back from them a moment.

"Alright everyone. Now…this will be our little secret. It will only work when all six of us are together and say this word at the same time. Now…keep your eyes closed, and get ready."

The kids began to giggle and move in place, but kept their eyes closed. As they did, Bahamut looked over them all a moment…and then waved his hands in a strange gesture. As he did, he felt an extension of his own power flow out from him. He sent it into each one of them, not filling them with strength, but taking ahold of their faculties and giving them each a degree of magical power. They knew nothing of it, other than feeling a slight tingling that only made them laugh and giggle more. Once he had it all in place, Bahamut closed his own eyes, and focused.

"Alright everyone…one…two…three!"

As one, all six of them said the same word.

"Hyper-velo!"

* * *

Terra woke to hear something far away. It sounded almost like…a rustling of some sort. She wasn't sure what it was exactly, but it sounded almost muffled…faraway. It confused her a little. She moaned once, and rolled around a bit on her pillow. She finally opened her eyes, but she saw nothing. In fact, after she did open her eyes, the rustling noise stopped. She blinked a few times, and then inhaled sharply and stretched. Once she had done so, she reached over to her lamp. She began to reach for her tinderbox…but then stopped. She wondered if, after what had happened…she could actually use a fire spell to light up the lamp like she used to. But in the end, she refused to do it, and frowned at the thought. She took up the box, struck it, and soon lit the lamp. After doing so, she adjusted it for maximum brightness, and with a sigh turned and looked in the room.

Again, "his highness" had left early. His bed was in pieces again, and he was nowhere to be found. Terra merely looked tiredly at it, and sighed. She knew by now that him being here wasn't a dream, she thought as she rose out of bed and to her feet. He was here…and eventually, he was going to take her away from everything she loved. These children…this life…it may not have been the greatest thing in his estimation, but it was the only thing she had and it was what had changed her life. It was what gave her purpose. It was the first memory she had made for herself that she felt would mean the rest of her life. She couldn't just stand here and let him devalue it with his own rendition of existence. She wanted nothing to do with espers anymore. They were gone…and most of her life involving them had brought pain and misery. She still couldn't remember everything of what had happened in Vector…and she began to feel as if not all of it was due to the Slave Crown. Some of it was probably her own memory blocking it out. She hated the fact that she could remember the Narshe mission alone…

Anyway, the point was she didn't want to go with him. She might have attacked him by now if she could. She might have assaulted him in his sleep, dirty as it sounded. And yet…she couldn't bring herself to do it. On seeing him, she felt herself overwhelmed. His presence…his power…everything about him just dominated her. It filled her emotional threshold, and she had to struggle just to be cross with him. What was happening to her? Was he doing this? In truth…he was handsome, by human standards. He looked perfect, and both old and young at the same time. But she didn't care for that. Relationships like that didn't matter to her…

_Or do they?_

Terra snapped her head up at that thought. What was that? Was that something Bahamut had planted in her mind? She thought a moment…and realized it wasn't. It had come from her. At that realization, she sneered and shook her head. She didn't want to waste time thinking of such childish things. And frankly, she shouldn't be thinking of Bahamut either. As she opened the door to her room, she needed to focus on her children…

But as Terra opened the door, she froze again. The light from the lamp spilled out into the other room…and she saw that the beds were empty and unmade. None of the five children were there. Duane, Katarin, and Seras were in the back, but no one else.

The woman paled. She cupped a hand to her mouth as her heart raced in fear. What had happened? Where were they? Was it Bahamut? Had he done something to them? There were no signs of blood… Had he spirited them away from her? Taken them somewhere far, so that she wouldn't be attached to them? She didn't know…but the thought didn't make her sad so much as terrified. Her chest began to feel cold and she looked around in terror, fearing that he had done something to them…and left her alone with him…

However, that didn't last. She heard noises from upstairs. They were very faint…but she thought she could recognize the children. Terra didn't waste anytime. Immediately, she turned and raced through the secret door and into the basement of the ruined house. Once there, she quickly turned and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and went into the main building. She could hear them more clearly from here, but she couldn't make them out. Her own nervous breathing and heartbeat kept her from identifying them. The front door was open, and the sun was just clearing the horizon. She hesitated only a moment, before tearing out the front door and to the outside. Once there, her ears quickly told her that they were coming from the side of the house with the garden. She ran around the building side quickly to see what had happened…

And immediately, she froze in utter shock.

"Hi mama!"

"Look what we made for you!"

Ai and Yu had called out to Terra, but for the moment she was powerless to answer. She could only stare in amazement. The children were all here, it seemed. The noises she had heard had actually been them laughing and playing. But she didn't notice them so much, save to ascertain that they were present and alright. After doing so…her full attention turned to what was under their feet.

Three acres of land had been cleared and plowed, far deeper and better than their own meager garden, which took up one corner of this new region. The soil was deep, brown, and rich that had been dug up to the surface. It was obvious that each one of these lines had been plowed better than you could do with a team of donkeys and a heavy plowhead. Where there had been scattered trees, debris, and even the old foundation of a ruined house, there was nothing now but long acres worth of farmland just ready to be seeded. The only testament that it had been anything else an hour ago was a large pile of trees and debris stacked over to one side.

Terra was awestruck. She merely gaped and blinked at this, trying to figure out how it had happened. The children, a little dirty from their work but proudly holding their gardening tools, quickly ran back up to Terra. The spell Bahamut had put on them had worn off by now, and it was at regular speed. As for Bahamut himself, with a calm smile he leaned against one side of the building with his arms crossed. Terra still couldn't speak. This was amazing. She had hoped to one day have all this land cleared…but she thought it would have taken intermitant work on her part over the better portion of six years to do it. But now, it was already plowed and ready. At last, she turned her head. But she didn't look to the children, she turned all the way to Bahamut.

"You…" She slowly murmured. "You… Did you…?"

Bahamut, however, calmly shook his head. "Oh no. It wasn't me. I pulled out some of the bigger trees, but they did all the rest." Here, he gestured to the children, who now proudly stood before Terra, beaming with pride. Bahamut looked to them and called out. "Right guys?" He asked with a wink.

They turned just to see this, and grinned and winked back. Then, they turned back to Terra and nodded. "That's right! We did it all by ourselves!" Marcus proudly stated.

"Mr. Tumahab just showed us what to do, and we did it!" Ai added.

Terra blinked in disbelief. She looked over the kids at this, and saw how they were dirty and had obviously worked. As she looked them over, she still couldn't comprehend it. "…But…why?"

"We saw you were feeling bad because our garden was too small." Essner explained.

At that, Terra paled a bit. She had hoped that none of the kids had noticed this. That was why she had waited until they were playing to say anything to Duane about it. She had tried to look as bright and happy as possible over the past few disastrous days, for their sake. But at this…she realized she had failed, and she began to look anxious. "…You did?"

"But now you won't be sad anymore!" Yu brightly responded. "Now you have a nice big garden!"

"And Mr. Tumahab said you can grow any kind of plant here!" Athena added. "I want tomatoes!"

Terra couldn't respond. She didn't even know what to think. Suddenly…she had all this farmland, and the kids claimed they had done it themselves. Of course they hadn't…there was no way these five could have plowed on row of it in one day, let alone all in one hour. But they thought they did. And they had done it because of her. Again, they had seen her sad, and they had tried to cheer her up by doing this. And somehow…Bahamut had to have given them the means. Somehow he made it possible. She looked back up to him for a moment, but saw him merely smile and shrug. She turned back to the kids afterward, and they continued to beam proudly at her. Seeing this…Terra felt her heart moved with happiness. These little dears…they could be so sweet and kind…

At last, Terra went down on her knees, and up to the children. She stretched out her arms, and they all immediately ran forward and shared a large group hug. A genuine happy smile spread across Terra's face as she closed her eyes and let herself feel them, dirt and all.

"You children…you're the most wonderful gift I could ever have. Thank you all."

The kids blushed with pride, but hugged their matron tighter. They all held for a moment. Unseen by Terra, Bahamut, back at the wall…actually found himself smiling at this scene too. Seeing all this…all of this constant love and affection between Terra and her charges…it made him feel things he hadn't felt in ever. Espers had become so cold and businesslike. They could be friendly, but they weren't that affectionate…except for maybe Starlet. He had this kind of experience with Crusader, but he hadn't felt it since. Seeing this between this small group, he actually marveled at it. This unit had so much love for each other, that they were willing to do such nice things for one another, and none of them demanded any recompense for any of it.

_…Why couldn't all humanity be like these people?_ Bahamut found himself wondering.

At last, the six broke. Terra sniffled and wiped back tears of happiness, and rose to her feet once again. When she did, she looked over them all for a moment, her mood looking much better, and then gestured to them. "…Why don't you all go back in the house and wash up for breakfast? I'll be down soon to start making it." She hesitated at this, and gave a sudden knowing look. "And you know…I'm going to have to give you all baths now."

The cloud to their silver lining came up, and all of the kids frowned for a moment and groaned.

"Go on." Terra answered with a smile, not able to help herself from doing so.

The kids, their happiness dimmed a little, nevertheless managed smaller smiles, then turned and marched back the way they came. Terra watched them as they went, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Bahamut turn and watch them as well. Soon they were at the porch and walking back inside. Terra kept watching until they closed the door behind them. After that…her face fell a little. It didn't turn as dark or depressed as yesterday, but it did become blank and lost its smile. She turned back to Bahamut, who was still smiling and leaning against the wall.

"…Why did you do that?"

Bahamut merely shrugged. "I told you. They did it. I just gave them the boost they needed."

"But why?"

"I knew you were having trouble with food. So I thought I might as well do it myself. So long as I sleep under your roof, I should have to do something to pull my own weight, shouldn't I?"

Terra paused, and developed a slight frown. "…But what does it matter to you? You don't eat this. You'll be taking me away from here soon enough."

To this, Bahamut merely leaned off from the wall and stared back simply at Terra.

"Didn't I tell you there was a difference between being a slave and a servant? A servant has benefits. I'd do the same for any member of my race who was in need."

Terra's frown faded as she leaned back a little, not expecting that reply. Until now…she thought that Bahamut didn't really care. After all, he didn't care that leaving these children would be the hardest thing she had ever done. He seemed to just give orders for her to obey. But doing this… Doing something that actually helped them. That was a different matter… The truth was, she needed this. They needed to expand the farmland, but she never had the time or energy. Now, they had more than enough room plowed. Like it or not, Bahamut had done something that had helped her greatly. And regardless of what she felt about him, she couldn't deny this.

At last, the half esper turned back to the field. She stared at the nice long rows for a moment. But then, she inhaled deeply and sighed.

"...Planting time is over. All of this land will go to waste."

"Wrong."

Hearing that sudden, flat response, Terra turned back around to Bahamut. The great esper leaned off of the wall and began to walk toward her calmly. As he did, he began to explain.

"There is a hardier type of grain in the world. It's not as good as traditional wheat, but it has nutritional value and it's good when cooked right. My brother used to call it 'Midsummer's Wheat'. It's called that because you plant it in midsummer, and you harvest it early winter. This is a good plains climate, and you can grow it here with just a little maintenance."

Terra hesitated at that, and then sighed. "I don't have any money for seed."

"I doubt you'd find it at any market, anyway." Bahamut answered. "But I can gather it. I can find it easy enough, and it grows in patches. I'll get you the seed if you're willing to grow it. That's not the issue. There's something else in mind.

"Now…you could sow this entire field with Midsummer's Wheat, and in doing so you could supply yourself and your family with grain up through next spring. You'd all be fed, but as you and I both know, that's not enough for growing children. They need a variety in their diet. So here's what you do. You keep eating your regular crops for now, and sow this wheat. By winter, you should be done with your normal crop and able to harvest this. Once that is done, you save some to eat…but you take the rest down to the nearest town. No one else will be selling fresh crops at that point. You'll monopolize the market and get a good price for all of it. Use that money to buy all the extra food you need, clothing, medicine, and a milk cow or two."

Terra hesitated again. "We…don't have a pasture or barn."

"Me and the kids can clear out enough room for a pasture." Bahamut responded. "And I'll convert one of these ruins into a barn. You can buy oats, or sow another field for them. And I'll tell you something else," Bahamut paused for a minute here, now up to Terra's side. His powerful presence washed over her again, and she felt herself grow a bit nervous. But the esper merely straightened up, inhaled deeply, and then spoke somewhat slowly. It was as if he was coming to a difficult decision, but had decided on it.

"…I'll let you stay here at least until next spring, until you've taken your charges through a growing season. Provided I get to stay here as well."

Terra was most amazed at this. She thought Bahamut would only let her stay a few weeks at the most, but suddenly she found herself set for the rest of the year. She was surprised, but the esper only continued to look calmly back at her. She blinked for a few moments, not understanding this. Given his attitude in her dream, she thought he would drag her out kicking and screaming the next day. But now…she couldn't believe it.

"Why…?" She finally asked. "Why…why are you doing all of this for me?"

"I hate repeating myself, but like I said before," Bahamut calmly answered. "I'd do the same for any esper. A king is of no use to his subjects if all he does is make them wait on him hand and foot. A true king is the supreme steward of his people. And I never said I would take you from these children without seeing to it that their futures were well provided for. And…" Here, the great esper paused a moment. He closed his mouth and licked his lips. Terra was puzzled at this. Did Bahamut look…nervous? The great powerful esper…he was nervous?

"And…to tell you the truth…" He finally answered, somewhat less easy than before but still very calm and controlled. "…I kind of enjoy doing something nice for you. I haven't had an opportunity to do something like this for a long time. What more…I haven't really interacted with humans, or anyone, in a very long time. This is an interesting experience for me. I see no need to rush it at this time."

Terra blinked and looked back to him, unbelieving what she was hearing. And yet, as she stared at him…a little part of her broke down. Until now, she had seen Bahamut as a cruel, oppressive monster. Maybe he was even as bad as those who once controlled her. But now…she was starting to see another side of him. And it wasn't just here. It was with the children too. He seemed like he was having fun with them, and when he saw her own children delight to be around him…she couldn't help but be happy. Their happiness was her happiness, in the end of things. And she was glad that they brightened up around him. And also…she had to admit, she was grateful for what he was suggesting. It was a good plan. If it worked out…she and her family would never have to go hungry again. They could be self sustainable here, and actually be able to stay where their homes had been. And she did enjoy the feeling of seeing her children go to bed well filled and properly nourished. And if she could make money…then perhaps she could even afford nicer things for them. All of this would be due to the esper she feared in front of her. And on hearing that…she couldn't help but feel grateful. With their departure put off by at least a year…Terra also felt far more at ease.

For the first time genuinely, Terra found herself bowing her head slightly in front of Bahamut, and saying something that she truly felt to him, without any coercion or masking for the sake of the children.

"…Thank you."

Bahamut hesitated for a moment before her. He could have rushed her on, said something to get her to move, or boast that it was nothing. However…to hear this woman…this esper that had feared him so much and hated him actually open up enough to say those words to her…he found that this made him happy as well. And so, to his surprise, he found himself smiling as well.

"You're welcome."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	17. Mr Mom

_Two Months Later_

Things were eventful after that initial period.

Terra showed the most change. She was actually able to act normally around Bahamut now. With the departure stayed for so long, and another side of him revealed, she was able to tolerate his presence. And now that she was free of her fear…she began to notice him more. She noticed that the children loved him. They always wanted to play with him, and always wanted him on their team. He was their big hero in all of their games, always being strong enough to do the incredible things, like carry them around on his back, climb up on roof tops, and wrestle with them all at once. The children constantly wanted to play outside with him, and they became harder and harder to be led back in at noon.

Bahamut kept his promise, and during a few early mornings, he left the town of ruins and went far to the north, to another continent. In more of the pre tundra areas, he found lots of stalks of Midsummer's Wheat. It took him a few days to get enough seed to sow, but every day he brought back more until they had plenty. After that, it was just a matter of waiting for spring to end and for summer to get there. A week ago they had finally planted it, and now the children checked every day to see how it was doing. In the meantime, Bahamut had gathered the children around for another recitation of the "magic word", this time in order to clear the area on the other side of town for a pasture.

That wasn't all, however. Terra woke up in surprise one morning to find Bahamut out sawing some of the trees he had pulled up. He was planning on building a fence around the pasture so that the cows could be protected from wild animals. What more, he began to start fixing the damage in the building in which Terra lived.

"You don't need to do that." She protested when he started one day. "We can't live up here anyway."

"Eventually, the creatures will be controlled." Bahamut simply answered. "Besides…you need to. That basement must be a pain to try and heat in the winter, and in the spring I'm sure it floods. You shouldn't live like rats in hiding any longer. You and the children deserve a real home, and a warm, dry place to sleep all year round with a real kitchen."

Terra was rendered silent again at that. At that time, she could only smile again, this time looking at Bahamut in his eyes, and thank him again.

This work was too precise for the children to get involved in, even though they wanted to help. He had to do it all himself. But he didn't mind. He had told the truth when he first spoke to Terra. For some reason…he felt good when he did things for her and the children. Somehow, it made him feel more…with them. Like he was part of their group. He had no interest at one point of being that way, but since then…he found himself wanting to be a part of it. He didn't know why. He just did. Something about this entire setup made him happy. Lately…he found it harder and harder for him to plan to make his next move on how to rebuild his esper kingdom. Instead, whenever he tried to focus on going off and finding a new area…he thought instead of the fence he needed to finish…or of playing with the kids again. He kept getting distracted. He knew he shouldn't probably be wasting time with this and focus on more important things…but he couldn't.

Bahamut thought again of this that morning. The kids weren't up yet, though he was sure Terra was up by now making them breakfast. Occasionally, he did eat with them, although he still found himself having to find his own food to satisfy his tastes. Luckily, he found his new body was so efficient he only needed to eat once a month. At any rate, once the children got outside, his work would have to stop for the day. So he wanted to get the fence posts in as soon as possible. He had managed to carve all of them out, and mark the area around the pasture that he wanted to place them in. He had already hammered in two of them, using a greatsledgehammer he had conjured out of stone and wood using his powers. It only took one strike for him to put them in once started, although he had to be somewhat gentle to keep them from splitting. He proceeded to tap on top of this one, treating the twenty pound hammer like it was a basic claw hammer, and slowly put it into the ground.

Abruptly, however, he froze. He heard a slight rustle behind him, like something that had stepped on grass. Immediately, he tensed up. There had been two creature attacks since he had moved in there, both during the afternoon. They had been killed before they could do any damage, but Bahamut was still wary to immediately kill any threat before they could attack the kids or damage his work. He stretched out his senses behind him…but after scanning the lifeform, he immediately relaxed. His tense face smoothed, and his expression became blank.

Slowly, the great esper turned around. Standing about twenty feet away, his head bowed…was Duane.

Both men were silent for a moment. Bahamut looked at him without expression, while the young man kept his head bowed to the ground. A few morning birds chirped.

"…Hi." Duane finally started, not looking up.

"Hello." Bahamut answered without emotion.

Both men held again. There was a pause of motionlessness and silence. At last, however, Duane let out a slow sigh. He shifted uncomfortably where he was, digging his foot against the ground and putting his hands in his pockets. At last, he managed to speak.

"...I…never really thanked you for helping Yu and Ai."

Bahamut didn't change. "…No, you didn't."

"…Or for anything you've been doing around here…you know, making the garden and the pasture…making the fence and fixing the building."

"…No, you didn't."

Another pause. Duane swallowed and shifted again. "Well…I…I guess what I'm trying to do is that…" He somewhat murmured. "Terra…she works so hard. I need to pull my own weight more… I mean, I'm a father now and everything… I need to be more responsible myself. I'm thinking…maybe I should be the one out doing all this…" He hesitated at that, but then frowned and shook his head.

"No…that's not what I came out to say. I just…I just wanted to…say…" A pause, and then a sigh. "I shouldn't…have been such a jackass when you got here. It's just…I don't trust anyone. I never did. Even before the collapse, Katarin's mom and dad always wanted me away. And maybe I should have…I mean, I got her pregnant and everything. Not that I'm saying I regret it! I mean…it's great having a kid and all now…but, you know, it might not be the best thing for her… I mean, I might not be the best thing…"

"Apology accepted." Bahamut calmly cut off.

Duane went silent at that. He licked his lips again and shifted on the ground. He said no more, but he didn't move. On seeing this, Bahamut called out to him again.

"…Anything else?"

"Yeah…" The young man answered. He inhaled a bit, but then managed to slowly raise his head and look to him. His face was uncertain, but it had a determination to go through with something in his eyes. "You know…I want Ceras and Katarin to have a nice place to live too… I want to give them a house and make sure they're well fed and everything… So, I was wondering… You mind if I help you?"

Bahamut showed nothing in response to that. He looked calmly back. Duane continued to stare at him, his eyes a bit anxious and pleading. For a moment, neither of them did anything. But then, at long last, Bahamut cracked a smile and held out the sledgehammer to the young man.

"…Come over here and drive this stake in, for starters."

* * *

For the next hour, the two men worked together. Actually, things were slower now. Bahamut was unable to keep his superhuman pace up. Duane could barely lift the sledgehammer over his head, and he definitely couldn't drive a stake with one good pound. Bahamut recalled when this sort of thing made him impatient and sighed, particularly with the Light Warriors. And yet now…he found he didn't mind so much. He was happier instead that he finally managed to reach the young man he had been living with for so long. And so, he was patient with him. He even encouraged him from time to time, and the young man smiled at that. He was acutely aware of his own deficiencies, and they upset him. So when Bahamut complemented him, he was much encouraged. All in all…Bahamut felt it was one of the best hours he had in a long time.

They had only eight stakes in at the end of the hour. Bahamut went ahead and started packing up, and showing Duane how to do that. As he did, he looked around a bit in puzzlement. Terra wasn't out yet. Usually, by this time she would come and tell Bahamut that they were serving breakfast if he wanted any. And with Duane out here, he definitely expected it. Yet nothing came. The esper was puzzled. He trusted his internal clock, and he was sure the time had elapsed. Bahamut looked a bit uneasy when they turned and began to make their way back into the house.

Soon, both of them were making their way downstairs. But they heard nothing. None of the children were up yet. On reaching the bottom and entering into the shelter, they saw that everything was still dark. Some of the children, accustomed to waking up so early, were getting up regardless, but there was no sign of breakfast or anything else. On seeing this, Bahamut paused and looked around the area. Duane, also noticing that this was out of the ordinary, formed a look of puzzlement as he came in. He too looked around a bit, and soon saw that Katarin was awake with their child. He turned to her and called out.

"Katarin? Where's Terra?"

Katarinshook her head. "I don't know. She hasn't come out yet this morning."

Bahamut frowned. Terra wasn't the kind of woman who would neglect the children just to sleep in. He immediately grew concerned. The esper didn't bother to hold out any longer in the room. Heturned for the door to Terra's bedroom and walked toward it. Duane and Katarincalled out to ask what he was doing, but he didn't answer. He simply continued walking until he reached the door andopened it. Soon he had vanished inside.

The room was still dark. The lamp hadn't been lit. However, Bahamut only had to look around for a moment to see that Terra was still in bed. She was mostly motionless, but he could see her chest rising and falling. The esper quickly moved over to her bedside. Once there, he looked down over her body and called out to her.

"Terra?"

The young woman slowly turned from her side onto her back. As she did, she moved painstakingly slowly, and winced frequently. Even in the darkness, Bahamut already noticed she had changed. She was pale now, and she shivered under her loose covers. She cringed somewhat and barely managed to open her eyes. She looked to be very sore or in pain. On seeing all this…Bahamut knew what was wrong. But in order to confirm it, he went ahead and reached down to her forehead and felt it. He frowned in response. It was hot. To confirm more, he reached down and felt her neck. That part was ice cold. Slowly, he let out a sigh.

Moments later, Katarin and Duane walked into the room. Katarin brought her child with her, and both of them looked with concern toward Bahamut and Terra. After a moment, they began to approach. However, once they did, Bahamut frowned and turned his head behind him.

"…I wouldn't bring Seras too close, Katarin."

Duane looked past Bahamut, and tried to see Terra's face. "Terra? Are you alright?"

The half esper gave a slight moan in response, turning under her covers…or more appropriately, seeming to writhe under them. "I'm…a little under the weather…this morning…" She slowly answered, in a much softer and strained voice than normal. "I'll be up…in a little while…"

_Like hell you will._ Bahamut thought with a frown. Espers rarely developed fevers, but he knew enough to recognize one when he saw it. He may not have been one of the great medical espers in his time, but he had taken care of enough sniffling, sneezing young humans, in the form of Palad, the Dragoon, and the Light Warriors, to know how to recognize sickness when he saw it. Ignoring Terra, Bahamut turned again to the others behind him, now growing more concerned and anxious looking at what they saw, and instructed them.

"Katarin…if any of the children are old enough to watch Seras for a moment, I'd leave her with them and get a basin of cold water and a cloth. Duane…if you know where to get any extra blankets, bring out one or two and bring them here."

Both young adults hesitated. This was the first time Bahamut had actually given them any commands to do something. However, they didn't debate it. One quick look at how pale Terra was immediately confirmed all that they needed to know. And if it meant helping their matron, they wouldn't debate it. Immediately, both of them turned and went back out the way they came to carry out Bahamut's instructions.

"I'm fine…" Terra weakly protested. "Really…"

"Are you achy anywhere?" Bahamut responded, ignoring this.

"I'm…a little sore, but it's-"

"In the joints?"

"Yes, but…"

"You're shaking."

"I'm a bit cold, that's all-"

"You have the chills."

"Really, I'm fine…"

"No, you're not." Bahamut flatly answered. "You look like you have the flu, and if you try to exert yourself you'll only get sicker. You're staying in bed today."

Terra looked up to him and frowned. "I can't afford to stay in bed… I have to make the kids' breakfast…clean up around the house…tend to the garden…watch them when they're outside…"

"Forget about that stuff." Bahamut cut off. "I think Duane, Katarin, and myself can handle that."

On hearing that Bahamut included himself in the chain of command, Terra stopped and looked a bit more wide-eyed at him. "…You?"

"I think I've seen you handle the kids long enough to be able to do the same." Bahamut simply answered. "Besides, they'll be safer with me watching them outside anyway."

Terra hesiated longer, but then began to shake her head and push herself weakly up. "No…I'll handle it. I told you…I'm fine…"

Bahamut placed his hands on Terra and gently but firmly pushed her back down onto the bed. "If you get up and run around, not only will you get sicker, but you'll get the children sick as well. You can't afford a flu outbreak out here, miles from any doctor or medical help. So stay down."

"I'm telling you…"

"If you don't stop resisting me," Bahamut finally stated in a colder, stronger voice as he pinned Terra down to resist her futile struggles to rise. "I'll cast a sleeping spell on you, and you won't leave this bed for three days."

Terra stopped at that. She looked up, and managed a weak glare at the esper. After a moment or so longer, however, she gave out a tired sigh and relaxed. Bahamut wasn't breaking down, and she was in no shape to refuse him. So she merely lay back, and let him continued to inspect her, particularly around her neck and forehead.

Shortly thereafter, Katarin and Duane returned with the things. Bahamut took the basin from Katarin immediately, while Duane began to spread the extra blankets over Terra. "How bad is it?" The young woman asked.

"I think it's just the flu." Bahamut responded, as he wrung out the washcloth and prepared to use it. "But I don't want to give it the chance to become anything worse. I think we'll be taking care of the children today."

Terra frowned again as Bahamut began to dab her forehead. "I really think I'm ok… I'll feel better if I get up and eat something…"

"You can stay in bed and eat." Bahamut retorted.

"Don't worry about it, Terra." Duane added as he finished. "We ran things while you were off with your friends fine. And we had to worry about Katarin's pregnancy then. This shouldn't be a problem."

Terra still looked regretful in response to that.

Katarin, seeing she wasn't needed here, drew herself up. "Alright…I guess I'll go try my hand at breakfast again. And I'll make something for you too, Terra." With that, she turned and made her way back out again.

Bahamut finished cooling Terra's brow, and then rested the cloth on it. "I'd try to go back to sleep if I were you. If you need us, just yell. I'll hear you."

Duane turned up in slight puzzlement at this comment. What he didn't understand was that Bahamut was giving her an instruction for the rest of the day. Even when they took the kids out, he could hear her distinctly from under the house. At any rate, now finished, he rose from Terra's side and began to walk back out the way he came. As he did, Duane left the bed and went up next to him while he walked out. Terra sighed again and then closed her eyes, supposing she might as well do what had been suggested. The two men soon left her, but only shut the door partially so that it would be easy to hear her from their side.

"Well…let's get to it." Bahamut stated as he turned to Duane, after shutting the door partially.

In response, the young man looked to the ground and gave a long sigh.

"What's the matter?"

"Oh nothing…I'm just remembering how it was last time…"

"We've been around and helped with the routine long enough. How hard could it be?"

The young man looked up to him at that a bit uneasily. "More than I thought, at any rate…"

* * *

Sadly, Bahamut found out that Duane was right.

The esper had a whole new appreciation for the order that Terra managed to instill. The kids, now recharged with energy and awake, were soon running around everywhere, getting their toys all over the floor, and generally making a large mess and ruckus with their yelling. Bahamut was stunned. He had never heard them make this much noise when Terra ran things. But actually…he hadn't been around for this most mornings, but had stayed outside. Now, he and Duane struggled to corral the children while Katarin went about making breakfast. That was a bad item in and of itself. Katarin could barely cook. Terra wasn't much of a chef herself, but she had far more experience. The children turned their noses at what she made. The older kids ate one or two bites and then said they weren't hungry. The younger ones refused to even sit down long enough to try it. Athena nearly threw a fit when Bahamut tried to coax her to eat, and actually nearly screamed "no" once. At that, the three adults were dumbstruck, because they weren't sure exactly how much punishment Terra would allow. Bahamut himself, in his rough way of disciplining, would normally take away food for three days as punishment until the children were begging for it back. After all, these children barely had enough food to eat, let alone to afford to turn their noses at. That, obviously, wasn't an option. So he was forced to sit with the children, and tell them to eat at least half of their food. With the younger ones, he had to repeat it every time they managed to eat a bite (which usually took around eight minutes), and endure endless whining and griping.

Breakfast was such a sordid affair that the adults had neglected to clean up after the kids, leaving the bedroom area in disarray. The older children knew to make their own beds, but without Terra enforcing it they had to be told after their meal. As for the younger ones, Bahamut and Duane ended up having to decide which one would do it and which one would wash the dishes. In the end, Duane got cleanup while Bahamut did dishes. It was a rather nasty affair to him. Bahamut had never washed a dish, or anything for that matter, in his life. The materializing/dematerializing act of making clothes left them fresh and new each time, and he ate almost all of his meals raw and freshly hunted. In the end, he made a rather large, soapy mess of things, and Katarin was forced to clean up a lot of spilled water and food refuse.

After that, it was finally time to go outdoors. Remarkably enough, Bahamut found himself somewhat taxed by then, and a little less eager to get to playing. When he did, he realized that what he had done until this point in his methods of rough and tumble play was essentially get the kids riled up so that they would be more uncontrollable later. He was surprised at this, and amazed that Terra had never called him on it. In the end, that day he had them run around more to try and burn off some of that energy for later.

However, a new problem soon arose. Katarin wanted to stay inside to tend to Terra (not believing that any human could hear her call if she needed something). Duane had to go and do Terra's duties in the fields. That left Bahamut not only tending to the kids…but forced to babysit Seras. The esper soon realized the annoyances of having offspring as he had to almost constantly pick Seras up or tell her no as she got into one thing after another. She wanted to run with the kids at one point, and Bahamut made the mistake of letting her. All it took was one stray ball to knock her on her rear to make her start crying. Bahamut, sweating and tired, had to pick her up and struggle to get her to calm down before Duane or Katarin returned to scold him. At one point, she did seem affectionate and tried to get Bahamut to pick her up, and on doing so she rested her head on his shoulder. Bahamut was amazed, and a bit happy, to see this reaction…until Seras threw up on his shirt.

But the worst, for him, was the diaper.

While playing with Seras and trying to keep her occupied long enough to do something to divert the attention of the other children, Bahamut became aware that Seras didn't smell all that good. Soon, he discovered, for the first time, the unique human phenomenon of dirty diapers. Bahamut was so baffled by this occurance that he actually ran over to the front door of the house and called down to Katarin, asking her to come up and change the baby. In response, the young woman called back that Terra was throwing up breakfast, and that she needed Bahamut to handle it. Thus, the grudging esper carried Seras over to the changing materials that Katarin had set out for her, and engage in the ritual of diaper changing.

It was the ghastliest thing the esper had done in quite some time. Seras had been sitting in it a while, and she had quite a load. The esper's sensitive nose could barely tolerate the stench. He cursed humans for not simply being able to squat on the ground when the time arose like "normal creatures", and as carefully as he could removed the cloth diaper and cleaned up the mess. Then…far too disgusted to think of washing this and using it later, especially if Terra was sick long enough that _he_ would have to do it, Bahamut quickly "sighted" a rare animal and told the children to look for it. When they looked away, Bahamut obliterated the old diaper in a burst of flame and conjured a new one. Seras saw everything, but only smiled and laughed at it.

"That'll be our little secret." He instructed the toddler.

At last, it was time to go in and have lunch. The children weren't any more compliant with this meal than breakfast, and soon Bahamut had to resist the urge to paralyze the children and shove the food down their throats. After it was finally over, Bahamut once again found himself making a large mess washing dishes. When he finished this time, he was displeased to find that his human flesh tended to dry out and chap after washing dishes. So he had to deal with inflammation as well as the kids, now stuck inside, began to mess up their small living space again and cause a ruckus indoors. The children appeared to be as unlimited in energy as he was, and now without their matron restraining them they jumped off their beds, obliterated pillow forts, and made each other cry by playing too rough. Keeping them in line was a nightmare. The adults couldn't even get to the kids soon enough in some cases due to the clutter they made on the floor. Keeping them quiet was also an issue, as each scream that managed to reach Terra's ears not only aggravated her headache but made her want to get up and do something about this. Bahamut gave praise mentally to the person who invented naps before the afternoon got that late. But even then, getting the younger ones to stay in bed was a chore, as was keeping the others quiet enough to let them sleep.

It seemed that dinner would never get there, although it was a mixed blessing when it came. It signaled the end of a long and tiring day, but it also meant enduring a practical force feeding of the children again. When it was finally over, Bahamut was grateful for the small peace that resulted…although he was quite annoyed to find his hands very raw and irritated after three washings. This time was another free time for the children, but for the older ones it involved practicing reading and writing. That alleviated some of the problems.

Unfortunately, more came back when it was time for bed. Bahamut learned the old maxim at that time that a human doesn't willingly go to sleep until age 14. Soon, there were more whining, complaining, running, yelling, and escape attempts than at all three meals combined. It took forever to get the kids corraled long enough to wash their faces and hands, get their nightclothes on, and put them to bed. Even with Duane helping, it was nearly impossible. As soon as they got one child down, the others were focused on, and during that time the first one escaped. It seemed as if they would never get them all under control, and they had to reassure Terra more than once, who heard on the other side of her door the entire thing. Yet at long last, they were all in bed.

Bahamut gave a sigh in relief. Why didn't the full grown humans have this much energy? He didn't think there was anything left alive that could tax him. At any rate, he was pleased with the result. All of the children were now dressed, washed, and down in bed. Katarin was dimming the lights at this time, and putting down her own child. Duane, who hadn't gotten a break all day since working the field, was already down and snoozing. Everyone would soon be asleep…and Bahamut would make sure to pray that night that Terra's sickness was only a twenty-four hour bug. Within a few moments, Katarin had gone down with her own child, and only one lamp was left on a nightstand near a chair at the bedsides. Seeing all this, Bahamut looked over the children, made sure nothing was missed, and then nodded.

"Alright everyone…good night." With that, he made to dim the lamp.

"Mr. Tumahab?"

Bahamut froze…and stifled a grimace. He had been hearing his name called at least a thousand times today, and all by the same person who he heard now…Athena. _Mr. Tumahab? Can I have a drink? Mr. Tumahab? I can't tie my shoes. Mr. Tumahab? My stew's too hot. Mr. Tumahab? Marcus hit my chocobo! Mr. Tumahab? Can you tuck me in? Mr. Tumahab? Mama doesn't wash my face this hard… Mr. Tumahab? …Why did your face turn red when I said that?_ Trying to look as pleasant as possible, Bahamut turned over to the young human.

"…Yes, Athena?"

"Will you read us a story?" She asked.

Bahamut hesitated at that. It wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. He thought he had to take her to go potty. However, he was still a little disrupted by this request. "…I don't think we'll be having any stories tonight."

But at this, not only did Athena look hurt, but the other children began to lean up and call to him with anxious faces and pleading voices.

"Please?"

"Pretty please?"

"Mama always reads to us!"

"We can't go to sleep if you don't."

Bahamut reached up to suppress a headache coming on. How _did_ Terra do it? But now, all five kids were looking to him with puppy dog faces and pleas for a story. The great esper murmured under his breath. This was what he was reduced to. The great king of the espers…and he was now a babysitter. Better yet, a storytelling babysitter. He wiped his mouth and gave a shrug. "I…I don't know any stories, children."

Athena immediately pointed under the table. "Mama keeps the storybook under there. She just reads from that once a night."

The esper looked down. Sure enough, there was a rather large book. The esper hesitated again, and looked back up to the children. They looked to him eagerly, and continued to plead with him. Bahamut inhaled deeply, and looked over to Duane and Katarin. Katarin was too engaged with her child, and Duane was out. The esper sighed. Finally, he walked over to the chair very slowly and ruefully, and sat down in it. After doing so, he licked his lips, and then slowly bent over, grabbed the book, and pulled it out and up to himself. The esper cracked it open to the first page soon after.

Bahamut frowned immediately. He should have known. It had been two thousand years since he had read anything. Even before that, the only writing he understood was Leviathan's alphabet. He hadn't the slightest idea what the page in front of him said. After a moment, he shut the book again, placed it back on the table, and then gave a shrug to the kids. "I can't read this book, children. I can't tell a story."

But they wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Please!" Athena pleaded.

"Tell us your own story!" Yu suggested.

Bahamut blushed at this and looked uneasy. He scratched the back of his head. "…I…don't know any stories. I didn't have any growing up."

"Then make up a story!" Ai tried.

"Please? Just one?" Athena begged. "I'll go to sleep right away. I promise."

The other children began to chime in at this. They were all in agreement. Bahamut rubbed the bridge of his nose at this. How did he get into this mess, anyway? He had never spent so much time in a human dwelling, and definitely hadn't reached this point. He didn't know any stories. And he definitely wasn't creative enough to make one up. But the children continued to plead with them, and it became obvious that they weren't going to let him go without one. Children were extreme in all things…and especially in expressing their desires. He had to do something. He would have to tell them something, or they'd never go down. But what could he tell them? What would possibly appeal to them?

Children liked mythical stories…ones filled with magic and magical creatures. Nowadays, such things were considered fanciful rather than history, which Bahamut knew they were. They liked stories of adventure and quests and fantasy… On thinking of this, an idea slowly came to Bahamut's mind. He wasn't really sure how good he could tell this, or if he could make it exciting or interesting to kids. However…it was something. And it was the only idea he could think of. He might as well give it a shot. Hopefully, if it wasn't interesting, it would bore the children to sleep.

"Well…I do have one story, I suppose."

The kids immediately brightened up at that, and quieted down so they could hear it. They eased back into their beds, and the younger ones held their stuffed animals tightly. Once things were silent, Bahamut drew himself up a bit and leaned back a little. How did one start these sorts of things? He hadn't paid much attention to storytelling throughout his long life, and he wasn't sure how good he was. At last, he managed to think of some opening, and spat it out.

"Once upon a time…there was this magical land…"

"Why was it magic?" Ai immediately asked.

Bahamut was stunned at the sudden interruption so soon into the story, but he only paused a moment to collect himself before answering. "Well…most land in the world floats in the ocean, but this one floated in the sky, far above the rest of the world."

"Was this the floating island?" Marcus asked.

"Oh no." Bahamut immediately answered. "This was thousands of years before that…long before any of you were born, or your parents were born, or your grandparents were born, or their grandparents were born… Anyway, this land was magical not only because it flew in the sky, but because there were special flowers there that one could eat from, and they would taste wonderful and you wouldn't have to eat for days after you ate from them. And the sun was always shining there, and it never got cold or rainy or windy."

"Was there a king and queen and castle there?" Athena asked.

"Well, I don't know about any king or castle…" Bahamut answered. "But there was a kingdom there. But it was unusual in that there were only eight people in this kingdom."

"How did they all get there?" Essner asked.

"Well, you see, it just so happened that all eight of these people were brother and sister, and that they were all born right there on that magical land. However, because one was older than the rest of them, she became their queen. Her name was Crusader. As for the other children, there was a big, strong boy named Odin, a sweet little girl named Starlet, a beautiful bird named Phoenix, and two sets of twins. One set of the twins was a couple of great sea serpents named Leviathan and Ogopogo. And as for the other set of twins…well, they would have looked like great dragons, except this was so very long ago that even dragons didn't exist yet. Their names were Wyvern and Bahamut."

As the esper continued his story, the questioning of the children gradually died down and they grew absorbed in the story. Little did any of them know, Bahamut among them…that there was an additional audience member to this tale not far off.

* * *

Bahamut had gone halfway through the time that he and Wyvern first ventured to the real world when the last of the children passed out. Seeing that, he cut off for the time being. Without making a sound, he rose from his chair and slowly dimmed the light. Then, still being perfectly silent, he turned and walked back out of the now darkened room and into Terra's chamber. Once he was inside, he silently shut the door behind him again, sealing this room off from the rest of the children.

Bahamut turned and walked over to Terra next. He saw immediately that she was still awake. She shouldn't have been, but she had been sleeping most of the day and so it was only typical. The great esper made his way to her head and felt it. After a moment, he looked to her and gave a nod.

"You're getting cooler. But I'll wipe it again anyway." With that, he began to turn to the basin and began to moisten the rag again.

"So…that's where you were born."

Bahamut paused on hearing that. He looked up and was silent. Obviously, Terra had been listening to the story as well. And since she knew his real name, then it was easy for her to make the connection. He hesitated for a moment, but then bowed his head and turned back. "…Yes."

"It's strange." Terra answered. "Did you make any of that up?"

"Of course not." Bahamut retorted as he began to wipe, sounding almost insulted. "I never lie about my past. It would disgrace the memory. The closest thing I did was flub a bit on who Crusader was. The truth of the matter was she was our matron, not our queen, just as you are the matron of these children. But I didn't want to plant any seeds of doubt about you among them. You see…this story doesn't have the happiest of endings, especially regarding her."

Terra didn't answer for a moment as Bahamut continued to bathe her forehead. "…I only asked because…according to our human traditions, espers were weapons invented by the magi prior to the War of the Magi…"

Bahamut snorted at that, now indeed sounding insulted. "It is typical that humans would make themselves our superiors. I assure you…the first humans I saw were in little shape to invent anything. You'll see that eventually if I continue my story."

"Maybe I'll let you. I'd like to know how it ends."

Bahamut raised an eyebrow, and looked back to Terra. She stared simply back in response, not showing anything else. After a moment, the esper removed the cloth and set it back in the basin. He said nothing else. Terra didn't say anything either. But after a bit longer, she finally managed to say something a bit quieter.

"…Thanks for looking after the children today. I know it wasn't easy."

Bahamut couldn't be more in agreement with that. He was about to inquire as to how the half esper managed to tolerate them. But when he thought of that…and thought back to the course over the day…he suddenly lost the need to. In truth, though it had been difficult to take care of the kids and all of their wants and needs throughout the day…and he had grown sick of it by now…it was still…rewarding…in a way. And, strange as it seemed, Bahamut actually felt it kind of nice to be able to do it for once. There was something about the whole experience that made him feel more…interconnected. More personal. More on their level. Besides, he only was doing what he should have done as a tenant.

But even more than that…he found that he didn't want to agitate Terra about it.

"…It was nothing."

Terra smiled a bit and chuckled. "Oh, come on now. I'm not deaf. I heard you all day."

Bahamut grimaced. "Really…it wasn't as bad as we made out. Sure, it was difficult…but…"

"…But what?"

Bahamut hesitated again, and looked a bit puzzled himself. What was the right word? He scratched his chin and bowed his head. "It was…nice…in a way. I feel like I got something out of it. I'm not sure what exactly…but it felt good. It was a change for once. Sure…I wasn't too keen on all the parts, in particular the diapers…"

Terra snickered a bit at that. "Yeah…those take some getting used to."

Surprisingly enough, Bahamut found himself smiling a bit at that reply, but then went on. "…But I still enjoyed it in some way. And it's strange…I didn't even realize it until now. It feels almost like an accomplishment…and yet more." He hesitated for a moment after that, and then turned down to Terra. "Is that why you came here?"

Terra's smile faded, and she bowed her head and sighed slightly. She gave pause for a few moments more, as she recalled something that had happened a while ago… It gave her deep trouble and made her speak slower and softer.

"…I was on the Flying Continent just before it blew up. I and my friends escaped to an airship and took off, but the ship itself was broken in half moments later by the shockwave." She hesitated and inhaled deeply again, looking out to nothing and staring. "…I saw them all fly away like scattered leaves…and I lost them in the debris and confusion. I thought I was the only one who survived, because I could transform. But I didn't have time to look for a single one of them…because it turned out that a monster we had driven off had survived…something called Atma Weapon."

Bahamut stiffened as he heard this. He remembered that name. That was the thing that had slain Leviathan and Starlet...

"I fought it all the way down through the sky until we reached the ground, and once there I continued to fight it. It took me the better part of two days before I managed to kill it. All around me, the ground was rupturing like a living hell. I was so exhausted and overwhelmed after it happened that I passed out."

Bahamut was justly surprised, getting off track for a moment. So...Terra had managed to kill a creature that two of the most powerful espers could not? On hearing that, Bahamut realized his assumptions were correct. Terra was indeed powerful... However, this was just a side thought. As Terra grew quieter and more somber, shemade him refocus his attention.

"When I came to a day later, the world was in such a ruin that I had no idea where I was. And frankly…thinking that all my friends were dead…thinking that the world was a lifeless ruin…thinking that we had failed in every possible way to stop Kefka…I sank into despair.

"I wandered around the wilderness south of here for a few weeks. I found that most cities had survived, though damaged. I also found Kefka's Tower, where he was setting himself up as a god. I had been so useless the last time we met that I gave up hope of trying to kill him, even though he had used me in the past. I mostly hid from other people, not wanting them to know my true nature. I battled horrific monsters that came out from the ground and saw more destruction and death result. Eventually, I left civilization and wandered along these rotting plains. But then…I saw some great beam of light be fired from the top of Kefka's Tower and strike far north. I don't know why I left, but I did to see what had happened.

"I still don't know what had happened exactly. Someone had been trying to stage a revolution in this town, I think. And so…Kefka slaughtered them and laid this town waste. By some miracle, most of the children had survived. The oldest people left, as you can see, were Duane and Katarin, who were only sixteen at the time. The children had been taken to the town's edge by their parents before they were killed, and so were spared. As for Duane and Katarin, they had been in the same basement we live in now…and I won't bother mentioning what they were doing there. I got here, as far as I can tell, about a day after it happened.

"The children were hysterical. They were afraid of me at first, but soon they clung desperately to the only maternal figure they could find. I didn't know what to do. Duane and Katarin soon showed up, digging their way out of the ruins. They showed me where they had stayed, and I took the children there. I had to, because the place was getting wild and dangerous. Once I got them in the basement, I tried my best to calm them down and learn what had happened. I dried their tears, I fed them, and I provided a lot of tactile support, though I didn't do it willingly at the time. They just hugged me until they stopped crying, and eventually I realized that I could help them by preempting that. I tried to find something to do with them. But they had been separated from the continent they originated from. None of them had any relatives that weren't on the other side of an ocean, who for all I knew were dead and lost to the sea. I didn't know what to do at that time…

"But around the end of the second day, Phunbaba showed up for the first time. At the time, I still let the kids go outside to go to the bathroom. I had Katarin take Athena out. While I was trying to think of what to do with the others, I heard them both screaming. I ran out, and I saw this horrible, fat, troll-like creature that just kept babbling the same phrase, 'Phunbaba'. It had seized Athena, and she screamed for her mother. It was going to eat her within seconds.

"I'm not sure what happened to me that day. On taking one look at this thing, I saw its power. I saw that I could never hope to kill it, possibly even hope to injure it. But when I heard Athena pleading for help…something snapped in me. It was an attachment I never felt before, demanding me to act on it. Luckily Athena was hysterical and Katarin had run off to get Duane. None of them saw me when I turned into my esper form, and with one single blow drove my head into the thing's gut. Normally, that move would have only made it mad, which I found out later the next time we met. But at that time, it was such surprising strength that it had the wind knocked out of it. It dropped Athena and ran off, bawling like a baby.

"The poor girl was almost catatonic. I reverted and pulled her to my chest. Desperate, I rocked her and sang some light tune I had heard in Jidoor, trying to make her relax. Eventually, it began to work. She started snapping out of it and hugging me back. And that was the first time any of the children called me, 'mama'.

"I don't know what happened in me then, but it was related to the link I felt before. I didn't understand it at the time either. It would take my friends trying to take me from the children not once, but twice, before I knew it. It also took me that long to discover it was a source of strength, not weakness. Until now, I thought of love as simply some notion between a man and a woman. I couldn't even understand what Duane and Katarin felt for one another. I had no family, no parents, and I had lived most of my life as a slave. But then…I found myself unable to leave the children, and desperate to defend them. For a while, it only made me weaker. I wanted to serve them and nothing else. I thought I was useless. I thought I was weak. But then…there was the last time Phunbaba came. Every time he had come back he had grown more aggressive, and now was the worst. Now, my friends struggled to hold him back while I watched the then pregnant Katarin. Somehow as I watched them get beaten by that monster…it suddenly hit me.

"I saw Katarin, and she was always such a strong and considerate woman. But now…she was petrified of Phunbaba. She couldn't move. She couldn't run. She just kept holding her stomach and crying. I realized she was terrified for her baby. She just wanted to keep her safe at all costs, not caring what happened to her. And that's when I realized it. That's why I was holding back. That's why I stayed. That's why it seemed natural to me to protect these children. I realized I loved them. I felt the same love a mother feels for her own children. The feeling that I thought had been making me weak was the feeling of strong attachment to them. I felt as if my purpose was here…my meaning was here. And when I did, I felt stronger. I felt stronger and more certain of myself than ever. I had a purpose in fighting again, and that was to defend the people I loved. They empowered me in that way, and so I attacked.

"Where before I couldn't even make the creature flinch, I killed it in seconds this time. And from that day on, I had changed again. I had learned at last what it meant to love. Until that time, I had been going along mostly on what people told me to do. I never truly believed in anything, or had faith in anyone. But for the sake of preserving that emotion…that wonderful feeling…I would slay a thousand Kefkas. And in the end, after we were done, I came back right here. Because here is where I truly belong. These children may not have been born to me…but they are mine now. I love them more than I love myself. When I was about to die after the vanishing of the magicite…I couldn't think of myself for even a moment. I thought only of Katarin and her coming child. And the same goes for me today. These children mean everything to me."

At this, Terra finally finished. Bahamut stared back at her and took this in. He could sense her emotional changes as she went on, but also saw the visible change in her face as she recalled her past. So…that was why in the end. Terra had first learned how to love here. It was late in life, but it was better late than never to learn such a thing. And given her circumstances, it was typical. And it left the esper feeling strange. What was it about humanity and their children that affected them all so? What was it that made them change so much? What was it about them…that taught them to love?

Before Bahamut could pursue this line of thinking any longer, however, he suddenly heard something from behind the door. It was hard to make out at first, but it quickly grew to be distinctive. He turned his head, as did Terra, to the source, and soon identified it. It sounded like crying. And it sounded like it was coming from the youngest child. On hearing that, Terra's face turned regretful and sad.

"Oh no… Athena again…"

Bahamut turned back to her at this. "Athena? Again? Does that mean this isn't an emergency?"

"Oh, it's an emergency, all right." Terra slowly answered. "It's just not the first time. She's the youngest, and has the hardest time accepting the fact that her mother is never coming back. She gets scared sometimes and starts calling for her. I'll need to get up and lie with her for a while to get her to go back to sleep…"

On hearing this, Bahamut shook his head. "No. You're still sick, and you'll probably be a carrier for another few days at least."

Terra frowned at him. "Look…I need to comfort her. She'll wake the others and she'll be up all night until she cries herself to sleep if I don't."

Bahamut put up a hand at that, and began to back up. "Don't worry about that. She trusts me too. I'll handle it."

On hearing that, Terra's eyes widened. "You?" She uttered in disbelief. She blinked once or twice in response. "Doing the dishes and reading stories is one thing…but soothing a little child to go to sleep? Do you even know any lullabies? I don't think you can handle this. I think I need to take care of it."

Bahamut, however, only had his male ego bruised by this, and became even more determined to prove himself. He turned and walked the rest of the way to the door without responding. Terra muttered something along the lines of he had better not use a spell to put her to sleep before Bahamut opened the door and shut it behind him again. Once he did, he turned to the bedroom area and looked it over.

Sure enough, Athena was sitting up in bed, clutching her chocobo desperately, and was covered with tears. Her crying was even louder out here, and it was amazing she hadn't woke the other children up yet. That wasn't all, however. As Bahamut saw her sad and weeping…he felt a bit of distress inside himself as well. Why was that? Athena was the one who was sad and scared… And yet, somehow…the fact that one of the other children was distressed made him uncomfortable and uneasy too. Why? He didn't know. All he knew was that this emotion helped him to run over to Athena much quicker than normal and sat down as well.

Bahamut soon got a surprise as Athena, suddenly turned to him and seized him around the waist, putting her head against his chest. The esper was stunned and taken aback for a moment. He had never actually been hugged by one of the children before. Now that he was, he couldn't react right away. He merely sat there and fumbled for a word or action to do, before he placed his arms down on her.

"Athena? What's wrong?"

Athena's sobs were somewhat muffled by Bahamut's chest, but she was still loudly crying. The esper already felt his clothes getting wet. "I want my mommy…" She choked out from within Bahamut's clothes.

Bahamut didn't know what to say. Perhaps he should have taken Terra's advice. He looked around a moment…and licked his lips. "Athena…" He spoke back softly after a moment. "She's…she's not here."

"I want my mommy…"

"Athena, I'm sorry…but…you're mom's gone away…"

"I want my mommy…"

Bahamut sighed to himself and frowned. Rules of logic weren't going to work here. At this age, Athena's concept of life and death was still too fragmented and incomplete. The esper soon found himself hopelessly holding onto her, struggling to think of the right thing to say, if anything, that would help her calm down. As he did, she only continued to cry harder against his chest. He had to think of something. Not only to keep her quiet…but also because he found himself unable to stand seeing her cry either. He wanted to comfort the human somehow. He bowed his head over her, and tried to hold her a bit tighter.

"…You really miss your mother, don't you?" He finally asked.

Athena sniffled and quivered, but managed to nod her head against Bahamut's chest, without looking up. "I miss everyone…" She sniffled.

"Everyone?" Bahamut asked with some intrigue.

"Mommy…daddy…my big brother…my little sister… They all went away…" She spoke back. Though she was still crying and tight-throated, talking made her stop crying for the moment. Bahamut hesitated, but then decided to press this.

"You had a big family, didn't you?"

Athena nodded again. "Yes…" She added with a sniffle. "I miss them… I feel so lonely sometimes… I'm the only one here…" She hesitated a moment, and then sniffled. "I wish my mommy was here… She used to read to me and play games with me…and she'd give me a glass of milk whenever I had a nightmare and let me climb into her bed… And she gave me Choci for my birthday…"

Bahamut paused a moment, and then spoke more softly. "…Well, Terra reads to you and plays with you…and she lets you sleep with her when she has nightmares…"

"Yeah…but…"

"It's not the same, is it?"

"No…"

The esper hesitated again. "…What do you miss the most about your mommy?"

"I…I miss her… I miss everything…"

"But you really miss something, don't you? You miss how she used to hug you?"

"…Uh huh…"

"And how she always watched you and kept you safe?"

"…Uh huh…"

"And how she tucked you in every night and played with you every morning?"

"…Uh huh…"

Bahamut held for a moment, inhaling a deep breath. Talking had helped. Athena was still sad, but talking to someone had helped her stop crying.

"…It's really sad for someone you love to go away, Athena." Bahamut finally said. "I know. All of my brothers and sisters went away too. I'm just like you…I'm all alone too."

Athena sniffed and looked up to him. "But…you're a grown up."

Bahamut shrugged. "It doesn't mean I can't feel lonely."

"But…you have all of us."

Bahamut smiled a bit at that, and then gave a nod. "That's right. I do have all of you. Just like you have all of us. You can feel sad because your family's gone, Athena…but you don't have to be lonely. We're all here for you. We all care about you. We all love you. You may have lost your family…but you have another family right here. You know how much Terra and everyone else cares about you, right?"

Athena bowed her head again and wiped her nose. "Yeah…but I still miss my mommy. Why did she have to go away? Why did they all have to go away? Why did they leave me?"

"Oh, they didn't leave you, Athena." Bahamut softly reassured. "I'm sure your mommy would have never left you alone. I know. I know you're a wonderful little girl, and that there isn't a mommy in the world who would give you up for anything in the whole wide world. It's just that sometimes…things happen in life. Things happen to everyone. And sometimes, they make us do things we don't want to do. Like Terra…she didn't want to be sick today. She wanted to play with you all and smile and laugh…but she got sick. It's not her fault. It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault.

"But I know something else, Athena. I know that the people here will always love you, just as I'm sure your mother will always love you. And they'll always be there for you, just like she would be if she was here. Most of all…I know that your mother wanted you to be happy. She wanted you to have a good, happy life, and that she wanted you to grow up and do everything you always wanted to do. Your mom did all of those nice things for you because she thought you were the best little girl in the world. And I know that wherever she is she still believes that. And everyone here believes it too."

On hearing this, Athena suddenly lifted her head and looked to Bahamut again. As she did, she looked into his eyes with a pleading stare, and anxiously clung to him. Then…she said something that Bahamut never expected.

"You'll always be here for me too, won't you Mr. Tumahab? Will you stay with us forever?"

The esper found himself surprised yet again. He had never expected that. Until this point, he still considered himself not fully "one of the gang". When he had been talking a moment ago, he had been referring to Terra, Duane, Katarin, and the others. He had never really thought of himself as part of this small little outpost in the wilderness. He had many other matters to attend to. And yet…despite all that…he found himself not wanting to cause this girl anymore grief, and before he could stop himself it spilled out.

"…Forever and ever, Athena."

For the first time since they had talked, Athena smiled at him, and then hugged him tightly again. Bahamut's face quickly turned to one of surprise. Had he just said that? He didn't want to stay here forever. He had set his sights on only being here for just ten more months. What in the world was happening to him today? And yet…as Athena hugged him…he forgot again about being concerned or upset. He felt that strange happy feeling inside him again, and it chased away all his cares about everything else. Slowly, he felt himself smile again, and continued to hug Athena more tightly. They held like that for a little while, but then finally spoke up again.

"Are you feeling better?"

Athena sniffled, but managed a nod.

"Are you sure?"

A pause, but then another nod.

"Would you like me to get you a drink?"

Another pause, and then another nod.

Bahamut left her side long enough to go get Athena a glass of water from the fresh water pitcher in the house, and then brought it back. After she had something to drink, she put it to the side. After that was done, Bahamut let her lay back down and tucked her in again.

"Now…do you want me to stay here with you until you fall asleep?"

Athena gave a nod, and then closed her eyes.

The esper patiently waited. He watched her as her chest rose and fell, and she got more comfortable and hugged her chocobo tightly. But after a few minutes, her grip began to loosen somewhat. Her breathing became more regular, and he saw the concern come off of her face. She appeared to finally fall asleep. Bahamut couldn't scan to be sure, but it looked that way to him. Once he was fairly sure of it, he placed his hand on the girl and spoke to her one more time in a light whisper.

"Good night, Athena."

The esper then began to rise to go. But as he did…he heard a reply. Athena was half asleep when she said it, so perhaps she didn't even realize what she said. However…when Bahamut heard it, he immediately froze himself.

"Good night…daddy…"

Bahamut was stunned. He didn't move an inch. He turned and looked back to Athena, but she had drifted off for real this time. If she hadn't, he might have asked her what she just called him. He could hardly believe it himself. Had he just imagined that? Or had the human truly just called him that name? Hearing it startled the esper, and left him overwhelmed. She…she had just called him that. Was that how she was beginning to see him? She and the other children had grown to see Terra as their mother…and he knew from experience and studies that father figures were usually preferable in addition to matriarchal figures. But…was that how she really saw him? Even subconsciously? Did they really think of him that way? The esper didn't know…but it was a surprise to say the least.

What was even more surprising…was that he felt himself almost smile when he heard it.

_What in the world is happening to me here? What am I turning into?_

The esper at last was able to fully rise. With a puzzled, blank expression, he walked back to Terra's room and shut the door behind him. He barely remembered to be quiet when doing it. He still stood dazed and confused once he was inside, and for a moment he simply stood there and was unable to move. He just stared at the ground, taking in that name…

"I guess I was wrong."

Hearing that, Bahamut snapped out of his daze. He turned back to Terra and stared at her. She stared simply back in response…but her face had changed somewhat. It seemed more intrigued now, and more focused on him.

"I only heard bits and pieces…but you calmed her down. You were very nice to her. You really made her feel better. I have to thank you for that."

Bahamut blinked a moment or so. However, he soon shook out of it. He snapped his head once, and struggled to regain his normal demeanor. "Oh…it…it was nothing." He finally managed to spit out, not liking how he stuttered when he said it. "I mean…I only told her how you all felt about her. That was the truth. I was just trying to get her to calm down and see her situation better. I just wanted her to go to sleep before she woke everyone else."

Terra didn't change. She continued to stare at him silently for a moment, not blinking or changing her expression.

"…That was all?"

Bahamut found himself not liking how she phrased that question. It made him feel a bit uneasy. Of course…it wasn't all. He couldn't deny that a part of him wanted Athena to be comforted. A part of him had spontaneously said those things to her, not made them up, and had spoken from his emotion rather than logic. Most of all…there was a part of him that was glad to see that Terra was happy as a result of it, and was glad to see her comforted as well by Athena going to sleep. But he didn't dare say any of this. After all…he didn't want to feel this way. He had a mission. He had a responsibility to his race. He couldn't waste time with this. He forced himself to regret ever making the agreement for Terra to stay until next season…while at the same time found himself powerless to revoke it…or even leave until then.

"…Yes. That's all."

Terra stared back blankly at him at that. Her expression showed nothing…but it was harder than Bahamut liked. To his surprise…it made him feel uneasy. Did he actually want Terra to feel that he had done this out of genuine tenderness? Did he want _himself_ to feel that? All he knew is, he had to fight hard to keep his own expression from turning into a wince or regret. What more…he felt a cold shudder within himself when Terra, without changing her look, simply turned to the lamp and reached out to it.

"I thought so. Good night."

Bahamut actually opened his mouth as if to protest when the lights went out, and the two were bathed in darkness. Terra immediately turned over and looked as if she went to sleep…leaving Bahamut standing there. The esper continued to hold his mouth open, looking to say something. But in the end, he grit his teeth and put his hands to his head. What was going on? Why was he acting like this? Why was he developing all of these strange feelings and emotions? He saw humans as equals…but not like this. He didn't even see espers like this. Why was it getting harder and harder to think about his mission? Why was it getting harder and harder to not think about the children, Terra, and the life in Mobliz? Why had he stayed here being a handyman and babysitter for two months?

…Was what happened to Terra happening to him?

Bahamut didn't know. He was confused and distraught. At last, he could do nothing else. He simply walked over to his own minor bed at the foot of Terra's, plopped down, and covered himself up. He didn't sleep…but he lied awake the rest of the night thinking about these things and himself.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	18. A Juvenile Conspiracy

_Two Months Later_

It turned out that Bahamut played "Mr. Mom" for two more days after that initial time. Terra was feeling fine by noon of the second day, but the esper wanted to make sure she wouldn't pass her disease along. As it turned out, Terra was left with nothing to do, and that was hard. After spending so much time just doing things for the children, she didn't know what she could do on her own. So much of her life had been restricted until that point…and she wasn't used to being waited on.

At any rate, the next two days went by easier. The kids were more used to the arrangement, and Bahamut was more used to running around with them. He actually tried to free up Katarin more too, so that she could change a diaper the next time it was needed. He also continued his story over two more days. The kids grew more excited then, when he started talking about monsters and battles and quests and the like. By the end of the third day, he concluded with how Bahamut had managed to vanquish the foul Fiend of Wind with his new Megapyrin ability. After that, they were so hooked that after Terra resumed they wanted to hear the rest of his story first. And they weren't alone. Terra also wished to hear it. Only she realized that she was actually hearing about the Planet's history and that of humanity as well as the story of espers.

Over the next two months, things continued to go well. Bahamut now had Duane helping him full time, and after a few more work periods he got pretty good at it. They finished putting up the fence within a few weeks. However, Bahamut wasn't satisfied with that. He began to build a palisade wall around the whole of the ruined city. He explained to Terra that, if he could finish it, then they could run around town at will without ever having to fear the beasts in the area again. Such a task was impossible to complete in any length of time with just two humans…but luckily, Bahamut was an esper. He now freely showed Duane his powers in building, astonishing the young man. There was little Duane could do to help at this level of power, so Bahamut directed him to finish up small tasks while he continued to do this. At the end of two months, one side of the massive property, the fields and pasture included, were already guarded by a wall.

That, however, was only one thing. With the town looking more and more self-sufficient, Bahamut and Duane set about rebuilding it. They started with the old relic shop. It was already mostly intact, but they finished polishing it up and making it perfect. After that, they shifted their attention to rebuilding the old tavern. That was a much larger ordeal. It was more damaged than any other building, and it was much bigger. However, Bahamut was up to it. Duane actually liked helping too. It seemed he looked forward to it every day, the time in which he would rebuild his hometown into the way it was before the disaster…and the time in which he would give his family a better place to live. Already, they had fixed the foundations of the tavern, and were moving up.

Bahamut continued to play with the children outdoors, but after his babysitting stint, his duties had expanded. Now, he told them stories occasionally in place of Terra. He couldn't read the language, but his history provided plenty of opportunities, particularly more legends of this great esper named, "Bahamut". He mended their toys, gave them baths, cared for them when they grew sick, and had them help him in the garden from time to time. Occasionally, he would have a big job in which he would call them together to once again share the "magic word", and they loved that. On nights with thunderstorms, the younger children would cling to Terra…but when she was out of room they would cling to him as well.

A few more hazards happened over the two months. Bahamut killed a few predators looking for a meal. At one time, a group of bandits had been coming in to raid the area. Luckily, Bahamut scanned their simple minds from a distance. It was late night at the time, so the esper merely got up without waking anyway, walked out to them, and once he was within range revealed his full form. Normally…Bahamut would have just torn their throats out and been done with it. After all, if these people would murder innocent children for a few half-rotten vegetables, they were terrible in his eyes. And yet…he felt something different in him. He somehow thought that the children wouldn't like him so much if he tore them apart…and after spending so much time with humans he simply couldn't end the lives of others, even ones as bad as this. So, he was content to make them soil their undergarments, and then run away in terror.

That brought something else up. Bahamut found himself continuing to change. If a day went by in which none of the kids would be out with him…he found himself disappointed. He looked forward to reading to them. He enjoyed it whenever he got to play with them. And as he continued to give himself more duties in rebuilding Mobliz, he found himself desiring them more and more. He wanted to keep helping rebuild the town and interact with the children. And the more he did…the more of the feeling inside him he continued to feel. It was no longer unusual now. Now…he craved it. He wanted it. And the only way he could get more was by immersing himself more and more in the lives of these people. By now, it was almost impossible to even throw up an idea about how to rebuild his race. Those thoughts kept getting farther and farther from his mind. All he could think about was being here… No matter how much he told himself he had to help his race, he could only think of himself and this place…

And slowly, a new thought was beginning to appear in his mind as of late.

_Would that be so bad?

* * *

_

It was early that morning. It was still mostly dark outside. Mr. Tumahab had already gone out to work with Duane. Katarin and Seras were still asleep, and so was Terra. She wouldn't wake them up for another half hour at least. That was all the window that Marcus needed.

He had woke up early that morning. He had made sure to go down early so he would. And now that he was awake, he quickly sat up in bed. He looked around the room for a moment. But then, sure enough, the other four children also sat up in bed and looked to him. They too had done the same thing, planning to get up at this time this morning. And now, with the house silent and everyone else still asleep or busy, it was time to move. Marcus had to wait until this point. He had tried doing this at night once, but Mr. Tumahab could hear anything once he was inside. The only time he couldn't hear was when he was outside working. With that in mind, they had planned to meet this morning.

Marcus, moving as quietly as he could, slid out of his bed and to the cold floor. It was unpleasant, but he endured it. Essner did the same, grimacing a bit when he landed. Ai and Yu were next, the former clutching her moogle tightly. Finally, Athena came out, still holding onto her chocobo as well. Now out of bed, all of the children quickly went into the center of the room, gathering into a circle. They bent down close to the floor, and tried to be as quiet and inconspicuous as possible.

"Why did we have to get up so early?" Athena half-grumbled, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Shh!" Marcus quickly silenced in a loud whisper. "Whisper, Athena! You'll wake up Katarin!"

"Why _did_ we get up so early, Marcus?" Essner threw in with a whisper. "Mama won't wake us up for breakfast for another hour."

"Alright everyone, listen up." Marcus cut off, getting everyone's attention. As the oldest, he tried to draw as much bravado and authority to himself as possible. After all, he believed he was entitled to it. Everyone did look to him at any rate. "Here's the thing. We all like Mr. Tumahab, right?"

"Sure!" They all sounded aloud as one.

"Shh!" Marcus immediately hushed, his face growing angry. "Keep it down! Whisper!" The children all looked a bit regretful at that, and drew back a little. But the time soon passed, and they were normal again. Marcus continued. "And we all like mama, right?"

"Sure!" They sounded in a loud whisper.

"Now wouldn't it be great if Mr. Tumahab and mama both stayed here?"

Athena, on hearing that, brightened up. "Then we'd have a mama and papa!" She whispered excitedly.

"But Marcus, Mr. Tumahab said he'll be leaving after mama plants the wheat next year." Essner protested.

Yu turned to Essner at that with a worried face. "Really?"

Essner nodded. "I heard them talking about it way back when Mr. Tumahab first got here."

"But I like Mr. Tumahab!" Ai protested. "He lets me ride on his back!"

"And he tells great stories!" Yu added.

"And he fixed Choci!" Athena whined.

"That's what I'm talking about, guys." Marcus interrupted, making the children stop talking and turn back to him. "Essner told me Mr. Tumahab was leaving. So we have to do something to make him stay here with us."

"But what?" Yu asked.

At this, Marcus gave a grin. "That's where I had an idea. What if mama and Mr. Tumahab got married?"

The other children were a bit surprised at that. They actually leaned back a bit and blinked at Marcus. However, the older boy continued to believe his idea was good. He leaned in closer to them, strill grinning.

"Think about it. If they were married, then they'd stay together forever. Then Mr. Tumahab would never leave, and we'd have both a mama and papa."

"But Marcus…" Ai protested. "Don't they have to be in love with each other?"

"Ai's right." Yu added. "You can't get married if you're not in love."

"How do we tell if they're in love?" Athena asked.

"I think they have to act like Duane and Katarin did." Essner responded.

"How was that?" Athena pressed.

Essner paused a moment. He turned his head up and scratched his chin in a thoughtful expression. "Well…they have to spend a lot of time just staring at each other, like they're going to eat each other's faces or something. And they have to go off with each other a lot and not tell anyone where they're going. Oh, and they have to go out and eat together sometimes. And the man has to say a lot of nice things to the woman, and the woman has to smile and laugh and cover her face like she's embarrassed in front of him a lot."

"Do they do that?" Yu inquired.

"I don't know." Ai replied. "I know that Mr. Tumahab says nice things to mama sometimes."

"And I know that I see mama sometimes staring at Mr. Tumahab when he walks away, but I don't think that's love." Essner replied.

"Aw, we don't have to worry about that stuff." Marcus threw in, waving his arm at them. Afterward, he grinned again. "All we have to do is make them fall in love, and then they'll get married. And I know how to do it."

At this, the other kids turned back to Marcus in genuine amazement. Eagerly, they leaned in and wanted to know Marcus' secret. "How?"

The oldest boy continued to grin. "You see…before everyone went away, my mommy read this story out loud to my older sister. It had these boy and a girl in it, and they were always mean to each other and fighting and saying they didn't like each other. Then one day, what happened was that some of the boy's friends and the girl's friends got together and managed to fool them into going to dinner with each other. And right after that, they fell in love!"

"Wow!" Ai remarked. "It's that easy?"

Marcus nodded. "Yup. And that's what I was thinking. Let's make a dinner party just forMr. Tumahab and mama. I remember what they did in the story. We'll trick Mr. Tumahab and mama into going to it, and once they do they'll fall in love and get married!"

"But how do we make them dinner?" Yu asked in confusion. "We don't know how to cook."

"We'll get Katarin to do it." Marcus simply answered. "We'll make decorations and find a spot outside to set them up. After that, we'll just have to keep them away until it's time to eat. Then we'll do what they did in the story and get them to go out to it. But we'll all have to work together."

"What do we do?" Athena responded.

"Come in close, and I'll tell you…"

* * *

Katarin looked down uneasy at Athena a few hours later. This was an unusual request. And the kids rarely asked anything for her. They already had such a low opinion of their cooking, it seemed more likely that they would ask Terra for this. However, Athena continued to plead with her, her eyes large and nearly begging. All of the other children were up now, and Terra was off making breakfast. Duane should have been coming in soon, and until then the rest of the kids were usually running around, as was Katarin. She had been in the middle of changing Seras when Athena asked her.

"Please?" Athena begged.

"I don't think there would be any chocobos around here, Athena."

"But I saw one!" Athena insisted. "I saw it yesterday! He was running around outside near the field!"

"Athena, most of the chocobos around here died during the Collapse." Katarin responded. "It was probably some wild creature around here. There aren't any greens for chocobos to eat here."

"That's why I want to feed him!" Athena insisted. "Can you please make me some dinner to give him?"

Katarin frowned in reply. "Athena…chocobos don't like eating stew. They don't like meat."

"Come on! Please? Pretty please?" Athena continued to beg. "Just this one time? If he doesn't come to eat it, I won't bother you anymore."

"It might attract a wild animal…"

"I just want to do it once. We can bring it in before the sun comes down. Come on. Please? I don't want him to starve…"

Katarin sighed in response. It was obvious she was getting nowhere with this. No wonder she wasn't telling Terra. She'd never approve of it. If they did attract any beasts, there would be hell to pay. And yet, she had never seen Athena so insistant. She didn't know she had cared so much about seeing a real chocobo. She had never begged her this hard for anything. And why did she think the chocobo would like what she made over what Terra made? And yet, seeing as she wouldn't relent, Katarin decided to finally cave in.

"…Alright. I'll make it after dinner."

Athena immediately smiled. "Thank you! Thank you!"

* * *

The rest of the day pretty much went along as it normally would. Breakfast went by without a hitch, and all of the children got dressed and ready. The only thing that was unusual was that they spent a lot of time under their beds before they went out, and once they did they seemed to be walking a little funny out the door and outside. And they did walk this time, not run. Normally they would charge out at this point, but they were all calm and orderly as they left. And once they were all outside, they didn't readily go and play, but for a moment just stood there and looked to each other.

Terra had gone off with Duane to tend to the original small garden, while Bahamut was left watching them. For once, they didn't jump on him and insist on playing or roughhousing. They merely stood there looking a bit odd, seeming to hold themselves. The esper was rather puzzled at this. He looked them over and how they hadn't charged him yet, and quirked an eyebrow.

"Children…is something wrong?"

The five of them looked to each other, and looked anxious and nervous for a few moments. But then, Marcus finally turned up to Bahamut, seeming to sweat a little, and replied.

"Um…I have to go to the bathroom."

It wasn't long before the others turned to him and nodded as well.

"Oh yeah! I have to go to the bathroom too."

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"Me four!"

Bahamut looked over them all, and narrowed his gaze. He wasn't stupid. Unless there had been some rush of food poisoning in this morning's meat, there was little to no chance of all five of them wanting to go to the bathroom at the same time. He knew immediately they were hiding something. But, seeing as the kids were rarely naughty or troublesome, he decided to go along with it for now. "…Alright. All of you go to the latrine behind the house."

However, the children didn't respond well to that. They began to look nervous again. At last, Marcus looked back up to him and winced a bit.

"Um…could we go to the bathroom over on the other side of the field? Near the trees?"

Bahamut frowned at this. Now, he knew something was definitely up. And he wouldn't be so flexible this time. He crossed his arms and leveled his gaze at them. "And why do you want to go there? Why not go in the latrine like you always do?"

Marcus turned a bit white, and licked his lips. "Um…"

"Well…that's only when we go one at a time." Ai suggested innocently. "If we go together, we have to go out there."

Bahamut kept his frown. Now, he was very suspicious. He continued to stare at them and kept his arms crossed. "Really? And why all the way out there?"

Ai paled. "Er…uh…"

"Mama said we had to go out there." Yu suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah, whenever we go together, mama said we had to go out there." Ai immediately added with a nod.

Bahamut snorted. He didn't like this. He hoped the children weren't doing anything foolish. However, he wasn't too upset about the area that they suggested. Although the palisade wall hadn't been completed for that part yet, it was well protected by the ocean on one side. In fact, it actually afforded a good view of the surrounding area. Before they learned it was dangerous to stay outside, that was a place that the children and Terra used to gather. However, he didn't like how fishy they were acting.He cursed himself for not being able to simply examine their minds without risking offending Terra. In the end, he finally sighed and gave a shrug.

"Alright…but I'm coming with you."

The children brightened up at first…but then looked downcast right afterward. One of Bahamut's suspicions was proved at that. They wanted to get away from him. The children had only done this one other time he had known them, and that was when they left to try and get the flowers for Terra. So they probably didn't have anything too bad in mind as a goal…but something that could be dangerous as a means. If Bahamut hadn't been there, Ai and Yu would have long since passed through the stomachs of two hideous creatures. Whether they liked it or not, he was coming along. And so, looking nervous and anxious, they turned and began to walk toward the area with Bahamut following.

It was a fairly good walk, though not long enough for any trip. It took about five minutes to walk to the fields and then walk along them down to the area the kids had designated. The fields themselves were growing nicely. The wheat had taken root quickly, and was already up to Bahamut's waist. The couple years of lying fallow had helped rejuvenate it somewhat. At any rate, the kids walked through it all continuing to look nervous and troubled. After that time, Bahamut began to see the area looming up ahead. Straight ahead, at the end of the natural row he had made in between his wheat crops, was the palisade wall, tall, packed with mud and logs, staked on the top, and rather formidable to any dumb creature. About a hundred feet from here, it terminated their path, and it opened on either side. On the left, it went to the spot that the children were interested in. Bahamut could already hear the ocean waves and feel the breezes waving the grain stalks.

But here, Marcus suddenly turned around and halted. The other kids, a bit surprised, turned and looked to Marcus, but then back to Bahamut. The esper halted himself, and formed something of a frown. He crossed his arms then and looked down on the boy.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Wait here for us." Marcus answered.

"Why?"

"I don't want you to be a peeping tom."

Bahamut sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'll just be right behind you. I'll keep my back turned."

"I don't trust you. You'll look." Marcus insisted.

"And I can't go when I'm afraid of people looking at me." Essner added.

Bahamut frowned again. He was about to point out the error in logic that four other people would be looking at him while he was going anyway, but he decided to let it slide in the end. He wasn't in the mood to argue, especially knowing that the children were going to be stubborn about this. Luckily, there was little to nothing there that could be a problem. Any attacks would come from farther north and east, and they were far away from that now. Besides, that was where walls were guarding them at this point. And he could hear if any of them screamed. At last, he exhaled a blast from his nostrils, tightened his arms up, and then looked down on them.

"Alright. But hurry."

Only now did the kids seem to get the urge to truly go. They turned and immediately ran off the rest of the way down the wheat rows. Once there, they turned and soon mostly vanished behind the fields. Bahamut could still see them at first, but as they went further back along the fields, even the taller children soon vanished behind the wheat. In a few moments, he could only trust that they were now on the other side of the field, doing as they had said they would do. Bahamut sighed again, and then waited for them to come back.

Ten minutes later, Bahamut was still waiting. None of the children had come back. The esper began to grow impatient. He tapped his foot on the ground a bit, and then called out over the fields. "Are you all finished yet?"

"No!" A faint voice called back. "We're going potty!"

Bahamut frowned again. He wasn't going to wait for this any longer. He shifted his eyes to see a different kind of vision, focusing on heat, and then looked out far in the distance. All five heat signatures were over there, just as they had said they would be. However…they all seemed to be lying on the ground and doing something. What, Bahamut couldn't tell. His resolution wasn't that good. He sighed a bit, and broke off the vision. At least they weren't in danger. Maybe they had found some old valuable buried in the dirt, and they were trying to get it. He'd let them go for now…

Yet after another ten minutes, Bahamut was now getting impatient. His face turned stern as he glared out at the end of the wheatfield. "I _know_ you all have to be done by now!"

"We're wiping!" A voice instantly replied.

Bahamut grit his teeth and looked out again with his heat vision. They were still on the ground at this point. Clenching his hands into fists, Bahamut waited a little longer.

Another ten minutes went by, and by this time Bahamut had almost enough. He called out again to the other side of the field. "You have to be finished by now!"

"There aren't a whole lot of big leaves here! We're looking for some!"

_No, but I'm beginning to wonder what you all are doing…_ Bahamut muttered inwardly. Now they were up, and he saw them running around the small area filled with trees, doing various things around them. He couldn't tell what. Bahamut crossed his arms tighter and continued to wait, growing more and more impatient as he did so. This was annoying him. What were they doing that required privacy for this long?

After ten more minutes, that was the last straw. Bahamut uncrossed his arms and began to walk forward. "I'm coming!" He called out.

"No! Not yet!" A panicked voice cried back.

"Then get back here!"

"Alright! We're coming!"

Bahamut stopped and was stayed for that moment. Yet as it turned out, he had to wait even longer. It was another five minutes before he finally saw Athena run around the edge of the wheatfield and run up to him. He grimaced at her as she came up to him, and then stopped right in front with a smile.

"I'm back!" She cheered.

"Where are the others?" Bahamut immediately asked.

"They're coming." Athena reassured.

Bahamut looked at her for a moment. Then, he frowned somewhat. "…You guys wouldn't be doing anything back there you're not supposed to be doing, would you?"

Athena's smile vanished, and she paled a bit and shook her head. "Oh no…of course not." She responded, not looking at all convincing.

The esper continued to frown. "…Are you sure?"

Athena looked a little pale, but shook her head. "Y…Yeah…"

"They weren't making you do anything you didn't want to do, did they?"

"No…no…that's not it…"

"Then what is it?"

Athena paled at that, and cupped her hands to her mouth, realizing she had let slip. "Um…nothing! Nothing!" She quickly spat out.

Bahamut realized he wasn't getting anywhere. If it turned out to be a problem, he'd go back and check himself later. As it was, it was another five minutes before Yu came back. Interrogating him had similar results. These children were terrible at lying, but good at not saying what you wanted them to say. Another five minutes went by before Ai came back. All of them said the others were coming, but Bahamut knew it took about a minute to go from where they were to where Bahamut was. They were stalling, and he didn't like it. As expected, it was another full ten minutes before they all gathered, first Essner and then followed by Marcus. The last two looked very hurried and nervous, but also relieved that something was done. They went up with the others and stared at Bahamut nervously, with fake little smiles on their faces.

Bahamut looked over them all, and crossed his arms again. "…Are you guys sure you weren't getting into any trouble back there? You mother tells you to stay out of trouble for a reason, you know…"

Marcus shook his head furiously, and was joined by the others. "No, no! We weren't getting into any trouble, Mr. Tumahab."

Bahamut doubted it, smelling how much sweat was coming from their bodies. That was almost a sure sign of a liar. However, they were all ok for now. None of them looked hurt. There was a chance they were just playing a game or something. But if so…why didn't they want him along? Usually, he was their favorite playmate. Why wouldn't they want to bring him? Perhaps they were getting into some trouble, or at least something they thought would get them into trouble. Bahamut would make sure to investigate later, making sure they hadn't gotten into anything…but for now, he let it go.

"…Alright. Let's go back then."

* * *

Again, nothing else happened for a while. The children had lost a good hour of play time, but they didn't seem to care. They ran around with Bahamut normally after that, while everyone else went about their business. It became time to go in and have lunch, and after that the kids had their time for indoor recreation. As they did, the only thing out of the ordinary was that Katarin was continuously pestered by Athena, who wanted to make sure that she would make that food for tonight. She even pressured her to make it sooner than that, but she refused. Time otherwise went normal up until dinnertime.

But at that point, Bahamut went outside to lounge a bit. He didn't sit in for meals normally, after all, and he'd just get some more fresh air and maybe some extra work in. The other children were left to eat there normally. Yet this didn't last long. Around this time, the children began to look to each other uneasily again. They started to grow nervous, and had a secret plan running through their heads. After a moment or so longer, at last it was sprung. Just as Terra began to pass out dinner, Essner raised his hand.

"I have to go to the bathroom, mama."

Terra turned to him at that, right in the middle of serving up Yu. "But Essner…you just went before we sat down for dinner."

"I know, but I got to go again." Essner responded. To accent this, he immediately grabbed down his middle and crossed his legs. "Please? I really have to go."

Terra looked at him a moment longer, but then finally sighed and nodded. "Alright. Hurry back though, before your food gets cold. I hope you're not getting an infection… You went to the bathroom a long time this morning too…"

But Essner didn't listen to this. He was already out of his chair and running for the door.

* * *

Bahamut stroked his chin a bit and looked out to the horizon. The sun was still fairly high, but it was definitely lowering now. Soon, it would turn the world orange. He wondered a bit, however. What were the children doing out there? It had to be something, but based on the limited information he had he didn't know what. What had they in mind when they went there? Perhaps he had better run out there and try and find out…

However, the esper was shaken from his thoughts as he heard footsteps run up behind him. When he did, he turned around, and was just in time to see Essner coming out of the front door. On seeing Bahamut standing on the porch, he froze where he was. But then, as if he was remembering something, he calmed down, straightened up, and then licked his lips anxiously.

"Um…Mr. Tumahab?" He asked him.

Bahamut looked at him a moment, but then turned the rest of his body around to better face him. "Yes, Essner? What is it?"

"Uh…um…" The boy hesitated for a moment. He folded his arms behind him and fiddled with his fingers. "Er…you know, to tell you the truth…we weren't going to the bathroom out there earlier today."

The esper cracked a smile at that, and gave a little chuckle. "I had guessed that, Essner." He replied in a reassuring way. "Did you come to tell me what you really were doing?"

The boy nodded in response. "Uh huh. The truth is…we were setting up something for mama."

Bahamut smelled quite a bit of sweat on Essner at this…and this reply didn't bode well with him. However, he gave him a berth for now, and raised an eyebrow. "Setting up for mama? What were you trying to set up?"

Essner winced a bit and twisted in his position. "You see…she really wanted to have dinner with you, but she was afraid to do it and she didn't have time to set up. So she had us set up for her. We were fixing up that place back there for her. She's going to go back right after dinner. She told me to come out and tell you to meet her there."

Bahamut stared in puzzlement at this. Obviously, it was a lie. He didn't have to be a genius to know that. Why would Terra want to have dinner with him, after all? However, he began to realize the true nature of what this was. Obviously, it was a set up for him. They had a surprise planned for him, it seemed. Well…that was nice, in any event. Of course, what the surprise was or what it meant was peculiar to him. And why were they doing it now? At any rate, in the end, Bahamut decided to go along with it. If they did have a surprise planned for him, he thought he might as well bait it and act surprised. And so, he gave a smile and a nod.

"Alright, Essner. I'll go out there right after dinner."

The boy brightened up at that immediately. "Really?" He asked excitedly, obviously surprised that Bahamut had "bought" it. Soon after, he leaned in closer to him. "Ok. Make sure you clean yourself up real nice and look good. Then go off to that place. I'll tell mama you said yes."

With that, Essner turned and ran back into the house like a shot. Bahamut was left sitting outside. He shook his head and gave another snort. What were these kids planning? He didn't know, but he wondered what it had to do with him dressing up and being clean. As near as Bahamut could figure, they might have been setting up party favors of some sort over there. Now, Bahamut wasn't that big on parties…but he wouldn't let them down if they really wanted to do something for him. As to why they wanted to was beyond him. For all he knew, he was mistaken.

In the end, however, Bahamut sighed. He got up from the porch and walked to one side. If they wanted him clean, then he'd have to get out of their range first before he transmuted his clothing to lose the dirt.

* * *

"Um…are you sure?"

Marcus eagerly nodded. "Yeah!" He whispered in reply to Terra. Dinner was over now, and the kids were cleaning up their dishes. However, Marcus had used the moment to draw his matron aside and talk to her for a brief moment. "He wants to eat dinner with you tonight! He told me to go get you! That's why we were out there this morning setting up."

Terra looked uneasy at that. Why would Bahamut want to eat dinner with her? Well…she could actually think of a few reasons, and none of them were good. Most likely, he wanted to say something private to her that was something he didn't want the children hearing. But if he was doing that, he could have just waited until tonight. Unless…he wanted to transform that night. Unless he wanted them both to. Did that mean he wanted to take them away tonight? But no…he said he'd wait until next spring for that… What was going on in that esper's head? Although, it made sense if he told the kids not to alertDuane and Katarin. Obviously, they might understand something he had not…

In the end, however, Terra knew it would just be more problematic if she said no. She didn't want to give him a reason to be upset with her. In the end, she turned to Marcus with a sigh. "Well…alright. I guess I'll go out there after I'm done here."

"Oh no, that's ok!" Marcus immediately answered. "We'll clean up. You should go get ready. You know…make yourself look nice and everything."

Terra frowned a bit. Exactly how was she supposed to make herself look nice? The only clothing she owned was what was on her back. And this wasn't exactly a Jidoor beauty salon. However, after a moment, she supposed she could do something with her hair, get a flower, and maybe lose her upper torso armor. She didn't know why Bahamut would want her to look nice. Most likely, he didn't. The children were the ones who wanted her to. And she supposed she might as well to give the illusion that they were really having dinner. And so, forcing herself to smile, she put her hands down and shook off her wet hands.

"Alright…I'll just head in the back for a few minutes."

* * *

Athena waited patiently, right until the point when she saw Terra go into the back room. The door was closed soon after behind it, and the moment it was she wheeled around to Katarin. She was busy cleaning off her own dishes at the time, but Athena soon pleaded with her.

"Ok now!" She insisted.

Katarin let out a nervous laugh as she continued to scrape. "Athena, I'm still cleaning off my bowl… Can't you just wait a few minutes?"

"Can we do it now?" Athena immediately shot back. "Please?"

Katarin rolled her eyes. In any other situation, she would have told Athena that she had to wait until the other chore was done. But she did figure that it might be simpler to cook now than wash out the pot and put it back a second time. What more…Athena had never begged so much for anything before. It seemed unusual for her, rather than a characteristic of a brat. At last, she rolled her eyes, and put her own bowl down.

"Alright. Since you don't have much time left before dark anyway."

Athena nearly leapt for joy and cheered. As soon as she did, Katarin sighed and turned over to the stove. She took up the pot and began to rinse it out and fill it with a small amount of water. As she did, Athena turned around and looked to Ai and Yu. She gave them a nod, and the two of them nodded back. As Athena turned and stood guard behind Katarin, the two began to go around and do other things over the next few minutes. As Katarin put the water on, the two of them managed to swipe a spare white tablecloth from the cabinet. As she began to cut a small amount of meat and vegetables, they found two bowls and glasses and put them in the middle of the tablecloth. As she put them in and brought it all to a boil, the kids found silverware as well and tied it all up in the tablecloth. They passed it to Essner afterward, who carried it outside the door and set it there as Katarin finished with her own task. Once she was done, she set it all in a smaller pot with a handle. She turned and began to look to Athena.

"Ok…this is too heavy for you, so I better carry it."

But before she could take a step, Ai and Yu suddenly came forward. Both of them looked eager and ready.

"We'll take it!" Yu offered.

Katarin blinked in response to this, a bit muddled. "Um…thank you, guys. But Athena wanted to do this."

"No, it's ok!" Athena immediately added. "They can do it."

Katarin turned to Athena in confusion. "But…you wanted to do this all day. You kept insisting…"

"I just want him fed. I don't care who does it." Athena quickly replied.

Katarin continued to look puzzled at this. She had been eager all day for this, and now she was just passing off the duty to someone else? She held for a moment, until Ai and Yu seized the pot right out of her arms. It was a bit hard for kids of their size to manage it, but they took it from her regardless and managed to hold. Katarin, a bit surprised at how quickly they had taken it, turned back to them in confusion.

"But wait…you kids can't go out by yourselves anyway. I'll go out with you…"

Both children seemed to turn a bit white at that for a moment. However, they quickly shook their heads soon after.

"Uh…no, that's ok! We're just putting it out right outside! We'll be fine!"

Katarin wrinkled her brow. "But…"

Yet before she could protest further, Ai and Yu turned and made for the exit as fast as possible. Not being the head disciplinarian, Katarin was unable to simply tell them to stop and explain themselves immediately. She was mostly confused as they turned and left, leaving her puzzled and standing there. Soon they had gone out the door, and had left her and Athena standing there. The young woman continued to stare at this, and scratched her head.

_What are these kids up to?

* * *

_

"Hmm?"

Bahamut was done "sprucing up" at this point. Now, he was headed over to the location that they had specified, taking his time for the moment. He hadn't done much. He had adjusted his hair a bit and cleaned it, removed the stains from his clothes, and straightened his jacket in a more suit-attired way. He styled his hair a little, and he supposed that would do for "looking nice". After that, he had begun to slowly make his way to the area. But he hadn't gone far before he had heard something not too far away. It was distinct noise, and it was footsteps as well. On hearing that, Bahamut froze and turned his head to the source.

Shortly after doing so, Bahamut began to make out certain details. He could smell the youth and familiar scent on them…as well as the taste of fresh stew. They must have still had it on them. His heat vision could see them, and saw that they were running down another row of the wheatfield. They were trying to stay hidden, it seemed, and they labored along as if carrying something. He soon identified them as Ai and Yu. He was suspicious a moment. After all, they were the two who had caused the trouble that got Bahamut involved in the first place. And yet, after a moment longer, he decided to let them go. It was safer here, and if they were planning a surprise, then he might as well let them. They were probably trying to beat him there anyway. Giving a small smile, Bahamut slowed his step and purposely let them get ahead.

Soon after, they did so, and Bahamut continued his leisurely stroll up to the designated area. His process took a while, seeing as he expected the other children to come fairly soon. Such was not to be, however. Not only did the children fail to show up, but after a few minutes of being down at the area, he detected the children turning around and coming back, hiding the whole way as they did so. Now, the esper was very puzzled. What was this supposed to mean? Were they leaving a surprise for him? Were they playing a joke on him? What? He didn't know. With a sigh, he merely continued to walk forward toward the area.

A few minutes later, Bahamut came to the same turn he had been at earlier today. By now, the sun was low in the sky. The day was yellow and orange, and it was rapidly turning to red. He sighed, supposing he should be thankful the children had gone in. They didn't need to be out this late. After reaching this point, he turned left and began to walk down the wheat rows to the side. Already, far ahead, he could see a few of the trees that were left, and beyond it the rocky, rough shore that had been carved out of the destruction of Gaia. However…he noticed something else. In the rapidly dimming light, there appeared to be some sort of glow coming from the left… Bahamut looked at it a moment as he walked forward, but then recognized it as some sort of torchlight or firelight. He frowned a bit at that. Ai and Yu knew they weren't old enough to be lighting fires, even if just for a candle. Nevertheless, he sighed and continued to walk forward to see just what this was. He reached the corner of the wheatfield at last, and then turned and looked to see what they had left.

Bahamut, in actuality, was a bit surprised at what he saw. It was obvious now why the kids had been so busy. There was a central stump in this area with a fairly flat top, for it had been cut down long ago. Pulled up next to it were two rocks large enough for adults to sit on. Both of these rocks were decorated with paper dolls, images of the moon and stars, flowers, and other happy items. There were also several crudely drawn pictures of smiling couples put around the whole area, each one on a small stick that acted as a signpost. The trees overhead were filled with long paper chains and daisy chains. There were also a few paper lanterns hung up, with yellow paper for flames. But most interesting of all was the central stump. A bouquet of wildflowers was on the middle of the table, including some of the flowers Terra had received and planted four months ago. There were also two places set with the good glass glasses, and two bowls of stew had been set up at either position. Both were across from one another, coinciding with the rocks.

Bahamut had to chuckle after gazing at this a moment. Was this what the children had been setting up? Had they been telling the truth after all? However, he soon realized it couldn't be right. No…Terra hadn't wanted this. The kids had set it up all by themselves. Why they wanted the two of them to have dinner was beyond him, but he knew it wasn't Terra's idea. This was all far too crude. They had forgotten to even bring water to fill their glasses with. Nevertheless, while shaking his head at the whole thing, he walked over to one of the stones and sat down. There really was only one reason they would have done this, it occurred to him. They must have somehow thought that he and Terra were an item. He had no idea what had given them that idea. Most likely, kids at that stage thought any man living with a woman long enough had to be a sweetheart. He sighed again at the whole thing and leaned back a bit on his rock. He supposed he better wait for Terra to show up…

He only had to wait a few minutes before he detected her approach. His heat vision spotted her from back at the house, and soon she began tonear the same area. Bahamut merely folded his hands and calmly waited. It took a few minutes more for her to come all the way out there, and by then the sky really was red. Over beyond the trees, he could see the sun almost touching the horizon of the seashore by now. It was a good thing this was an ocean, or there would be mosquitos all around him by now. Finally, he began to hear Terra coming around the side. He turned his head at that.

AsTerra turned the corner…Bahamut found himself almost surprised. She had changed. Her hair wasn't tied up now, but was loose and hanging behind her and around her neck. Her upper armor was gone, revealing her own sleeveless shirt hugging her top. A flower had been tucked behind her ear as well. They were just small changes…but they made a bit difference. They made her look far more loose and free…not to mention improved her appearance somewhat as well. Bahamut actually found himself staring at her a moment before resuming his normal look. As for Terra, she looked around for a moment at the situation. When she did, her face seemed to turn a bit white, especially when she saw Bahamut. At last, she turned to him and stared blankly.

"…You…you really wanted to have dinner with me?" She finally asked, her voice hesitant and nervous.

Bahamut's face turned to puzzlement at that. "What?" He responded. But then, at once it hit him. He rolled his eyes and groaned, before putting a hand to his forehead. "Oh…I get it now…" He muttered aloud. He put it down after a moment, and then looked back to Terra, who was still perplexed at all this, and shook his head. "No. You're mistaken. The children told me that you wanted me out to dinner tonight. I assumed they had some surprise and so I came."

Terra blinked for a moment at that. But then, she leaned forward, realized what the truth was, and then sighed and rolled her own eyes. "…That's what they told me about you." She responded after a moment. "Why would they do something like that?"

Bahamut inhaled slightly and looked around where he was. "I'm not sure…but I'm thinking they thought we were sweethearts or something, because we've been living together so long."

Terra frowned in response, and sighed again before she dropped her arms to her sides. "Great…" She said aloud. "I skipped dinner because Marcus told me to…and he didn't explain why until after it. If I had known…" She stopped again, and frowned after a moment. In the end, she threw up her arms, and gave out a sigh. "I'm starving. I'm going to eat it regardless. I'll go back after that."

With that, Terra walked right up to the table, though somewhat impatiently. She sat down on her own side with a huff, and somewhat tiredly drew herself up to it. Bahamut himself turned and faced her, his own hands still folded in front of him. The half esper herself looked around for a moment at the set-up, before forming a confused expression.

"…There's no water."

"I think they may have forgotten that." Bahamut suggested.

Terra hesitated a moment, but then smiled and gave a slight chuckle. She shook her head, and then began to dive right into the stew with her spoon. "What am I going to do with them…" She said in a rhetorical voice as she ate the first bite.

Bahamut leaned on the table himself, ignoring his own bowl, and looked around a bit. He gave a bit of a shrug in response. "Oh, I don't know…" He slowly answered as he looked around. "It was a nice gesture. They really did decorate this place more than I thought they could."

Terra paused herself as she ate another bite. She looked up and around the area a bit as well. Soon, she smiled a bit wider and gave a nod. "Yeah…it was, I guess. It was very sweet of them, at any rate. This is one of the things I love about children. So many people…young people especially…they think they're just some waste of time or effort… They think you just lose all your free time with them and all they ever do is want things from you. But it's things like this…these rare moments when they just up and do these sorts of things…that make you remember why you're working so hard for them."

Bahamut leaned back a bit and smiled himself. "They remind you that they love you and care about you." He suggested. "And it makes you think of the people that they have the potential to become one day."

Terra turned back to him at that. After a pause, she gave a nod. "That's right. That's absolutely right."

Bahamut gave a slight shrug, and leaned in again. "It's a pleasant thought…dreams of potential in others. As you know from my stories…it's something I'm not a stranger to. Of course…" He hesitated here, and frowned slightly. "I've seen my share of disappointments to those dreams in the past…"

Terra stared on at him silently, her own smile fading. "So…you think that's what's going to happen to these kids too? That they'll lose these feelings and will become corrupt?"

At that, Bahamut turned back in a snap, and immediately shook his head. "Oh no, no… I was just stating what I had seen before. And sure enough, that made me lose hope more than once. But no…" Bahamut slowly a bit here…and a faraway look went into his eyes. As it did…his voice grew slower and he smiled a bit. "No…not with these children. Not them. I can see an inner spark in them. An inner light. It is so rare in the world…and yet when you see it it's the light in the darkness. It's what keeps a generation alive…it gives you hope for the future. You look out at Gaia for years on end…you see one corrupt generation after another…you see people engaging in all sorts of evils and destruction…"

Terra heard this…and as she did she grew quiet as well. Her own face stayed low, for she remembered seeing such things in her own time. She focused in on Bahamut as he continued.

"And you say to yourself…is this what the world is now? How bad have things become? Are things really this low and terrible? How did it become this way? Are all people so bad that there's no way back? And you just sit there and think all of this, and it disgusts you. You wonder why these people were ever born…why they even came to life just to bring death. You lose sight of everything innocent…and you just see this perversion in the world…

"But then…you see someone just like these children. Maybe it's a few. Maybe it's just one. But you see that one light in the darkness… You see that one exceptional person who doesn't go along with the crowd and stands out. You see this person spreading…because as they touch other lives they improve other lives. Other people start seeing the light in them. And as they see it…they want it for themselves. They see this one great person and they realize that they don't have to be these base, cruel individuals. It changes them. It makes them better. It makes them be more.

"And that's when you realize…no matter how bad things become…no matter how rotten things are…no matter how perverted everything gets…things will pass. There will always be one left. There will always be one remaining. Someone will still stand for something good in this world. Someone must. This dark age…it will go away. But the world will come back…and it will be because of this person. And you have to hold on to that. You have to believe, just as this one person believes. You have to keep faith. You can never lose that. Because once you do, you'll be just as dead as everyone else. But if you keep that faith and hope alive…you'll survive. Because it will survive. You have to keep on to the end, just as every generation has one great survivor who will hold on to the end. It is because of that fact that I hope even now. Even after hearing what humanity did to my race…after hearing all of the evils they had done to it…I still have faith." He hesitated after that, and then smiled a bit. Slowly, he turned to Terra afterward.

"…I'm happy that faith was justified."

Terra paused again, and smiled a bit. Bahamut was right. She had to learn that as well, but it was a lesson she was glad she had learned. "…I'm glad you can see the children at least in some way that I see them." She finally responded.

But on hearing that, Bahamut turned his head a bit in reply and looked puzzled.

"The children? I was talking about _you_."

Now, it was Terra's turn to look puzzled. She looked back a bit, and forgot about eating for the moment. "…Me?"

"Of course. The children are good, no doubts there. But they wouldn't have been that way if it wasn't for you. I came here to help because I came for you. Duane and Katarin are here because they were once your charges as well. But you…you cared for them this whole time by yourself, without any compulsion at all. You saw the goodness in them yourself, but you had enough of your own goodness to stay here and help them. They never would have been so happy and confident if you hadn't protected them. They never would have been able to love you and do such kind things for you if you hadn't shown them what it means to love. You brought out their full potential. And you did a great job. They're wonderful. They really are."

Terra bowed her head a bit, and blushed at all this. She wasn't sure how to respond to that right away. To her, it wasn't a big deal. She had just tried to be there for the children and do what any caring person, in her opinion, would have done. She was unable to answer a moment. But finally, she managed to catch enough in what Bahamut said to say something else.

"…You really think the children are wonderful?"

Bahamut paused for a moment at that. Had he just said that? He thought back a moment…and supposed he had said it. After a moment or so, he swallowed. But then he figured he might as well. He raised his head again and gave a nod. "Yes. Yes, I do."

Terra kept her head bowed for a moment more. But then, she smiled a bit and looked up to him. "Well then…you lied to me."

The esper leaned back a bit at that, surprised at the sudden accusation. However, Terra merely continued to smile at him.

"You tell them stories. You play with them. You laugh at their bad jokes for the fifth time. You carry them inside when they get hurt. You help them with their drawings. You kiss their stuffed animals good night. You stay up with them when they have nightmares. You build all these things around the ruins just for them. You let them go off and do this with a wink and a nod. Until now…I've been put off by you. I didn't really trust you. But…I suppose I should have seen this ever since that one night, when you were talking to Athena. You told me that night you were only doing it to keep order…but you lied. You really do love them, don't you?"

Bahamut's jaw loosened. He was taken aback again. He hesitated. That was impossible. He liked humans, but as of late he wasn't attached to them. After all, he had his own people to worry about. He had never even been that intimate with esper children. Why would he be that way with human children? Especially these? He wanted them away. He wanted them to let Terra go, make her available for more important use. They were supposed to die by now anyway, along with any other children in the world who had died in the Collapse. He cared about the future. He cared about the many, not the few. He didn't care about them…

Yet as he said this to himself…he realized, at long last, that he was lying to himself.

No…he couldn't deny it now. For months he had been doing so…but now he began to realize what this feeling in him was. He had denied it time and time again, and feigned ignorance when, subconsciously, he realized what it meant the whole time. He knew all along why he was eager to play with them. He knew all along why he had made this pasture to give the children fresh milk. He knew all along why he continued to tell them stories. Most of all…he knew why he stayed here when he should have been somewhere else. He thought he had been making a grand illusion for them all, and perhaps he had at first… But now…the thoughts of espers…the thoughts of his kingdom…of the common good…_that_ was the illusion. What had happened to Terra happened to him. He found himself now here…and wanting to be here.

_She's right._

_I…I love the children._

_I love them more than anything I've seen in thousands of years._

Bahamut hesitated a moment longer. He leaned back forward and propped his head up on his arm. He thought he should be upset…angry at himself for doing this. And yet…he wasn't. Rather, he felt like smiling about it. He felt…happy about it. And he didn't care whether he was supposed to be angry or not. He only wanted to feel happy. And so, he smiled and shook his head with a faraway look in his eye.

"Yes." He finally answered.

He paused after that. Both sides stayed silent. Bahamut just sat there, and let that reality sink in. He had changed. Now…he realized he'd lose a part of himself if he went away. He realized that he wanted to be with the children every day now. And if he wasn't…though it was only four months out of thousands of years, he'd feel more empty and incomplete than ever. At last, he shook his head a bit, and looked to Terra.

"…How did you see something in me I failed to see about myself?"

Terra exhaled at that. She leaned a bit more, and looked down a little. After that, she managed a slight shrug. "Well…it's probably because I wasn't looking for it. When I first met you, all you were to me was just another ruler in my life. For years, everyone wanted me to be their shining standard. Everyone wanted me to use my power to help them. And I hated it. I didn't want that responsibility, and I didn't want people with both kinds of hearts to want me. They enslaved me for that. I thought you were the same way…"

Bahamut let go of his head at that, and turneddown. He looked downcast for a few moments. Hearing this brought back memories of how he had been. In truth…he was a little ill tempered at that point in time. And now, in retrospect…he regretted it. He should have been more coaxing and friendly from the start. If he had known the woman's full story…he might have been. She didn't deserve the stress of him after her long, painful life.

"…And how do you think of me now?"

Terra paused again. She was uneasy to say this too. However, she finally straightened up a bit and spoke back. "…I still don't know you all together…but I know a lot more about you. You're a complicated person. You won't let anything stand in between you and what you want…and yet you can still be so kind and flexible sometimes. You lay down commands on one hand…and then you turn around and try to give people as much freedom within your decision as possible. And you don't do it because you already have what you want…you do it because you think those people should genuinely deserve their own freedom and choices. I don't know what to say about you.

"If I had to say something…I guess I would say that you seem to be a very complex, multi-faceted person… You just never had the chance to express it. You've always been a bright standard yourself. You've always had to take charge and be responsible. In that way…I guess you're like me. In retrospect, I know that the best thing that ever happened to me was nearly being blown up on that airship. Once I got here…once I slowed down for a year…I finally had time to live for myself. I finally had just myself and my own choices, with no one making them for me or telling me what to do. Maybe the only reason I'm the way I am is because I was shaped by these children…

"But I think the same is happening to you. I used to think you were bad…but I was wrong. You just weren't in the right situation. And now…I'm seeing you for who you really are. For a while I wouldn't believe it, because I didn't want to believe you would be that way. But I see it more clearly now. You're a very kind and gentle person, deep down inside. And you have more mercy and grace in your heart that you realize. For years, I saw people with power just use it to fuel their own ends. But you…I know now that you feel that the best thing to do with your power is to give it to other people. I don't know if you knew that before…but I see the light in your face whenever you enhance the strength of the children, or play games with them and jump to a roof, or when you made other things. You like making people happy. You want people to be happy. That's why you gave me so much time to stay here…because you didn't want to see me upset.

"Also…you enjoy this feeling that I learned for myself." She looked up into Bahamut's eyes at this, and the esper silently looked back. "Just like me…you learned what love is from these children. And you want more of it too. You never knew what love was until now…but now that you do, it's making you into a more beautiful creature than ever…so much greater than the person I saw in my dream those months ago."

Bahamut hesitated, and then smiled a little with a head shake. "You're wrong." He finally said. "I knew what love was. I just had it wrung out of me. Time, betrayal, and death slowly ruined those things inside me… I had given up on loving something else. I never loved anything other than my family, and one by one they went away. I never knew it was possible to love another thing, least of all a bunch of juvenile humans." This last part was said somewhat sarcastically, and Bahamut snickered a bit at it in the end. However, after pausing a moment more, he turned and looked back up to Terra.

"But like you said…I was wrong. I do love them now. I thought it was wrong for a long time…to just give love to something else so freely. I thought I undervalued it somehow when I did that. I thought you were born loving certain things and that was the end of it. Even these great people I met in the past…I assumed they had been born creatures who loved the world and all things and that was it. It was natural for them, I assumed. Or, at least, they had a general 'love' for all things and reserved special, intimate, kindred emotions for others. I thought to make it personal was reserved only for special things.

"But again…I was wrong. You've shown me that now, Terra. You were a person who knew nothing of love. Or if you did, it was taken away from you long ago. Yet you…you were able to expand your heart to include these children in it. And it changed you and changed them. It made this world brighter around you. And I see now that genuine love expanded only does make things better, not worse.

"You, Terra…you are a wonderful person. You are one of the greatest humans I ever met…perhaps even the greatest human I ever met. Don't compare me to you…because that cheapens who you are and exaggerates who I am. We've both had one bitterness after another throughout our lives. But you…you have known nothing but misery and sorrow your whole life. And yet you remained. So many other lesser people were corrupted and twisted by what happened to them…but you remained as innocent and pure as falling snow inside. You didn't succumb to rage, revenge, or wickedness. You just stayed so child-like and innocent to it all…and you kept hoping. You faltered once…but you came back stronger. Even when you lost your faith in humanity, you helped the children when they needed it. Me…I've felt short. I faltered more times. I let depression sink me into despiciable thoughts for years and lost hope. But even when you were hopeless…you helped these people. You shone forth as that light, even when you didn't know that you were that light. You give so much of yourself to these children… It astounds me. It puts me to shame. And I want to do the same. I want to love more as well. I want to give more of myself. Your own inner grace…it comes to me and it makes me want to be more. No one has ever done that for me. Ever."

Terra couldn't help but smile…and cringed a bit. No one had ever said anything so beautiful about her before. No one had ever praised her so highly. She couldn't help but be embarrassed…and let a tear fall from her eyes. Hearing this praise…it made her happy. It made her very, very happy. After living for months with no encouragement save from her charges…to hear another adult praise her for her work and perserverance…to say such things about her…it made her feel so much more encouraged. In the end, however, she shook her head a little and looked back up to him.

"No…you're wrong again." She finally said. "You undervalue yourself too much. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone falls. But you keep getting back up. I've seen people on my trip…people who let their pasts kill them inside. Others let their pasts drive them into despair and insanity. But not you. You're not hard. You're not cruel. The fact that you've changed…that you've grown to love these children…it means you're still very human inside. It means you're still alive. I meant what I said. What you were frightened me…but now I do see you turning into a beautiful creature. You become more so every day. You reject what makes you hard and bitter, and let yourself be shaped by feelings of tenderness and kindness around you. So many people don't know how to do that. But you do…and it's making you wonderful.

"You're kind… You're thoughtful… You're gracious… You're loving… You care more about these children than anyone I've ever seen. You do so much around here… I used to fear you every morning…but now I look forward to seeing you every morning. Because when I see you…I feel better inside. I know that you'll always be there for the kids…and you'll always be there for all of us. Even me. And it makes me feel so good to see someone else who feels that way every morning. You make me feel safe…content… You bring me hope with every day. You help me to remember that there are people who care in this world…people who are great and kind and won't abandon others." Terra stopped for a moment here, and looked down. She shook her head a bit, and then chuckled a bit. Finally, she turned her head back up and looked Bahamut right in his powerful blue eyes.

"…I never thought I'd say this…but I'm glad…very glad…that you came to us."

Bahamut looked right back, leaning over the table still, and smiled.

"And I'm glad that I came back to life right at this point in time…so that I could meet you."

Both of them smiled and continued to look at each other. For a moment, they just studied each other's faces. And as they did…they both felt lighter inside. To Bahamut, Terra suddenly seemed so much more beautiful and strong than ever. She had a look more regal than Queen Starlet…and a kindness greater than that of Saraphim in her eyes. She was a wonderful person…a very wonderful person. She shone with an inner beauty that only made her radiant in his eyes. And as for Terra, Bahamut suddenly seemed to grow more handsome and strong. He had an inner strength now…an inner kindness and grace that radiated for him. He wasn't just a person of arrogance and boasting. He truly was a beautiful creature…the kindest and gentlest creature she ever met. That made his already stunning features all the more glorious. They both continued to stare without looking away, seeming to lose each other in a haze…seeming to slip off into a dream as they gazed on and on at each other. They didn't even notice as they both slowly closed their eyes, just continuing to bask in the glow of each other.

They didn't remember anything at all…until their lips gently touched.

For a moment, both of them continued to hold on that…but then both of their eyes open. In mutual shock, both of them sprung back from each other and sat on their opposite sides. Both looked nervous and began to sweat. Terra reached a hand to her lips and actually felt them. Bahamut himself looked to the ground and blinked for a moment. They both began to regain their senses…and were both shocked at how they had done just that. And yet…it felt great. Neither of them had ever been kissed before. And it was such a feeling… It felt so light and wondrous…and it had filled both with such a thrill and joy… Even if it had lasted only a moment, they couldn't deny how they felt about it.

Slowly, both of them looked up, both anxious and tense. They slowly stared at each other again, and held and quivered. Both of them looked each other over, seeing how they felt about what had happened. As they did, they both began to agree to one another that it had been a slip. They had both been lost in the moment, and somehow…they had just come together like that. They both dismissed it without a word, and were ready to drop it.

However, before either of them actually said anything…before they let this all go…both of them looked into each other's eyes for a moment. They held for a few seconds of silence…

…And then, both smiled at each other.

"L-L-Let's…clean up this mess…and get back…" Terra finally said aloud, still smiling.

"…Y-Y-Yeah…" Bahamut slowly added, also smiling.

* * *

Bahamut and Terra returned with the dishes and put them away to be cleaned up the next morning. Later that night, they put the kids to bed together for a change, and once they were all in Bahamut told another story. The kids were not punished at all that night, and not a word was said about their unexpected dinner party. Once the story was done, the lights were dimmed, and each of the children were tucked in and kissed goodnight. After that, Bahamut and Terra both went to the back and shut their door as always.

However…the children watched them both the whole time. Right from when they first came in to when they went back and turned in, they frequently saw Bahamut and Terra look to each other…and just stare and smile.

Seeing that, each of the children turned over and closed their eyes to sleep with smiles on their faces, confident that their mission was a complete success.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	19. Home Again

_Four Months Later_

It was the big day at last.

The year was coming to an end…and it was time to see how happy of a new year the community would have.

The past four months had been some of the best for the people living in Mobliz. Bahamut and Terra continued to work together with the children. They tended their crops every day, and they continued to grow and prosper. There had been few monster attacks, and those had all been driven off. Bahamut continued to delight the children with his stories, until they began to act out the stories themselves. Terra didn't get sick again, and with Bahamut helping had more time to have fun with the children was well. None of the kids made anymore unplanned trips, although they continued to give Bahamut and Terra surprises from time to time. Seras was walking around on her own now. All in all…things had been good.

Duane and Bahamut had continued their work on the town. Now, the whole area was enclosed by a formidable palisade wall. A simple yet strong gate had been put in front of it, that when bolted held out even the strongest creatures on the plains. The kids were at last free to stay out at all times of the day. Terra was skeptical at first, but when monsters failed to arrive to attack for a full month, she eventually relented and let them go. This made the children happy, now that they were free to run around anywhere on the property without fear. But before they got too far, Bahamut called them to him again for one day and shared their "magic word". Then, using them, they cleared out the rest of the debris from the streets that had been sitting there for close to two and a half years, and pulled up the weeds in the streets. Duane and Bahamut then set some cobblestone back into place, getting Terra to help out when she had a chance. Slowly, they began to rebuild the roads.

However, that was only done for a little while. Bahamut and Duane focused most of their attention on rebuilding the town. Thebig onewas rebuilt at long last. With that done, the two men focused all their attention on their own building. It was a bit unpleasant for the kids, what with them hammering and nailing early in the morning for a few weeks. But in the end, it was finished. Now that it was complete, talk began to be said about moving upstairs. Terra was uneasy again, but when she realized that the creatures around were now driven off and kept out…and when fall grew chilly and began to make downstairs more unbearable, she agreed.

It was a nice change. No longer did the children have to live in a dark hole. Now they were free to live in a colorful, well lit, warm house. It did get more breezes than the underground, but upstairs there was a fireplace. And they didn't get so dirty up here. There was enough room for them all to sit down to eat, and the girls and boys got their own rooms. Duane, Katarin, and their baby had their own building to live in, as did Bahamut and Terra. Remarkably enough…Mobliz was starting to look like a town again. A town run by children, yes…but a town none the less.

Bahamut felt better and better each day. Seeing the place slowly turn into something great and livable made him happy. It felt good…to actually build this place with his own two hands. And there was the children too. They made it all worthwhile. Seeing them smile, feeling them hug him…they made a world of difference. Bahamut never would have thought such a seemingly small thing would have meant so much to him. But his affection for this life and for the children only continued to grow with time.

That wasn't all though…

Ever since that night at dinner, Terra and Bahamut hadn't looked at each other the same. Now, Bahamut found himself running up to her and offering to do things even when she was more than capable. Terra found herself getting up early some days just so she could go out and watch the morning with Bahamut…and rest her hand on his shoulder. Bahamut came in for dinner even when he wasn't hungry, just so he could sit with Terra and talk with her…and complement her cooking. Terra asked about his day before she went to bed, and thanked him more frequently. Most of all…they both found each other staring at each other more and more. They liked doing things together, and started doing more things together, whether it was working the fields, cleaning, or watching the kids. And through it all…they would always smile at each other.

Because of all this, it was small wonder that Terra agreed to let Bahamut come with her when it came time to sell.

Currently, they were all gathered in the front yard of the original house. Duane and Bahamut, as their last project before harvest time, had managed to rig together a couple of large wagons that would tie to each other from the debris and ruins of Mobliz. Both of them were loaded to the brim with Midsummer's Wheat, harvested and ready to be sold at market. Two thirds of the crop was in the two wagons, tied back by huge pieces of canvas and rope. The remaining third had been stored away, and just in time. The last of the original crop had given out, but tonight the children would get to eat fresh bread for the first time in years. And hopefully, in a few days, they would have more than that.

It was cold outside now. Winter had come, and they were lucky that the first snow hadn't fallen yet. Hopefully they wouldn't get it on the way to the nearest town, Tzen. Bahamut could tolerate the temperature well, but for the sake of not wanting the children to be "manly" like him, he had transfigured his jacket into a longer coat. Terra was different. She didn't have any long clothing, and so she was wrapped from head to toe in a long cloak, and had the hood pulled over her head. Duane and Katarin were similar. The kids, however, were too little for this, and their winter clothes were essentially overly long shirts and pants that they bunched up around themselves in place of their lighter summer clothes. They did the job well enough, although they couldn't play outside in the snow in them. And they could be grown into. Terra wasn't exactly sure how much money they would have to burn, but hopefully it would be enough to get them all real coats.

The two of them had one of Terra's old tents she had left over from her trip with her friends, and enough food to get them there and back. Other than that, they took little in the way of supplies. They couldn't afford to.

Bahamut tightened the ropes one last time on the sides of the cart, using his superior strength to tie it down so well that nothing could break it. As he did so, he looked over and saw the children gathered out, huddled in their own oversized clothes. The sky was gray that morning, and it was going to be overcast. It was chilly…and Bahamut hoped there wouldn't be any snow again. As for Terra, she was standing near Duane and Katarin.

"I still don't see how you're going to get these carts there without work chocobos…" Duane remarked at all this.

"Just leave it to Tumahab." Terra reassured.

"I don't want to use all our money…but could you leave enough behind for a doctor's visit or two?" Katarin asked. "I'd like to take Seras to get a checkup."

"We'll see. First things first, we're going to get vegetables and meat to take us through winter, and enough to replant next year. Then we'll try and get a cow. We'll see what we can do with what we have left."

Bahamut finished tying the knot, and then walked around the cart and began to approach Terra. As he did, Katarin let out a long sigh, and then leaned forward and hugged her matron. Terra smiled and hugged back.

"We always get nervous when you leave…" She slowly murmured. "Don't get in trouble out there."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Terra reassured as she patted her back. "Between me and Tumahab, we can take care of anything."

Bahamut cracked a smile at this exchange, but kept walking forward. He finally made his way up to Duane. The young man looked back at him, and looked a little uneasy himself. After all, he had spent the most one on one time with the esper, and he'd miss him. Bahamut, however, inhaled deeply and looked him over.

"Well…you're the man of the house again." He addressed him. "But that's nothing new now, is it?"

Duane smiled a bit and shook his head. "Doesn't look like I'll have to do anything much around here, what with all the improvements you put in."

To this, Bahamut raised a finger and shook it, doing the same with his head. "Uh uh…" He corrected. "Not me. _Us._ You worked just as hard as me on all this. This is your gift to your family too. You should have more confidence in yourself, Duane. The largest part of any great task or fear is first believing that you're capable of doing it. And I believe you are…Terra believes you are…Katarin believes you are…" He hesitated, and then smiled a bit. "So when are you going to jump on the bandwagon?"

Duane smiled again and snickered a little at the joke. Bahamut had a bit of a laugh as well. They both hesitated a moment, but then Bahamut stuck out his hand in front of the young man. Duane shifted a bit, but then reached out and took it, and they both had a hearty shake.

"Take care of yourself, Mr. Tumahab."

"You too."

As the two men broke, Terra finished hugging Katarin. With that, both of them turned their attention to the children next. Marcus and Essner were able to understand this, but Ai, Yu, and Athena were still too little to understand most concepts of going away. They looked a bit uneasily at them as they walked up to them.

"Do you guys have to leave?" Athena asked with a sad look.

Terra smiled at her, and then kneeled down in front of her. She reached out and stroked the girl's hair. "We'll be back in just a few days, Athena. I promise. I came back after I left that one time, remember?"

Athena hesitated at that, but then bowed her head and nodded a little. "Yeah…"

"Come here and give me a hug."

Terra stretched her arms out after saying that, and the little girl immediately rushed forward into them, resting her head against Terra's chest. The half esper embraced her and held for a few moments.

Meanwhile, Bahamut looked down on Ai and Yu. Both of them were downcast, and shifted uneasily in their spots. The esper looked them over, and then shook his head.

"Hey…it's not like I'm going forever. I'll be coming back. You think I would miss out running around with my best wrestling partners?"

Both Ai and Yu looked up at that. They had a longing stare in their eyes as they watched Bahamut. However, after a little while longer, Ai called out again.

"…You promise you'll come back?"

Bahamut kept smiling, and used his thumbnail to draw a symbol over his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

The two still were a bit uneasy. After all, what they could see was far easier to trust than what they could imagine. After a moment, however, Yu looked up, and silently held out a hand and beckoned Bahamut down with it. The esper blinked a moment, but then did as was indicated and dropped to his knees. After he did, Yu came forward to his ear, and cupped his hand over it. He leaned in close, and then whispered in a very faint voice.

"…I heard you that night you were with Athena. Did you mean it when you said you'd stay with us forever?"

Bahamut's smile faltered a moment. So…someone had heard. He was caught off guard by that. However…he held for only a brief moment, before he smiled again. He turned his head, turned Yu to one side, and then cupped his own hand over his ear as he leaned in and whispered back.

"You bet I did."

Yu smiled at that at last. Then, he rushed forward and embraced the esper. Bahamut smiled back, and hugged him as well.

There was a few more minutes of hugging and goodbyes among everyone. Everyone got instructions and well wishes and finally separated into two groups. Bahamut and Terra stood on one side, while the rest of their "family" stood on the other. They both stood there a moment, before Terra smiled again and waved at them.

"Now all of you get inside before you freeze. We can see ourselves off. We'll be back in a few days."

Duane was a bit reluctant. He wanted to see how Bahamut managed to make the carts move…especially since he knew there had to be something special with him whenever he made the kids do a task. However, Katarin believed it was for the best. If the kids saw them go off, they might start crying and cause a problem. And so, she merely held up Seras' own hand and had her wave to them, and then waved herself before turning and leading the kids in. The children themselves began to wave as they backed up and back into their own house. Everyone called out goodbyes. Terra herself backed up and then climbed up the side of the wagon, to get in the cart. Bahamut backed up as well and waved. At last, the two groups separated. The children all went back inside, and Terra and Bahamut were left outside on the frosty morning with their carts and supplies.

Once all was silent, and they were sure that everyone was within, Terra looked down to Bahamut.

"So…how _are_ we going to get the carts there?"

* * *

Terra had to cup her hand to her face and desperately stifle her laughter.

"You know…with my hearing, I can still hear you chuckling…" Bahamut muttered behind him. "This isn't exactly the most dignified thing I've ever done."

Terra couldn't help it. A moment later, she bent forward and laughed out loud. This was just so ridiculous to her.

Bahamut sighed and readjusted the horse collar that was now around his neck. He had been hooked up to the carts just like a common mule. And like a mule, he wore all of the things that normally attached them to a cart. That included a horse collar, and leather binding him to wooden slats coming out from it. This was different than a traditional cart though. The slats were on the sides, like a hand cart, and in addition to being tied to them, Bahamut held onto the sides as he went forward. In truth…this was the only way they could get the wheat to market. Bahamut was the only one strong enough to pull this load and pull it fast over rough terrain. Even now, he was jogging across the plains, making his way south along the peninsula. However, this began to tax his human strength. He was definitely sweating now. If he turned into his Neo form, he could easily run the rest of the way without straining, but he didn't want to risk that. Whoever heard of a giant dragon pulling a cart like that?

"When you told me about this…I didn't think you would actually do it!" Terra exclaimed in her laughter. "I thought you'd just round up some wild beast to do it…"

"Yes, ha, ha, ha." Bahamut flatly answered with something of a frown. "I must really like you. I've never demeaned myself this much for any human."

"Well, you're actually not doing it now, either." Terra reminded him. "I'm half esper, remember?"

Bahamut perked his head up to that. "Oh? So you don't want to just call yourself a human now? You actually admit what you are? Well well…what brought on this change?"

Terra paused for a moment at that. However, she didn't get uneasy, just quieter. She lost her smile and shrugged a little. "…I don't know. I guess…mostly because until now I've been thinking of espers as being these great mythical creatures, just like everyone else sees them. But that was before I met you. You're just like a normal person."

Bahamut snorted a bit. "Thanks."

"That wasn't an insult." Terra protested. "By normal…I meant someone who can feel and love and hate…someone who interacts with people…someone who is in touch with other people… Someone real, I guess. Someone who thinks about other people. No…it wasn't an insult. I should have said you're like a person. People like Kefka…they were the real monsters."

Bahamut hesitated for a moment after hearing that. But then, he gave a nod. "Alright…I'll take that as a compliment then."

The two paused for a moment after that, both smiling and looking ahead. However, it was only for a few brief moments. Once they passed, Terra's smile flattened a bit, and she looked back down to Bahamut again. She hesitated for a moment, but then she was certain that she wanted to say this. And so, she did.

"…I'm glad you're with us."

Bahamut continued to pull the cart forward a bit longer, before turning his head slightly around to her.

"…I am too."

* * *

With Bahamut going at his fast speed, the two managed to make it down to Tzen in record time. It only took two days of traveling to get there. Bahamut, despite straining himself now, didn't tire easily. He managed to keep going all day, only stopping for half hour breaks. At night, he slept well and ate well for a change, but the next day he was energized enough to keep going. Terra, for the most part, felt kind of useless. All she had to do was sit in the cart and interrupt Bahamut's concentration by talking once in a while. Mostly she just shivered from the cold. However, she didn't mind. After all, he had done so much for them that he was entitled to a little company on this trip. And…she found herself wanting to be with him alone for a little while. They didn't usually get this much time to talk to each other, and both of them found it a pleasant experience. Often…Terra found herself watching Bahamut pull…seeing his large muscles…his perfect hair…coming forward like a mythical athlete…and then she would suddenly catch herself, blush, and look away again. Little did she know that Bahamut found himself staring a bit too long at Terra when she undressed the night in between, and snapped himself out of it before they went down. When they slept the one night…they found each other coming close together. It was warmer…but that wasn't the only reason in their subconscious minds…

Late the next day, close to sundown, Bahamut began to see Tzen on the horizon. It wasn't the largest of towns. In fact…it was just about the smallest town left in the world, not counting Mobliz. It only had a few buildings arranged in a somewhat haphazard fashion, and some of them were still in construction. Terra explained that Tzen had been the last town to get struck by Kefka's "Light of Judgment", and that they were still rebuilding over a year later. It put into perspective the amount of work that Bahamut was capable of. People might have abandoned this town after the Collapse if it hadn't been that it was still an area for good mining. Luckily, rearranging the world hadn't removed the mineral rich mountains from this place, unlike in many other places where the point that made the city thrive had been removed. It enabled the town to survive despite the chaos that had befallen it. At any rate, everyone had already turned in. It was getting colder, and Terra was shivering considerably when they drew near. Bahamut knew that they weren't going to get anywhere that night, and they had to camp out again.

They decided to stay on the outskirts, having no money for an inn. Besides, they didn't want to go into town when there was a chance that the grain could get stolen. They pitched the tent and got ready to climb inside, but it was so cold that they wanted a fire as well. Bahamut had just finished putting all of the logs together in a proper pile…when he grit his teeth in frustration. He had forgotten the tinderbox. They had no way to light the fire.

That was when something interesting happened.

Bahamut sighed over the woodpile for a moment, and shivered a bit himself. At last, he took the two logs off of the top and brought them toward himself. "I'm not the best at this in the world…but I think I can make a fire using the two stick method…"

However, the esper had no sooner finished saying that…when he heard a sudden sizzling sound. It rapidly got higher…like some sort of high note being struck from a burning noise. When it did, he felt a red glow bathe over him for a moment, and a light illuminated the area. Quickly, he forgot the sticks and turned to the source. When he did…he saw that Terra now had her eyes closed and her hands were folded in front of her. Not only that…but a great burning red aura had suddenly erupted from her, and for a moment she was enveloped in a bright red light. Bahamut's jaw loosened as he stared at her, and saw the glow die down again. However, the moment it did that, he saw another glow to his left. He turned his head, and was just in time to see a ripple of flame shoot through the log structure. It lasted only a moment, but it was hot and strong enough to set his kindling ablaze. A moment later…the entire fire began to erupt.

Bahamut wheeled back around to Terra in surprise. The young woman slowly exhaled, and then slowly opened her eyes. She looked down and saw what she had done, and stared at it for a brief moment. Then…she snickered once, and put her hands to her sides as she smiled.

"…I didn't even get tired from that."

The esper, however, continued to stare at her. He was silent, although much was on his mind. Terra paused a moment longer, and then turned to him and smiled softly. Her eyes were somewhat faraway…and she was quiet…but she did smile.

"…Regardless of what form I took, I could always use magic." She told him. She paused a that for a moment, and bowed her head slightly. "…I used to think it was a curse. Everyone wanted me because of that. They called me a witch…a demon… The day I left Kefka's tower as a human, I thought that I was free at last from it. I thought that some horrible sentence had been taken from me. When you reawakened my powers…when you showed that I still retained my abilities and my esper heritage…I was horrified. I thought I was a monster all over again. I thought it would mean I would again be hunted and feared…"

Bahamut's mouth closed, and he bowed his own head slightly. He looked uneasily at that. "…That was never my intention. I never wanted to make you upset. I thought…I just thought you liked it…"

"I didn't at the time." Terra calmly answered. However, after that, she smiled a bit more and looked up. "But now…I don't feel so uneasy about it anymore. Now…it doesn't seem like something that makes me a freak or a god or a ruler or anything… It makes me feel different…but I also like it because of that. I know I can use it to help other people. I know I can control it…and make it work for something good. And in the end, it is mine to do with as I want. And like you said…it is part of who I am. But it's only a part. I'm still the same person.

"After you made me transform…I was scared of it. I felt my powers returning, but I was scared to death of using them. But as time has gone on…I've been fearing them less and less. And today, when we were here…I suddenly felt so good about them that I just decided to use them. Nobody forced me to for once…and nothing made me do it or die. It just seemed…like it could be natural, kind of like with you."

Bahamut paused after hearing that. He looked up again, and smiled slightly. "…If you had lived among your own kind…you wouldn't fear this power at all. It would be a part of your everyday life. Asking an esper to exist without his or her magical power is like telling you to live without using your hands. It's ridiculous to imagine. Of course…times are now different. Back in my day, we never even dreamed of humans using us as weapons, or harvesting us for our powers. We were all our own masters."

Terra paused herself. She looked at Bahamut for a while, and then smiled as well. "Well…I guess we are now too."

Bahamut hesitated at that, and raised an eyebrow.

"We don't have kingdoms or worlds anymore." Terra replied. "We don't have governments hunting us down. No one can use magic now except for us. We're the last of our kind. It's a bit tragic…but because of this, we're finally free. We don't have to be subservient to another organization or people…and we don't have to be used anymore. We're just…ourselves. We have our own lives to live now."

Bahamut didn't answer that right away. He merely sat there and thought about it. And as he did…he began to find himself thinking more and more about it. In fact, it soon made his smile fade as he began to sink into deeper thought…

However, Terra didn't notice this. She merely smiled at Bahamut again and turned around. "Well…good night. We have a long day tomorrow. I suppose we need to get some sleep…"

With that, Terra turned around and turned in for the night herself, reentering the tent.

Bahamut was left outside on his own…still thinking about what he had just heard.

* * *

As it turned out, Bahamut was still thinking when the fire went low. He should have tended it…but he didn't think about that. His gaze stared out blankly into the distance, and his face was neither happy nor sad. Terra had unknowingly struck a chord in him, and it was setting off a reaction within his brain that he had been entertaining subconsciously for a long time…but only now came out.

_Our own lives…_

_Is that what I'm thinking of?_

_I never thought about this before…but what exactly am I doing? When I woke up, when I came back to life, when I found out we were nearly extinct…I wanted to get everything back. I wanted a new Terratopolis carved from the ground. I wanted a new regency set up, and to see hundreds of esper children playing in gardens. I wanted us to take up our places of quietly observing humanity again. In short…I wanted my world back. I wanted what I remembered to be reality._

_Is such a thing a vain vision?_

_I never thought it was. After all…shouldn't it be my responsibility to want this? To revitalize our race? To bring us back from the brink of extinction? Isn't it my duty, my mission, my need in life? Should I not sacrifice all to bring this one goal to fruitition? One could argue it would be. After all…if there was only one man and one woman alive, it might be their responsibility to keep their race from dying out. I thought the same way. Regardless of what happens…perhaps it is my duty to do this…to restore things the way they used to be…to give the esper race a future._

_…But is that what I want?_

_It seems cold to think of it…but I'm not sure. I was calm, contemplative, and content during that time. For over two thousand years I was that way. …But I wasn't happy. I've never been happy because I was never able to love. I never could look on any of those people as a father looks on his son. Even the dragons were their own race, not seeing me as some true father but as some great godly father. I never did anything for myself there. I never even did anything for anyone else. I didn't need to. I was unnecessary, save to issue a few empty decrees every once in a while. But here…I feel like I have purpose. I feel life…and it feels fulfilling and real here. Before…it was just some façade of life…some list of duties to carry out every day…of which eating and sleeping were two. _

_Would bringing my race back really matter? Would it even be the best thing? The idea among humanity now is that espers and humans can never coexist. I have to say I believe that. I always did. That was why I was apart from them. At this point, we are still stronger than them…but we can still be enslaved by them. That much is clear. We can be used as weapons. We can appeal to the dark nature of humanity, and give them horrible powers. That's why we went away. That's why we sealed ourselves in that world…because that was the only way we could both live. But now…we know better. There is no way we could both live. Humanity would hunt us down in the end. They'd find us no matter where on this world we went…and we cannot hide from them anymore. With their airships and technology…there isn't a place that we can avoid them. And eventually…what happened here…what ruined the planet…it would happen again. Just like it happened twice already._

_Of course…this is a copout. It just suits what I'm feeling right now. I have a responsibility. I'm the only one left with responsibility. If anyone is going to bring our race back, it has to be me._

_And yet…I can't help but feel I'm going back to my old life when I think that._

_All I've ever had…ever since I first took on the role of king…is my duty. Always for everyone else. I lived in Terratopolis because that was what was expected of me. I dressed in royal purple, addressed the crowds, and had dragons bow down to me because that was what was expected of me. All I've done…all I've been…it's all because I'm subscribing to a higher standard, to something bigger than me. I had to do it for the good of humanity and for the good of our race. That's what a king did._

_But…I'm not a king anymore._

_I am my own person._

_There are no subjects now. There are no standards to uphold. The race I was accountable to is gone. The race I wanted to see mature…they have. They can take care of themselves now. I don't have to act like dad or some arbitraitor for them. In truth…I might not be needed now. And if I am…then what does that leave me with?_

_I'm crazy about the children. I can't deny it now. And I enjoy my life here. I'm happy…I'm content. But I'm not just some ancient figurehead sitting around waiting for a crisis. I'm living. I'm living for the first time in my life. I feel young and happy. I feel as if I can look forward to the next day being different and challenging and meet it. I like being here… I love being here. And the thought of anything else is just so empty… And Terra…_

_Terra…_

_I feel even more different about her._

_So…where does that leave me?_

_What do I do now?_

Bahamut didn't know. He couldn't come to an answer. Around midnight, he finally forced himself to go in and go to bed…but he continued to think throughout the rest of that night.

* * *

Early the next morning, the two woke up and drug their cart into town. This late in the year, there were few people out to sell anything, especially in terms of food. However, the two of them went out regardless, looking around for signs of any potential buyers. They saw none at first. Most people stared at them in puzzlement. It wasn't because of who they were so much as how they managed to have a whole load of wheat on them at the onset of winter. The sky looked like it could snow at any moment, after all. There was also the fact that a full grown man was pulling these carts and not a few yoke of oxen, which seemed like they would be the bare minimum required for that. Yet the two ignored them, and kept going through Tzen. After all, there was no law against pulling your own cart. And if any local constabulary showed up…well…Bahamut had a way of dealing with that. Not so much a threat as a little mind trick…

At last, they reached the local guild for farmers. It was shut up, of course, with only the internal office open at this time of year. This seemed to be the best bet to unload their grain quickly. Speed was somewhat of the essence, after all. They couldn't be selling this all day for a few days, after all. Still…pushing it all off on one source wasn't that sound logic. They might get taken for a ride, especially if the guild was crooked. Luckily…most crooked operations seemed to be gone. In the wake of the Collapse, local townspeople didn't tolerate much in the way of being cheated. Still, they could think they were out of towners they could take advantage of…

Once they got to the front of the guild, Bahamut came to a halt. Terra leapt off of the side and touched down on the ground, while Bahamut disengaged himself. She soon walked up to him just as he was finishing, and the two turned to each other for a moment. They both grew a bit anxious. This was the big moment that would decide their fates for the next few months…

Terra looked to the door a moment. "I think I better handle this. I know more about how human markets work than an esper would, I think." She hesitated and sighed. "I just hope that we don't wind up cheated. By trying to sell everything here, we're giving them a powerful tool in their favor."

"Don't forget we have a powerful tool as well." Bahamut answered. "We're the only one selling fresh crops at this time of year. If they want to make a killing on the sale of this grain to these people, then they'll have to appease us first. But I trust you'll know what the minimum price is that we can get."

"Yeah…but they may try to work around it." Terra answered with a grimace. Both of them paused for a moment after that, staring at the front of the guild. But in the end, Terra turned and looked back to Bahamut. "Alright…here it goes. Wish me luck."

"Good luck."

Terra inhaled deeply again, and then turned and marched for the entrance to the guild. Soon, she was inside, and the door was shut behind her. Once that was done, Bahamut exhaled a blast of misty air, and then turned and began to walk around the cart. There was nothing for him to do except hang around for the time being. So he went over to a nearby tree and leaned against it. He put his hands in his pockets, relaxed a bit, and then watched the world go by.

Bahamut had never actually been in a human town…but on seeing it he realized he wasn't missing much. The humans weren't friendly or happy looking like espers were in Terratopolis. Their dwellings were far more haphazard, rough, and dirty. And they had such small spaces between their buildings. Still, it was nice to be standing somewhere for once where people weren't continuously bowing to him or staring at him in awe. Here, he was just another stranger wandering around the town, and it felt somewhat pleasant to just blend in for once. It was a bit dehumanizing, yes…but that went with the territory. It was a different sensation at the very least.

After about thirty minutes, he saw Terra emerge, along with some strange man. Remarkably…he felt a twinge of something in him at that, and it felt negative…before he realized that the man had to be the guild master. He looked rather surly and uncooperative, while Terra was insistant to him. She let him over to the side of the wagon, pulled up the canvas, and pointed to the grain. He still looked untrusting and frowned in response. Terra then plucked an ear and ate some. The man sighed at this, and then reached in and plucked some and ate it. He didn't change much in expression at first. But then, he reached in and began to push around some of the ears, seeming to look deeper into it. Over the next few minutes, he went all around the cart, and went just short of pulling off the canvas to look deeper inside it. It appeared he doubted that fresh grain could exist at this time of year. Yet gradually…he did begin to show some puzzlement at this, and seemed to at least believe that it was grain. After that, his face frowned again, and he called Terra back in. The two soon vanished, and Bahamut was alone outside again.

Bahamut watched the door for a moment, wondering if he would detect anything else. But after a second or so, his ears picked up the sound of someone saying something not far from him.

"I'm telling you…things are too weird right now out there."

Hearing that, the esper turned his head slightly in the direction of the conversation. He looked with the corner of his eye, and saw that two people were sitting in a doorway, obviously to shelter themselves from the cold. However, they were having some heated discussion. And after what he just heard…Bahamut found himself intrigued. He turned his head back, but one of his ears flexed back in their direction and continued to listen.

"You shouldn't go anywhere near Jidoor right now." The same voice as before sounded.

"Oh, why do you always have to be a wet blanket?" A new voice added. "I've never been over there, and I may never get the chance again. After the Collapse, everything is cheaper. I want to see an opera before I die."

"Listen to me! Haven't you heard what's been going on over there?"

"No…but I have a feeling you're going to tell me…"

"I've heard stories…"

"You're always hearing stories…"

"Well, maybe you should listen to them! The world's not the nice little place it used to be!"

"You didn't think it was all that nice when the Empire was still around…"

"Just listen! I've heard stories. They say that people going from Jidoor to the Opera House have been getting harassed. They say they see things coming out and following them…sometimes throwing things at them. And just two weeks ago, there was that one couple from Kohlingen that got murdered…"

"So what? Jidoor isn't far from Zozo. One of them probably did it."

"Well, that's just it, isn't it? No one's heard anything from Zozo in months…"

Bahamut tensed slightly at that.

"Who cares what goes on in Zozo? They're just a bunch of thieves and liars there anyway. Maybe we got lucky and they killed each other off at long last…"

"Why do you have to be so casual about this?"

"Because you're a blooming bag of wind!"

"I am not!"

"You are so…"

Bahamut tuned the conversation out after that. He had heard some of these towns mentioned before. In fact, in one of Terra's stories…she was sure the place that she had awakened after her first transformation was named Zozo. But other than that, he knew little. He couldn't even tell where things were anymore. The entire geography of Gaia had changed in the past few hundred years. He was still having trouble getting a grasp on the history, let alone where things were spacially. He frowned that he couldn't remember where he had awakened. However…he had a fear that somehow that was related to this. And he continued to puzzle over it for a few moments, bringing up to mind various places he had been and what he had learned so far of Gaia's new shape…

"Bahamut!"

The esper looked up at the calling of his name. He turned his head, and saw that Terra had emerged again. She was holding up one hand and waving to him. However, once he saw her, she looked a bit more downcast. Her face turned to disappointment, and she walked forward very slowly, keeping her hands down at her sides. The esper saw this…and didn't like it. It looked like bad news. He got off of where he was leaning and walked over to her at once. They halted before each other. Bahamut looked eager and intrigued, but Terra kept her head bowed and her arms behind her.

"…Well?" The esper asked after a moment.

The half esper kept her own head bowed and sighed slowly. "Well…we definitely would have gotten more if we would have gone to Maranda…or better yet, Albrook." She hesitated after that…and then suddenly looked up and broke into a smile. As she did, she held up one of her hands and waved a considerably thick stack of paper in front of Bahamut's face.

"…But I'd say we didn't do bad for our first time."

Bahamut, however, was still confused, and looked to the large stack of papers. He pointed to it. "What's that?"

Terra smiled a bit and chuckled in excitement. "It's gil!"

"Gil?" Bahamut responded. "Doesn't that…come in coins?"

"Not anymore, not since they started printing." Terra answered, continuing to wave the stack in front of her. "He bought it. He was trying to lowball me…but I did as you said and I threatened to take it to Albrook. I made it look as if I didn't care at all if I would have to. When I did that, he jumped on it. I got him up as high as I could…and we went over thenon-registered memberstandard price. They'll take the whole load for 24,000."

However, the esper was still confused. "…Is that a lot?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed in joy. Then, enthusiastic as she was, she suddenly leapt forward and wrapped her arms around Bahamut's neck. Before the esper knew what was going on, the woman was spinning him around in a circle, holding onto him tightly. He smiled as well when this happened, and let out a chuckle. Apparently, it was a lot. He hoped it was enough to get everything they had wanted, but he was glad that for right now Terra was happy. And so he let her hold on a bit longer.

Eventually, the two of them broke from each other. Once they did, Terra, still excited, took Bahamut's hand instead and began to lead him.

"Well, come on."

"Come where?"

"To start spending this money! They're going to send out for more workers to come in and help unload it. In the meantime, I want to start shopping right away. It's been so long since I've been able to buy the kids anything."

* * *

And so, the rest of the day was very casual.

Bahamut soon had a better concept for how much human money could get you. The two of them first went about getting the essentials. They could only get most produce preserved in some way or dried out, but they bought a considerable amount of fruits and vegetables, as well as seeds for next year. Most of it was kinds the children had never had before, but Terra didn't care. She wanted them to eat a variety. They also bought other baking goods like salt, sugar, and baking soda so that they could really cook for the kids. They had enough to buy a good cow as well, and they even threw in a few chickens. Bahamut agreed that a coop would be no trouble at all to build. But even after all that, getting enough food to last them through next year, they still had spent only 9,000.

So the rest of the shopping was far more casual. True to her word, Terra bought a full set of winter clothes for each of the kids, including waterproof boots, thick coats, hats and gloves, and wool sweaters. She also bought some for Duane and Katarin, but Bahamut had to remind her to get something for herself. She was about to not do so, not wanting to spend this money on herself. But the esper put an end to that thinking when he snatched a fistful of gil from her and made to buy her the most outlandish, bizarre, oversized coat in the store. Quickly, Terra caved in and bought herself a more simple, yet effective, one.

Terra also bought the children new bedding materials, particularly ones for winter, sewing materials, medicines, soap, and many other things they would need around the house. She went ahead and bought a separate bed for Seras, so that she wouldn't have to crush in with her mom and dad every night. Once that was done, she bought them books on various mathematical and scientific subjects to help further their home schooling. And despite Terra's insistence that it was a luxury they didn't need, Bahamut insisted on buying a team of work chocobos. They needed them to pull the wagon for normal business, and if one of the kids got sick and they had to get them to Tzen in a hurry, then they'd need them.

After this, they had only five thousand left. Terra set two thousand of that aside for a "rainy day" fund, and another two thousand for medical care for Seras. That left a thousand. Terra thought of perhaps replacing some of the dishes…but Bahamut pressured her to another end. The children had been very good. They never gave them much trouble, and they made do with so little without complaining… Bahamut thought that the kids better be grateful to them, because he talked Terra into spending the last thousand on "extras". She eventually realized it would be nice to give the kids real birthdays or holidays with presents for a change. And so, Bahamut took charge and bought some taffy, caramels, and rock candy for each of them. He got them a few more storybooks to listen to, and then bought them a much softer, rounder ball to toss around outside. He got a practice bow and quiver for Marcus, a record player (with a few records) for Essner, a few "beauty" items for Ai, a set of tin soldiers for Yu, and, finally, a giant stuffed Cactuar for Athena.

But still having some left…Bahamut bought one last thing. He found a magnificent jeweled broach and matching headband. Both of them glittered with silver, and had sapphire stones inside them. They were flawless and gleamed even in the dim light. They looked like they belonged on a noblewoman or queen. The only reason they hadn't been snatched up long ago was that there were few in Tzen with the money or care to buy them. Jewelry had become seriously undervalued in this town. Bahamut recalled another story from Terra on how she oncewere able to buy a shard of precious magicite for only a measely five gil. Without waiting to spring this on Terra, he presented her with them immediately.

She was stunned. "Bahamut…you shouldn't have done that."

"I wanted to give you a present." The esper simply answered. "And you deserve it…far more than many other women I have seen."

"We should have spent that money on something useful…"

"You're the one who keeps telling me that this is all thanks to me." Bahamut responded. "And don't I have the right to decide how my own money is spent?"

Terra hesitated. She continued to stare at the gorgeous items, too stunned to do anything else. At last, she swallowed and shook her head. "I…I don't know what to say…"

"Say nothing. Just let me put them on you."

Terra stiffened, but then relaxed and straightened up. She quivered all over as Bahamut slowly tightened her cloak around her neck and fastened it with the broach. Her skin had turned cold, and she trembled as he touched her. She felt so nervous…even dizzy as Bahamut did this. She anxiously smiled, and shifted where she stood, laughing a bit uneasily. But Bahamut calmly smiled back at her, and slowly placed the hair band over her head, keeping her hair out from her eyes and replacing the crude wooden painted one. He stood back after that, and admired it. They sparkled like two great jewels from her, and they made the rest of her features stand out. She seemed to glow and become more radiant and regal when she wore them.

Bahamut looked at this a moment, and then nodded. "Perfect."

Terra continued to blush and stand there a moment, smiling uneasily. But in the end, she said nothing and merely turned and continued.

It was getting late in the day when all of the grain was unloaded, and Bahamut and Terra loaded up all of their own packages and items. With Bahamut's help, it was easy. Using the last of the extra money, they rented two more yoke of work chocobos. These ones would return to their pen right after they were released, so they were very handy. But for now, they were tied up to the wagon with the other two chocobos that were loaded up. The sun was going down and it was getting dark by the time that Bahamut finished tying everything on. But once he did, he quickly climbed around and into the top seat with Terra, and took the reins of their new mounts.

"Alright…let's get going." He simply said.

Terra was a bit tired by now after all the running around that day, and it was getting much colder out than last night. "Shouldn't we stay in the local inn for tonight?"

Bahamut shook his head at that immediately, giving the chocobos a whip. They gave out a loud wark in reply, and then began to pull the cart down the road. "Not for a moment. We should get out of this town while we can, and make sure we aren't followed. Luckily, I'll hear or smell anyone who's within range."

The half esper was even more confused at that. "I…I don't understand…"

"We've been throwing around thousands of gil all day." Bahamut responded. "We're loaded to the brim with new products and food. And I saw more than one human stare at you wearing your new broach and hairband. Such was not my intention when I bought it for you…but it remains an unfortunate aspect. The point is, by now any shady character types know we have money to burn and a lot of things worth stealing."

Terra hesitated for a moment, but her eyes widened at the thought. "…Oh…you're right…" She slowly responded, as the thought came to mind. "We better be careful."

"We'll ride straight home for now." Bahamut answered. "We'll go all night. Tomorrow morning, we'll keep going if we can, but we'll rest if we can't. I don't think they'll be likely to attack in broad daylight. I'll hear them either way, however. Don't worry about falling asleep if you're too tired. I'll be staying up."

Terra looked to Bahamut for a moment at this, but then relented and merely settled into her place.

The sun was down by the time the chocobos pulled out of Tzen. They couldn't go as fast as Bahamut had, because they wouldn't jog as they pulled the cart. However, there was still some good timing. Chocobos could go a long time without rest. Hopefully, overall they would be able to get them home in two days regardless of their lack of speed. Bahamut kept his ears open as they went past the outskirts of town and began to put roadways between them. For a while, he heard very little, but they were still within earshot of the town at that point. After pulling away a bit more, he still heard nothing. However, that didn't bode too well with him. It seemed unlikely that they would so easily escape detection with such a large bounty. Thinking of that, he kept his ears open as they went on a bit further.

Night lingered on for a few hours as they began to put miles between themselves and the town. At that point, however, it finally began to snow. Their frosty breath began to mingle with flakes in the air as they fell to the ground. Even Bahamut found himself getting into his coat a bit more as he road along. Terra, however, was much worse off. She clutched her cloak around herself tightly, but even after that she began to shudder. Snow started to accumulate on their wagon, and they had to brush off the seats from time to time.

Terra rubbed her arms after a bit longer while they continued to ride, cringing on herself to keep heat. "It's so cold…"

"You know, I didn't encourage you to buy that coat because I thought it would help pad the wagon a bit better." Bahamut reminded her.

At that, Terra suddenly formed a look of realization. "Oh…I forgot all about that." She said aloud. Immediately, she turned and began to rummage through the closest items to the steering platform. After going around for a moment, she managed to grab the hem of her new coat, and pulled it out. She laughed a bit uneasily. "I'm…just not used to actually buying anything. I think this might be the first thing I've ever bought for myself that wasn't a weapon or piece of armor. I didn't even feel right wearing it out of the store."

At any rate, she pulled it out and quickly put it on under her cloak, and then wrapped the folds around herself more tightly.

"You know, you can lean closer to me if you're that cold." Bahamut suggested after a moment.

To that, Terra hesitated. She turned to the esper a moment, and simply stared at him. The esper himself, after a moment, swallowed and sat a bit more uneasily. To tell the truth, both of them felt a bit nervous about that. Cold as Terra was, her cheeks began to turn red soon after from something that wasn't cold air. Bahamut himself gripped his palms, which had grown a bit sweaty. However, that was only a moment. After that, Terra formed a mild smile, and then slid in closer to Bahamut. She did so until the two of them touched. Both of them felt a ripple at the touch, which flowed from the tips of their fingers to the top of their necks, and danced their way down their backs. However, it left afterward, and Terra slowly adjusted her body to fit around Bahamut's own large figure. She rested there a moment…before she slowly put her head against his shoulder. Bahamut smiled a bit at that as well…although he too was a bit nervous about it.

"Wow…" Terra spoke aloud after resting against him. "You feel so warm… I thought you'd be colder than me with the little you're wearing…"

"Despite my decrease in strength, I maintain my metabolism in any body." Bahamut answered. "Rest assured…I feel pretty chilly from tonight regardless. This benefits me too."

Terra smiled at that, and nestled in closer to the esper. The two of them rode on silently. Bahamut looked out up ahead…but smiled too at the feeling of having Terra next to him. Yet as he sat there…he began to think again. He thought of what he had been considering last night…and the thoughts that he had left himself with. That made him hesitate again…wondering if the decision he had come to last night was what he really wanted…or what was really best. But in the end, he figured that he would only be doing the best for someone who didn't exist anymore. He did have his own life now… And perhaps he could finally strike out and have it. Perhaps it was finally time to change. In the end…he nodded mentally at the thought, and decided to go with it.

"Terra?"

The half esper was snuggled up close to him now, sinking her head under her hood and her exposed collar and beginning to drift off to sleep. "Hmm?" She answered, not opening her eyes or looking up from where she lay.

"…I want to make a deal." He spoke in an emotionless voice soon after.

Terra continued to lie against him and kept her eyes closed. "What deal?"

The esper hesitated again, but at last Bahamut exhaled and spoke.

"…You don't have to leave anymore." He finally spat out.

To this, Terra opened her eyes. Puzzlement now filled her gaze, and she leaned up and off of Bahamut and sat up. She looked to him in confusion. "…What did you say?" She asked in a disbelieving voice.

Bahamut bowed his own head slightly, but nodded. "You don't have to leave the children. You can stay with them forever, if you like. You don't have to come off with me or anything like that. You can stay the rest of the year, the next, and every year after, if you want."

Terra continued to stare. This fear had been lurking in the back of her mind, keeping her from ever fully liking Bahamut. But now that she heard it…she was amazed. She leaned in closer as she felt happiness begin to enter her heart once more, and a joy traveled through her cold limbs and warmed her. "…You mean it?" She asked. "You won't make me leave with you?"

"No, I won't." Bahamut simply answered. "But…on one condition."

"What is it?" Terra readily asked. She didn't care what it was. She just wanted to stay with the children. Her joy was becoming complete now, and she would do nothing to stop it.

Bahamut hesitated a little, and swallowed again. But in the end, he managed to speak.

"…I would like to stay with you and the children indefinitely."

The woman found herself hesitating at that again, and a bit surprised at that response. However…it didn't last long. The truth of the matter was…she had been thinking this for some time. She hadn't really believed that she would be forced to be Bahamut's slave in months. And now…this simply confirmed it. The two looked to each other, and Bahamutslowly smiled. Terra continued to stare backsilently. But then…she broke down as well. The only thing that was keeping her from Bahamut now was the thought that she still had to obey him. But now, that factor was gone. And as it was…she began to realize more as well.

She didn't want him to leave.

It wasn't just because of what he did around Mobliz. He had nearly single-handedly rebuilt the town, but that was only a factor. She realized more now. She realized…she was captivated by him. She always had been…but even more so as time went on. She liked seeing him every day. She enjoyed talking with him. And she enjoyed feeling his touch, especially in the past few minutes when she had rested against him. He was more than just a friend now…he was a part of her life. He was a part she enjoyed seeing every morning at the foot of her bed. He was a part she enjoyed sitting with and discussing problems and laughing together. She had only grown more favorable of him with time… And now, she too began to feel new feelings inside her when she saw him. As she looked at him now, smiling at her…so close she could still feel his warmth…she felt those feelings even more strongly. She realized she wanted to feel that every day now…because it made her happy and comforted.

In the end, Terra smiled once more. She leaned in close to Bahamut once again, only this time bringing her face up to his. Moments later, she leaned over, and kissed the esper. Bahamut was surprised…but only for a moment. Soon after, he closed his eyes and returned the kiss. Where last time it had been tentative…this time it was far more certain. The two held for a few moments, before Terra broke off. She leaned up close against Bahamut again, but continued to look up at his eyes.

"…I wouldn't have it any other way."

The esper was still smiling from the kiss…but now he felt another surge of joy in his own heart. It drove out his doubt and his confusion. He reached out one arm from the reins and gently stroked the side of Terra's face. She smiled back, and then closed her eyes and looked to try sleeping again. He touched her again…enjoying the feel of her bare skin against his own. But then he withdrew it and looked back. Yes…he would do it. He would form his own life. Goodbye to being king. Goodbye to the esper race. Goodbye to the times of old and the traditions. From now on…Lord Bahamut would just be a normal man, and live a normal life with other humans. But something so simple was so beautiful to him now. The pain of his long life, his eternity of suffering and loneliness would at last come to an end. Here, he would be reborn into a new life for real. And there was nothing in the world that could make him happier.

Bahamut continued to feel these things for a few minutes, as Terra slowly drifted off to sleep, comfortable next to him and his warmth. It was dark and snowing, and the cold wind whipped against him often…but he was happier than he had been in ages.

"Halt!"

Bahamut, however, raised an eyebrow when he suddenly heard a command yelled at him. It came from straight ahead. Doing as he was told, he pulled his team of chocobos to a halt. Moments later, he saw shapes moving in the darkness. Three dark humanoids suddenly moved in front of him. Bahamut's smell and heat vision immediately registered them as humans. He turned his eyes to the side, and quickly saw two more on either side come out of the surrounding country and plant themselves around him. If that wasn't all, he heard a trio of chocobo riders come up behind him too. He could sense their dark intentions around him. He couldn't make them out that well, but he quickly shifted to night vision. At that, he saw that they were mostly concealing themselves, dressed in wide hats and bandannas around their necks. They also held clubs and crossbows, and had a rough, ill-favored look around them. They all glared hungrily at him with their eyes and leaned in close.

Bahamut, on seeing all of this, gave a simple snort.

_The robbers show up at last… Pity I was so preoccupied with Terra that I didn't see them coming. Oh well._

"Hey, big spending out-of-towner." The one in front sneered at him. "You hill boys ought to learn not to wave so much cash around."

Bahamut turned back and looked at him simply. Then, he merely whispered back in a calm voice.

"Could you keep it down?" He gestured to his side. "I don't want you waking up the young lady."

A few of the bandits snickered at that. However, the one who had spoken drew a long knife and began to walk forward. At first, he waved it in front of himself and slowly made his way up to Bahamut. The esper calmly stared back at him, not in the least intimidated. The bandit eventually went all the way up to the esper, and paused there. After that, he made a brief threatening move in his direction, like he was going to stab him. His comrades laughed and whistled and made dangerous noises…not noticing that Bahamut didn't so much as bat an eye in surprise. Then, he made his way over to the side and to the canvas covering. He proceeded to cut a long gash in it, so that he could pry it open and examine its contents.

Bahamut simply sighed, and whispered again. "If I wasn't in such a good mood, I would demand payment for that."

"Keep talking, smartass, and we'll take more than your crap." The leader said, before turning away and looking back to Bahamut. "Speaking of which…you got anything in here besides crap? What about that jewelry we saw you buy that woman?"

"That's a present for _her_." Bahamut whispered back. "It would look ghastly on ugly creatures such as yourselves."

The leader immediately stomped back over to the esper and brandished his knife, bringing it up to rest against the esper's throat. "Shut up and hand it over…or we'll take the jewelry _and_ her as well. It is a cold night, after all…"

There was a time when Bahamut would have responded with ripping this miserable excuse of a man's throat out. A fancy went through his brain to do all sorts of destructive and/or humiliating spells on him. But as Bahamut had said before…he was in a good mood. And punishing this worthless felon was hardly worth the effort, especially in his new body. Still…he wasn't about to let this man or his foolish comrades go so easily to rob another later on.

In the end, Bahamut merely rolled his eyes. "Lucky for you I am in a very good mood tonight… I've decided rather than simply killing you and being done with it, I'm going to scare you half to death."

"I've had enough of your mouth, jackass." The felon spat back. "If you don't pass over that jewelry at the count of three, I'm going to give you another one right underneath your chin. One…two…"

That was as far as the man got before he soiled himself.

Abruptly, Bahamut opened his mouth, and a fiery glow burst forth and illuminated his face. His eyes turned yellow and blasted forth with ethereal light, and turned serpentine. As he did, his entire face suddenly lengthened, distorted, and grew huge. Instead of looking at a man, within moments he was looking at a hideous, gigantic serpant head, its mouth wide open and blasting burning heat from its belly over the man. Bahamut growled inhumanly, like a thousand hungry lions rolled into one fearsome beast. The felon lost every last bit of his confidence, and dropped his knife and backed away a bit before falling on his back and dragging himself away, mumbling in terror. He was nearly paralyzed at the sight of the creature.

Bahamut snapped his head around, and blasted forth his light and rage at the others around him who hadn't seen that. On seeing him…they immediately turned as white as ghosts. They dropped their weapons, turned, and ran as fast as they could. Now freed from Bahamut's glare, the leader scrambled to his feet and ran as well. They bellowed all sorts of cries of ghosts and demons, and Bahamut's new nostrils soon detected the smell of defecation as well as urine from the fleeing people around him. The chocobos behind him gave a loud wark as they were violently turned around and spurred away.

With that done, Bahamut calmly returned to his human face. He gave the chocobos a crack of the reins, and they calmly started moving again. That was another reason chocobos were far superior to other mounts. Nothing spooked them. However, as he began to slowly move on, Bahamut reached out and grasped the minds of the fleeing bandits. Once he did, and after reading their near hysterical fears, he sounded out another message to them…in his full dragon voice.

_I will be coming back to Tzen, from time to time. If we ever meet again, I will have to celebrate our reunion by making you a dinner…if you get my drift._

Bahamut then cut off the message, leaving the men to go half mad with terror at the message they had just heard projected in their minds. Far in the distance…Bahamut heard a hysterical scream.

Terra, at last, shifted a bit at that. She was still half asleep, and kept her eyes closed, however. "Bahamut? Did we run into any trouble?"

"No trouble at all." Bahamut calmly answered, leaning back in his own seat for the long night ride.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	20. Passions

_One Month Later_

It was the dead of winter, and Mobliz was cut off from the world by heavy snowfall that year. And yet…it was one of the happiest times the small family had ever had.

Duane, Katarin, and the children were overjoyed to see the two come back, but even more amazed when they showed off the multitude of items they were able to purchase. The children were able to throw out their oversized clothing and ragged blankets for genuinelyuseful items. The pasture area was filled with the new cow and chicken arrivals, and all of the kids wanted to be the first to milk her or collect the eggs. For the first time in over a year, the family was able to have a true "feast" for dinner, with meat, vegetables, milk, and bread all together and not mixed in a stew. Last but not least, everyone marveled at the lovely articles of jewelry that Terra was wearing. Terra blushed at this, and insisted that she would never have wasted any of the money on such things herself…and blamed Bahamut for it. But no one seemed to mind. The fact that they were able to have all this plus that was amazing enough.

However, Bahamut hid the presents from the kids for the moment. He wanted to make a grand event out of it, and have it be a surprise. Terra herself would have just as soon given them the presents, but Bahamut was feeling childish and crafty. He was at a bit of a loss as to when would be the best time, however… Yet that didn't take long to resolve. There was already a gift-giving holiday after the new year in the current human calendar, and Bahamut decided to present them with it that day. He only wished he would have known about it sooner. Then he would have waited until then to present Terra with her own gift. However, there was nothing for it for now.

Over the next few weeks, Bahamut couldn't remember having a happier winter. The kids broke in their new coats and boots in no time flat by begging Bahamut to come out and play in the snow with them. They were able to doctor any of the children's colds with the medicine they bought. They would play all day, rampaging with Bahamut through the snow in "wrestling matches", snowball forts, and all sorts of other games. When they came in, they would wrap up in their new blankets and Terra would make them all hot chocolate, which she had happened to buy as well for just such events. The kids didn't go to bed hungry anymore, and always looked forward to meals, now that they no longer had to eat the same thing every day. At night, Bahamut would build up the fire, and they would all curl up together in front of it in their nightclothes while Terra read from her new books. Bahamut would lean back too, with Athena resting her head on his lap and Ai and Yu against his sides. He would look at the fire as Terra read and just marvel at how happy he was with such a simple event…

After that trip, Bahamut was now 100 percent, without a doubt, a permanent member of the "family". Duane had gone ahead and built him his own bed at long last, although he continued to shack in the same room as Terra. No one was apprehensive or uneasy about him anymore. No one ever second guessed him or grew concerned about him. They greeted him just like anyone else, went to him for problems, asked him how he was doing, and said good night and good morning to him every day. It was hard to see how, after being so distrustful of him less than a year ago, they all now welcomed him with open arms. Athena eventually stopped calling Bahamut, "Tumahab". Now…she just called him "papa".

But most of all, Terra and Bahamut continued to grow closer together. Once the kids were asleep, but Bahamut and Terra still didn't want to go to bed…they would stay in front of the fire, but Terra would slip into Bahamut's arms and rest against him. They took turns surprising each other with breakfast in bed. They held hands often, smiled at each other even more so, and after returning, they always said good night to each other…with a kiss. Marcus asserted to his peers that he had been right all along. Duane and Katarin began to whisper to each other about the two of them. The children tried to listen in on this, but all they ever got were mysterious comments like, "but he's so old…" and "he's been like a dad to me too…".

Everything between them continued to escalate, reaching one inevitable conclusion that was becoming obvious to everyone except the two who were involved most closely of all. All it was now was a matter of time. And at last, after one month of this…something did come of it, right on the day where the kids were to get their things…

* * *

Bahamut had gotten up early, as always. However, for today, he got up even when it was still pitch black outside. After that, he gathered up all of the things that he had gotten for the children. He had them stashed away in his closet until now, inside his and Terra's house. It made it pretty easy to keep them from the kids. However, he also had taken up the old paper that the children's clothing had been wrapped in, and now wrapped it around the gifts and sealed them with melted wax. He had Terra write on each parcel who they were intended for. Now that this was done, he got up this early to carry the presents over to the children's building.

It was easy for him to sneak in, even carrying all of the stuff in his arms. Once he was there and inside the darkened room, he slowly and carefully went to the foot of the bed of each sleeping child, and gently set his gifts next to each one. After that was done, he pulled up the covers on some of them, and then turned and walked back out again.

It hadn't taken nearly as long as he had thought it would. The sky wasn't even lit up yet. He stretched a bit, limbering up his body, before turning and walking back over to his and Terra's house. He couldn't believe it. He had never been in a human body for this long. He was getting used to it by now. He supposed he'd spend the rest of his days in this body… That was an interesting thought. How would he explain this to future generations? Well…he'd think of something. Maybe he'd become a bit of a mythical character himself, some sort of caretaker of Mobliz. He wouldn't mind. After all…he thought it was nice for people to believe in something that wasn't mundane and ordinary.

Bahamut made it back over to the house soon, and walked up on the porch. He and Duane had put up a small awning so that people could go out during winter and rainstorms. It seemed to come in handy now. It was cold again that morning. There was already about a foot of snow on the ground, but it looked like it was going to start snowing again fairly soon. He made his way under the awning, and over to a long, swinging chair that was set there. He sat down and looked out at the dark town before him. He could never go to sleep again after getting up this early, or even bear to lie down and pretend to sleep. He would just wait here for a little while.

It stayed dark for another half hour, but then the world began to turn visibly lighter around the esper. Pretty soon, it would be time to go and milk the cow for that morning. But for now, he could afford to just sit here and watch the sun rise a little. He thought again now that he was alone…and as he did a recurring topic once again came to mind. It wasn't his decision to stay. Oh no…he was past that. It was the other thing… And now that he sat here, he began to wonder if today would be the day. He thought about it again and again as he sat there…wondering why he was holding back. In the end, it appeared even Great Bahamut was intimidated by some things… He was actually nervous. And that nervousness continued to strike him for a while, making him hesitate and doubt himself. If it would have continued, he might have called the whole thing off for another day…

But that was when he heard the door creak. He turned his head, and saw Terra walking out onto the porch as well. She was still in her nightclothes, but she also had the uppermost quilt pulled around her body from her bed. She stared out at the falling snow for a few moments, silent and expressionless. But then, she turned to Bahamut and gave a smile. The great esper smiled back, although his mind was still faraway. She slowly made her way over to him, and then sat down alongside. She stretched out the quilt so that it enveloped them both, and pulled it tightly around them as she curled up next to Bahamut and rested her head on his shoulder. They sat like this a lot now, ever since that night coming back from Tzen. They enjoyed the feeling of one another.

On seeing her here, with him, this morning…Bahamut knew that he couldn't delay again. Today was the day.

"Did you do it already?"

"About an hour ago, now." Bahamut simply answered, still looking out at the snow-covered town. "You know I can't go back to sleep once I get up."

"I know…"

The two of them sat silently for a moment. Normally, Bahamut could withstand cold well…but he always felt better when Terra was next to him. It unsettled him and made him pause again. He inhaled once and slowly exhaled. Then, he reached into his pockets a moment. A second later, he pulled out something, and held it in front of Terra for her to see. The woman looked down at it in puzzlement a moment, and then back to him.

"What is this?"

"The future." Bahamut simply answered. "The future of Mobliz. Remember what I was telling you the other day?"

Terra blinked a moment, but then gave a nod. "You said how…the landforms were still changing post Collapse, how in about twenty years this peninsula would become an island…"

"More like its own continent, but yes." Bahamut responded. "That wasn't all. It should drift until it hits the other tectonic plate rim. When it does that, this flat peninsula is going to get very rough and mountainous…"

Terra hesitated and grew nervous at that. "Does that mean…?"

Bahamut smiled and chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. I've seen enough major plate changes throughout history to know something about how the face of Gaia changes with time. Your town is located in a valley safely to the north of all this, although the region will grow a bit volcanic south of us. Luckily, by then, this town will be self-sufficient, and your grandchildren should have made boats to continue trade. At any rate…the landscape and surroundings will be different…so I thought I'd bring a crop that would do better in that changing biome. This is a seed I managed to get from Tzen on our visit. It's just one, and so I got it pretty cheap, as you can imagine."

Terra looked again to the object. "…What is it?"

"Cherry tree." Bahamut answered. "In the spring…they're beautiful. It's like it's snowing petals. Maybe, in a few hundred years, the people here will see it."

Terra smiled a bit at that. "That would be nice… You'll live to see it all, at least."

Bahamut held for a moment at that, but his smile faltered a little. Both he and Terra turned and looked back out again. They held for a few moments, watching the snow continued to gently fall around their town. After a bit longer, Terra turned back over to Bahamut again.

"You think maybe we should change the name?"

The esper turned down to her at that. "Pardon?"

"The name of the town. Mobliz was what it used to be, but you…you've built it up into a totally new town. This is going to be where we build new lives for each other. In a few centuries, like you said, it will be its own island…its own country. What do you think?"

"Oh…I don't know." Bahamut answered after a moment, turning back out to the snowfields. It didn't seem that big of a deal to him. Just more things for him to remember. Humans were always changing the names of places, and that made it a pain for him to keep track of anything. However…he looked down to his hand again. He thought once more of the small seed inside it. Until now, he had never seen any place in the world that had cherry trees covering it or surrounding it. Cherries weren't that favored among humans, although Leviathan had used to raise them. He had told that to the children in one of their stories. Leviathan had given it his own name from the esper language. The name meant, "heart of the world", based on the shape that the cherries took.

Bahamut smiled at this, and leaned back a bit more. "Maybe…someday…if this place will really be covered by cherry trees…they can call it the old esper name for them…Wutai."

Terra raised her head to this for a moment, but then leaned back down. "…It's unusual, but it's a nice name… It would be nice to have some things unusual…like you said."

Bahamut smiled again, and gave a nod. "Yes, it would."

Again, the two of them were silent. Terra shifted against Bahamut, and the two of them continued to watch the snow slowly fall. The sun grew higher, but it was beautiful right now. The glow illuminated each white flake, and they slowly drifted to the ground. Everything looked so quiet and peaceful in town. Everything seemed white and perfect…like there wasn't a stain on anything.

"It's so beautiful…" Terra slowly whispered.

The esper didn't answer. But yes…it was beautiful. He had never noticed it before, but it truly was. As an esper, he had always just seen winter as a season of death. Nothing lovely or nice about it. It was a time to struggle and freeze and huddle away until spring came. But with Terra…he saw it beautifully. Everything seemed nicer with her. Everything seemed warm and lovely in her presence. Everything seemed perfect. Nothing could go wrong as long as he was with her. He could have sat on that bench forever and he wouldn't have cared so long as she was with him. Even if they just lied there and rested on each other it would be alright. He had never felt this before…not even remotely. Not about anyone in the world. Espers so beautiful that they would ensnare men and women alike held no appeal to him. People who were immortal and powerful meant nothing. Only this woman…and her simple lifestyle…

He had to say it at last. Say it now, as he agreed. This was the time.

"Terra…"

The woman blinked once, but she too had slowed in this strange time before dawn. She slowly turned back up to Bahamut. He was slow too, and he looked out at the snowfields before him with an expressionless face. His voice was distant.

"…From the moment I heard you existed I knew you were special. When I found you…I knew it without a shadow of a doubt. I saw it in your face and your manners. I saw the love in your eyes and the care in your touch. I didn't have to be an esper to see it. I didn't have to be intelligent either. I saw it in my heart. I felt it as clear as you are feeling me right now."

Terra said nothing, and continued to look to him.

"I stayed, Terra… I wanted to help those children. I wanted to come here. I wanted to serve as your servant. I wanted to do all of this for you. For the longest time…I thought it was because I wanted to help my race…that I wanted you to come with me. But I was wrong. I know what I truly felt inside me…"

Slowly, the esper turned and looked down to her. Their eyes locked, large and shimmering and beautiful.

"…I came here…for you, Terra. I signed away the rest of my eternal life…for you. I cast away my esper half for you."

Terra continued to stare, her mouth slightly loose. But she showed nothing. She just continued to blink and look at him, hanging on his every word.

"…I love you, Terra." Bahamut slowly continued. "I loved you ever since I first saw you. I have nothing else in my life now…and I want nothing else, save for one thing. I never want to be away from you again. I want to take care of you every time you're sick. I want to provide for you and your children forever. I want to feel you rest against my chest every single night." He hesitated, and swallowed one more time as Terra looked on in captivated awe.

"…Will you marry me?"

Terra exhaled once, and was taken back for a moment. She blinked as she stared at him. However…her sound was very mild, and she didn't go far. She looked on at Bahamut once more, and held against him for a moment. Then…very slowly, she began to smile again. Her eyes became softer and less captivated, and she came back. Slowly, she leaned back over to him and rested her head against him once more. As she did, she replied gently.

"…Yes."

Neither of them said anything else for the next hour as they watched the snow fall. They didn't loosen from each other until the kids woke up crying for joy, and running out to get them to come in and see the presents that had been left for them.

Now, Bahamut's joy was truly complete.

* * *

Neither he nor Terra seemed to say anything else to each other that morning. They only continued to smile and look to each other, and kept kissing whenever they passed by one another. The children didn't notice. They were too engrossed in their own amusements and presents. Bahamut decided to leave the mysterious benefactor anonymous, although he tipped off to the kids that perhaps "old Bahamut" had liked how they loved his stories so much, that perhaps he left them. Everyone came over to the home for the children and had a large breakfast, and everyone was in a great mood.

It began to snow harder out, so the group stayed inside for that day. They played games with each other, discouraged Marcus from shooting his bow in the house, read a few more stories, did some craft work with pinecones that Terra had been saving, and listened to Marcus' records. When they did, Bahamut gracefully walked over to Terra, kissed her hand, and asked to dance. The other kids watched in puzzlement, and Duane and Katarin with some stunned surprise, as the two of them turned the fireplace living room into a ballroom hall. They noticed also that Terra would dive in while Bahamut was napping in a chair and tickle him in the sides, and how Bahamut would sneak up behind Terra, practically throw her up in the air, catch her, and then both would share a deep, long kiss.

Still, they held off saying anything through lunch and midday. The kids were allowed leave of their in home studies for once to play more with their new things. They also were allowed to play somewhat quietly indoors, and they played another game where they were great espers from Bahamut's stories. Bahamut stared on this and just smiled more. When dinner came, Bahamut himself decided to sit down and enjoy it. Everyone was together at the same table for once, and they ate like a real family. Terra practiced her baking skills at the end of it by presenting them all with a chocolate cake, the first she had ever made. Luckily, the recipe was straightforward, and she hadn't tried putting her own touches in it this time. It was a bit on the sweet side, but the children loved it, especially chasing it down their throats with warm milk.

At last, knowing that they would have to know sooner or later, Bahamut and Terra both rose. For the first time, they sat together instead of on opposite sides of the table. That was where the two pulled each other close, and then made the announcement of what had happened that morning. Duane and Katarin were a bit surprised by it, but the other kids were excited when they heard it.

"Marcus was right!" Athena blurted out loud.

"So, we're going to have a mommy and daddy?" Ai asked eagerly.

Bahamut still blushed a little at being called this, and rubbed the back of his head.

"I don't believe it…" Duane spoke in stunned surprise.

"Are you guys sure?" Katarin asked. Her face wasn't distrusting, and was actually a bit encouraging, but she still wanted to be certain. "You two are really going to tie the knot?"

Terra beamed back and nodded. "I don't know how long we'll wait, but we're definitely engaged now."

"Can I be the flower girl?" Ai asked.

"I want to be the flower girl!" Athena pouted.

Bahamut laughed a bit out loud, and held up his hands to quiet down the kids. "They'll be plenty of time to decide who's going to do what in the wedding. It won't be some grand event, though. It'll just be us, for the most part. I, for one, don't have many relatives to bring along, although I consider all of you my relatives now."

"Then there's no problem." Terra answered with a smile, turning around to give Bahamut another peck on the cheek.

With that said, everyone had an extra reason to celebrate that night. After dinner, when they all got around the fire again to listen to more of Essner's records and read a few more stories, Bahamut took the opportunity to supplement it with another one of his tales. Terra made more hot chocolate for everyone, and everyone, Bahamut included, had a good drink. Some of the kids began to ask Bahamut if they would all start calling him, "papa". It was yet another good night in the esper's life. It seemed as if all the tragedy and concern he had been weighed down with until now was finally being counterbalanced by the amount of joy and happiness he was now experiencing. His life had turned perfect. He had no cares or concerns anymore…just the happiness of living with this family…_his_ family. Now he would get to watch the children grow and become mature people. He would watch the small seeds he had planted here, both figuratively and literally, grow and produce a wonderful crop. And now…he would spend life with the first woman he ever truly loved.

He had thought he had to go out somewhere else to find a new place to call home…but as it was, it turned out he was home all along.

Both Bahamut and Terra kissed the children goodnight now. They picked them up when they collapsed in front of the fire, still playing with their things, and gently put them to bed. They tended the fire to make sure it would burn for a while, and slowly dressed the children in their clothes before lying them down and covering them up. They all stirred a bit, but mostly just rested their heads on the shoulders of their matron and patron as they were carried over to their beds. Duane and Katarin left and took Seras to bed in their own place, bidding them both congratulations silently as they did so. The only child who woke up while they put them down was Athena. She moaned and said she wanted to sleep on her giant stuffed cactuar, who was about the size of her. Bahamut and Terra were so happy they let her. They brought her blankets off the bed, piled them up on top of the cactuar's belly, moved it in front of the fire, and let Athena lie there. With that done, the newly engaged couple turned and began to walk back to their own house.

Once they had crossed the door, Terra turned around to leap into Bahamut's arms, and the two of them made out for a few short minutes. Bahamut still felt light and wonderful every time he locked lips with Terra, and the young woman felt like she was kissing a dream. Neither of them could believe this was happening. Terra felt she would never love another man in this sense. Bahamut thought he would be a loner forever, especially in regard to humans. But not anymore. Both of them felt like they were teenagers again, and the whole world was theirs for the taking. They saw long lives ahead of them and saw nothing but their joys increasing. Now, both of them felt truly complete.

At last, they retired to the bedroom. Once there, Bahamut pushed their beds together with one arm. Terra, while undressing into her nightclothes during this, smiled a bit and snickered.

"You _are_ getting more playful, aren't you?"

Bahamut raised an eyebrow to that. "Me? What's with this 'playful'? You used to be so reserved when I met you, I thought you bathed with your clothes on."

Terra laughed a bit, and then gave Bahamut a playful punch in the shoulder. "You did not! Take that back!"

"I'm serious!"

Terra smiled and mock pouted a moment, but then shook her head at him. "Well…I guess we're even then. Because I thought you planned to make me some sort of concubine, and I thought you had at least two hundred by now."

Bahamut turned around in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"What else was I supposed to think when you came to me, demanded I joined you, and talked about restarting our race?"

Bahamut snickered at that and shook his head. Terra giggled a bit too at his reaction, especially at how red he was turning. He leaned on his own mattress and held his head to the sky, rolling his eyes but smiling as he did so.

"I'll have you know that, unbelievable as it may seem, I am a totally single virgin."

Terra gaped at that a moment, actually stunned into not laughing. "Oh…you are not."

Bahamut merely turned to her and gave her a nod and a slight smile.

Terra always knew that Bahamut never lied. He could bend the truth, but at times like this he was as serious as death. She glared at him a bit longer and let out another small laugh. "…You're joking."

Bahamut gave a shrug. "When the espers first came around, we saw sex simply as a way of making offspring. We were totally detached from the erotic elements of it. I've been glazing over those parts in the stories I've told the kids. It wasn't until Starlet and Odin got together, the first of our race to actually have sex, that we realized that it was also a very emotive and personal bond. At any rate, espers never have sex for pure pleasure. Ones who are married do it only with each other as a special bond. Ones that are unmarried only are interested in reproducing. And we only allow that once every hundred years."

Terra's eyes expanded again as she gaped at the esper. She hesitated a moment. "…We aren't going to observe that, are we?"

Bahamut, still in a playful mood, felt like cracking a smile.

"What do you think?"

* * *

An hour later, Bahamut was back in the best position he enjoyed…lying with Terra resting against him. It didn't matter that both were now much warmer than they had been out that morning. Every touch he had with her was special. Their hair was spread out long and fierce in the area, and the bed was a bit wrecked. At long last, he fully understood why Starlet and Odin had been so distant after the first time, and why she and Leviathan became totally monogamous with regards to it. They were right…it was a special feeling. It was a feeling he only wanted to share with this wonderful woman. The fact that he had never done it until now…it made him feel like he and Terra now had something sacred and beautiful between each other. Even now, he felt so light-headed and relaxed, feeling Terra's naked body against his for the first time. It was such a strange feeling… It made him feel apart from the world, in some special place just with her.

Terra had fallen asleep with a smile on her face, resting against Bahamut's chest. He slowly stroked her hair and felt her heart beat against his own flesh. He watched her as her body slowly rose and fell…and just smiled. They were together. They'd be together forever. It made him feel so warm inside…so full of happiness and joy. He couldn't help but feel happy all the time. It seemed wrong that everything could be so right. Things were never this perfect…and yet he felt that they were. Things were just going to get better. Thinking of everything that was to come…holding her hand as she gave birth to their first child…going out eating and dancing every anniversary…resting with each other on the porch every evening just to watch the sun set…

Bahamut watched it get dark out, and saw the snow continue to fall outside. But he didn't close his eyes or sleep. How could he sleep? Feeling Terra rise and fall against him was such a wonderful feeling, he felt too happy to ever sleep again. Everything in his life until now seemed like a gray shadow to what was going on right now. There was nothing better in the whole wide world. As hours went by, he just continued to fill with excitement of what their lives would be like from now on. Nothing else mattered. Here was heaven. Here was paradise. Everything he could ever want or need was right here. He felt so complete and content… He had to stay awake and just think of it. After all…maybe it was just another dream in the Lifestream. Maybe, when he awoke, he would be dead again. But if he was asleep…he never wanted to wake up ever again.

Gradually, they both cooled down. They had neglected to build a fire in their earnest to begin, and it grew cold in the room again after a few hours. Bahamut didn't let Terra go. He continued to hold her against him. Instead, he used his telekinesis to pull up the blankets and covers around them as it grew chillier, and covered the both of them. The esper pulled her closer so that he could lower his face over her head, and inhale her wonderful smell. He kissed her on the top of her scalp, and then rested his own head on top of hers. He closed his eyes and at last tried to sleep. The sooner he slept…the sooner he would awaken to the next day of their lives together…

Bahamut wasn't sure if he went to sleep that night. But he did hover into a state of half sleep, in which the thoughts of the day just begin to morph into dreams. Everything seemed sharper here and more detailed, as he played one great account of him and Terra together after another. He even saw her back in Terratopolis with him…on their wedding day. Thousands of espers cheered below as the courtyard was filled with white and silver flowers. Bells rang and beautiful songs were sung as the two of them were joined. Terra looked like a queen…she was a queen. She was now Queen of All Espers. She was clothed in radiant white, in a beautiful grand dress. Bahamut slowly rested a seven spired tiara on her own head as he drew back her veil and kissed her deeply. Yet as he kissed her…he sensed danger in the crowd. He sensed dark intentions and wickedness…people thinking bloodthirsty thoughts from within the espers. It grew so bad that Bahamut was forced to look away from his glorious bride and turn his attention to the gathering. But he couldn't see them. He knew they were there…but he couldn't see them. They were sneaking throughout it…so clear that he could taste their energies. They seemed to stand out more than anything else. And they kept maneuvering through, just dodging Bahamut's gaze…hiding in the crowd of smiling, applauding faces. Then…he heard them strike. He didn't see them exactly, but he heard a high-pitched scream…

A little girl's scream…followed by dogs barking…

Slowly, Bahamut opened his eyes and shook off his slumber. But as the image of his wedding day vanished…the evil remained. The dark intentions stayed in front of him, stretched out before his view. He felt Terra beginning to stir as well at his side. He looked and saw out the window in front of him. Through the fogged glass…he saw torchlight…and heard movement. But most of all, he still heard the screams and the dogs barking. It was that which was waking Terra up now. At once, he realized what was happening.

_We're being attacked…_

_Athena…_

Terra pulled herself off Bahamut in a panic…and just in time. Before she could turn to him and ask what was going on, the esper, not caring that he was nude, leapt out of the bed, and lunged right for Athena's scream. It didn't matter that a wall was in his way…he smashed right through the wall, ripping out mortar, logs, paneling, and everything else as he seemed to explode out of the house. Half of it was destroyed in a tremendous cacophony of noise and debris, as Bahamut charged out of his room and plunged into the cold night.

The attackers, wielding torches and draped in shadow, could only turn and look to this in shock and fear as the man erupted from his dwelling. They all felt dark and evil…but Bahamut ignored them all. He was already looking ahead…his gaze turning to fury and rage and his eyes burning with his own bloodlust. He scanned five forms ahead of him…in the children's house. They were surrounding one of the children's signatures, while the dogs and other kids were drawing back, and beginning to cry and scream as well. However…Athena's screaming abruptly stopped…and Bahamut sensed her energy take a nosedive. On seeing that, Bahamut's body seemed to turn as cold as the snow he now plowed through…

_No…_

Then…his anger suddenly exploded…and he gave a bestial roar as he charged forward and punched right through the children's house's wall. Again, debris smashed down on him from all sides, and logs and mortar were thrown everywhere as a blast of hot air hit his face. Covered with grime and building matter, he plunged into the home through his own hole and stood there, glaring at the situation.

Everyone in that room had froze. The children were huddled in the back with the two dogs barking their heads off at the people ahead. On their part, they turned around and glared in terror at the new monster that had come down on them. Bahamut saw them…and realized they all were monsters. They were dressed and armed like men, but they were all various creatures. A gargoyle like being…a bizarre blob-shaped beast…an insect-like creature… All of them were bearing the same insignia on their armor. And on seeing it…Bahamut's brain, so blinded by his happiness until now…began to register what he had seen and almost forgotten. What he had saw when he first awakened… But for now, that was forgotten again…as he saw the gargoyle holding an unconscious Athena in one arm…her head gushing blood from the back…and poised to eat her.

Bahamut's boiling anger made his muscles bulge. Within a heartbeat, he was in the midst of the creatures. His hand now grasped the head of the gargoyle in a fist, and he crushed inward until he heard the gargoyle begin to bellow in pain. Then…he tightened it. He wanted to hear it scream in agony. The monster dropped Athena to the ground, who fell lifelessly.

Bahamut seethed and glared at the creature with a look that would kill a coward.

**"You…filthy maggot…"** He bellowed in his full esper voice. **"You dare…to come into my house…violate my children!"**

The thing couldn't respond, being in such mind-numbing agony. Bahamut snarled again, and then tightened his fist. The skull was crushed in his hand, and the brains gushed through the cracks of his fist as he totally closed it around the monster's head.

Somehow, the fools around him snapped out of it. One of them hesitated, but then swung a crude blade at Bahamut. The esper swung around and snapped the blade with one swing of his backhand. After that…he plunged his fist into the creature's chest, puncturing the sternum, seizing its heart, and then ripping it out from its chest. He then proceeded to drive the thing's own heart through its skull. The blob tried to do something next, but its odd shaped appendage, barbed with poisonous claws, swung against Bahamut's back and failed to even chaff him. Bahamut turned around at it when it did this, bloodlust still blazing. The thing was only able to give a mild cry before Bahamut drove his nails into the thing and ripped it cleanly in half.

The other two creatures, by now, screamed in terror and turned to run. Bahamut was on one before he could take more than a single step away from him. He sank his teeth into his neck and ripped out half of the veins, arteries, tendons, and spine with one mighty tear. He dropped the thing to fountain its blood over the floor, and caught up to the other before it got more than two steps. He seized it by the back, driving his nails in, making sure to snap the spine in its lower back as he dug his bloody hands in to get a good grip, and then threw the creature so hard he punctured another massive hole through the building in the direction he wanted to go. After the quite dead creature landed, and was half buried by the resulting rubble, Bahamut leapt out of the opening and back into the snowy night.

The whole span of events, from Bahamut's yell to his evacuation of the house,had taken less thanfive seconds. Now, Bahamut was out in the cold snow, his body steaming from the fresh blood that now covered it. His muscles were still bulging with bloodlust and rage, and his anger was fully awakened. Only because he was so used to being a human did he not revert into Neo Bahamut. The remaining creatures, still petrified from what had happened, gaped at him in shock. They quivered with terror at the monster they now saw, fresh from killing their brethren. Terra finally managed to look out the hole in her own house, and gaped in astonishment at how Bahamut looked. His full glory and passion had returned. He was now the great esper again.

One of the creatures finally risked attacking. It spit its horrible poison at Bahamut, hoping to burn him with its acid. Bahamut let the foul substance land on him and burn his tender flesh…and didn't even cry. Instead, he was on this creature immediately. It only had time to gape a moment before Bahamut wiped a gob of the poison off of his chest with two fingers, and then drive both of the fingers through the creature's eye sockets, blinding it and piercing its own brain with the acidic venom. He let the creature live long enough to scream in agony, before seizing both halves of its reptilian jaw and yanking back, turning the thing inside out.

A torch bearing one came up next, brandishing a spear, and attempted to jab the esper. Bahamut easily sidestepped it, reached out, and broke both arms of the thing. As it faltered and cried out in pain, he seized the torch and spear from him. He flung the torch onto the nearby woodpile for the children's house.After doing so, he turned back to the creature, and yanked it off the ground with one hand. He then took up the spear and drove it through the monster. But he made sure not to puncture anything vital…just drive it into more agony. After that, he turned and threw the creature, on the end of the spear, into the woodpile and pin it there, against the burning wood. He then turned asit screamed, leaving it to slowly roast alive.

Now, the last three of the attackers were terrified. They turned and began to run, headed for the break in the barrier. Evidently, they had the intelligence to smash it down while the others were sleeping. But they didn't get far. Bahamut lunged forward, and in a single bound reached the first. He swung his hand once, and roughly cut the creature in half, throwing its blood everywhere. He caught up to the next one with another bound. He picked it up by the head, put his other hand beneath the divide in its legs, and then crushed the creature together like a paper bag. He tossed the bloody mess to one side, and then glared at the last one. This one…he hesitated on. As Terra threw on her shoes and coat, he glared at him and watched him escape through the break in the barrier, and then charge into the trees surrounding them. Soon, he had vanished beyond them, and had left the area silent.

Only then did Bahamut key in on his terrified heartbeat, and shot into the air with his auto-aero technique. Soon, he rocketed after him far faster than the creature could run, outstripping it within a matter of seconds. He left his own home far behind for the moment, descending into the dark cold night. However, he kept his gaze on the creature. Once they were both far enough, and close to a small lake nearby that was made by the spring where he and Terra got their fresh water, he halted. Immediately, he dove down to the ground after him.

A moment later, and Bahamut landed right in the path of the terrified beast. It screamed out in terror and froze in its tracks. Its eyes went wide, and it gaped at the terrible esper as it soiled itself. Bahamut glared at it with unmerciful hate. After letting it be paralyzed with fear for a moment, he reached out and seized the thing by the neck. He closed it to cut off the thing's air, but didn't snap the neck or kill it. He merely hoisted it off the ground, and let it dangle in mid-air for a moment.

Then, the esper, look dark and unforgiving, turned and marched over to the nearby lake. It was dark and quiet out here, and the lake itself was covered with thick ice as well as several inches of snow from the recent storm. The esper, not caring about the freezing snow clinging to his skin, marched right out onto the ice without thought of anything, still holding the creature in his grip. He waited until he walked right out into the center of it. Once there, he finally halted. The esper turned and glared at the creature in his grasp one more time. Then…with tremendous force, he swung him around and down and smashed his body through the snow and ice, and flung the creature into the freezing lake.

Huge fragments of snow and ice flew up everywhere as the beast was flung into the body of water. Bahamut glared down at him mercilessly as he did so. The lake was only about fifteen feet deep, but the creature, despite the resistant medium, was thrown all the way to the bottom. He held there a moment, but then pushed off and began to come for the surface again. However, as he made to bring his already oxygen starved lungs over the top, he ran into a surprise. The top had already frozen over again, and it was already too thick for him to punch through with his lack of reinforcement. Gaping in terror from beneath the ice, the suffocating, freezing creature began to pound desperately against it.

Bahamut glared at him calmly in response. He let him struggle for about ten seconds. Then, he slowly and calmly bent down next to him. When he did, he spoke very slowly and controlled to the struggling beast. And he made sure that he projected a mental message with it, so that the creature got him.

"Alright…you have three choices. One, you can keep flinging yourself against that sheet of ice uselessly until you use up all your air and suffocate. Two, you can hang out down there until your body shuts down due to hypothermia and freezes. Three…you can answer my question, and I _might_ just bother to yank you out of there. Nireevyou sent you, didn't he?"

The thing was panicking at this point, and was on the point of going into spasms. However, somehow, he managed a frantic nod from under the ice.

Bahamut gave a slow nod in response, and then punched through the ice and seized the creature by the shoulder. With one mighty pull, he yanked him back up and out of the frozen lake and onto the surface again. The thing gasped for air the moment it did, hungrily drawing in breaths. Yet it could only catch its breath for a few moments. It was soaked to the bone, and soon its began to turn pale. Its lips turned blue, and it began to shake uncontrollably. It was obviously slipping into severe hypothermia in the icy air…but that was no longer Bahamut's concern. He merely stood up and glared down on it as it shivered violently in the foot of snow around it.

"Assuming you live another three minutes…much less the rest of the night…" Bahamut darkly answered. "And assuming you don't lose both of your legs and arms to frostbite…you go back to your master. You tell him that I turned his attackers into blood and splinters…and that he's next."

With that, Bahamut darkly turned around and began to march back to his home. He left the creature there to curl into a ball and struggle to warm itself.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	21. Vengeance is Theirs

They were gone within the hour.

Luckily, the kids had been too frightened to pay much attention to the savage fury that Bahamut had unleashed. Furthermore, they saw the dead things as mere monsters and not really people. They still clung to him for protection when he came back, as well as Terra. By the time Bahamut had returned, Duane and Katarin were struggling to quiet the sobbing, terrified children. Terra herself was cradling Athena, and Bahamut could tell that, in the confusion, she was trying to work some of her own repitoire of healing magic on her. She was still alive…but now was the time to put the emergency fund to use. Bahamut dove back into the wrecks of the homes and quickly got out the winter clothes for everyone. After giving it to them to get dressed, he went out to the chocobos and quickly hitched them up. After that, he loaded the family up and sent them off, to make for Tzen as best as they could in the snow. Luckily, he had been able to switch out the wheels for runners on the wagon, making it more of a sleigh, which would make it easier to go. Still, they had to move fast. Bahamut planned on helping that…after he finished back at their home.

Once they were gone, Bahamut finally washed the blood off of his own body and dressed himself. Now, he fully used his magical power, not caring anymore for doing things in the "traditional" way. He cleaned up the blood and refuse he had cast about in his wake, and incinerated everything solid in the growing pyre. That done, he looked to the holes he had made, stretched out his mental power, and transfigured them. Soon, the walls on both homes were rebuilt, without a single blemish on them. He went to the fence next, and repaired that in much the same way. Only this time, he reinforced it with a powerful protection spell. Now, even a behemoth couldn't puncture the simple palisade wall. With his home thus rebuilt, cleansed, and protected, he dashed out into the night after the wagon.

At full speed in his human form, he caught up with it within two minutes. The family was surprised, and shaken out of its own worry and concern for Athena, as the great esper flung himself up on top of it and sat in the front. Once he did, he called all the children to him again. They were crying and scared now, shivering in the cold. Bahamut's own face was cold, but he spoke to them as he always did, and called them to say the magic word again…this time so that they could get to Tzen as quickly as possible. They said it again, and Bahamut spread out his power over the chocobos, immediately making them go so fast they could nearly fly. Within an hour, they had crossed the massive peninsula and were back in Tzen.

Terra rushed Athena to the doctor, while Bahamut, Duane, and Katarin gathered the children together and led them to the local inn. They had little trouble securing rooms, seeing how distraught they all were and how cold the kids looked. Bahamut stayed long enough to try and comfort them. They were still scared and in tears when they lied down in strange beds. Bahamut tried to tell them a story to help them sleep, but his own mind was muddled. The events that had happened to him had left him stunned and overwhelmed. However, he forced that out of his head. He had to be there for the children. And so, he forced on his normal façade and reassured them all. At last, they did finally go to sleep. Katarin and Seras went down as well, and Duane stayed up to watch them. Once they did at last, Bahamut ran over to the doctor's office himself.

There were no major medical facilities in human civilization. There were only local practioners, and now was no exception. The physician largely operated out of his own house, having only enough room for his personal locations, his examination room, and two rooms for patients. It was open when Bahamut got there, and he walked in immediately.

It appeared that the room he was in was the main examining room. It had all the effects of a normal doctor's office. There were the bottles of medicine, the tools of the trade, and an examining table where patients would normally sit. However, a pillow had been brought out that night, and it had blood on it. It was drying now, and there was only a little. There were a few dim lamps lit here. Bahamut looked across the room in the dim light, and saw two doors in the back. They obviously led to the patient areas. There was a single chair for either of them, and Terra was currently seated in one. Her head was bowed…and there was a strange, stoic look on her face. The doctor had his own head bowed as he looked to her. He had just finished saying something when Bahamut walked in. He looked tired and haggard, having been awakened at this late hour to see a patient. However, when he heard Bahamut walk in, he turned his head up to him. He hesitated a moment, looking from Terra to Bahamut and back again. Yet in the end, he turned back up to Bahamut and moved to walk forward.

Immediately, Terra looked up. Her eyes were to the ground, but she seemed to notice this.

"No, doctor…I'll tell him."

The physician hesitated, and looked back to Terra again. Bahamut, by now, was making his way forward. The man looked back up to the esper, and back to Terra, but at last nodded. He began to turn away toward a door on the right wall, that obviously led to his own room. "…Feel free to stay as long as you like. I'll be back in a few minutes…" With that, he walked to his own door, passed through, and shut it behind him until it clicked.

Terra kept her own gaze low and sat there. She was totally quiet, and showed no emotion. However…Bahamut could smell her fear and sadness. He quickly crossed the rest of the way through the room until he was close to her. When he did, he took the other chair and pulled it up, closer to hers. He sat down and leaned in until he was almost looking over her. He stretched out his hands and took her own, and held them firmly. However…her grasp was cold. And they were weak, and not answering back.

Bahamut swallowed. Fear began to fill his own heart.

"…How bad is it?"

Terra kept her head bowed silently for a moment. She inhaled sharply once, and tried to get her bearings back. After a pause, she began to speak in the most normal tone she could muster.

"…It…it's good…really." She began, in a tone so hesitant that Bahamut doubted this at once. "She's…she's alive, Bahamut. She's tired…and the doctor just put her down for bed. She became conscious just after we got here. She woke up and sat up and moaned a bit that she was sore…" Terra hesitated again here, and swallowed. Her voice slowed. "She…wanted to know where she was. She wanted to know where you were or the others… I tried to encourage her. I hugged her and kissed her, and said she was at the doctor's. I was so happy that she was awake and everything…" The half esper hesitated…and a brief smile formed during this time and faded just as quickly into grimness.

"…She started asking where I was next…" She slowly continued, her face becoming blank. "She said she couldn't see me…told me to turn on the lights… That was when I realized that she still didn't know who the doctor was…though I kept pointing him out. I noticed that her eyes were open wide…but that she was still looking around blankly… The doctor…he looked at the blow on her head…" She hesitated again. She continued to stare blankly. But as she did…her throat began to tighten, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"He said…this was typical for people who received hits there… He said they could recover in a few days…but after that they never did…"

Bahamut stared, and felt an icy knife in his heart. He knew what this meant. She didn't say it…but it was clear. He felt his own body turn stiff and cold. He felt hismouth loosen and his throat tighten. His eyes closed as they began to burn…and he hated himself for being too late. With all of his speed and power…he wasn't fast enough to stop this from happening. If only this had happened in a different time…under a different set of circumstances. If only it had happened before magic had vanished… Then he could have called on the power within both Athena and himself, and he could have given his regeneration to her…healed this. But because he couldn't…because the world had changed…he began to realize that it was not possible.

Athena was blind.

Terra couldn't hold back any longer. She leaned forward, wrapped her arms around Bahamut, and buried her head in his chest. She began to sob bitterly. And the only use that the esper could be now was to support her as she cried against him.

* * *

As quickly as they had come into Tzen, they went back just as quickly the next day. They waited until noon, until all of the children were fed and watered. It was at that time that Bahamut struggled hard not to weep over Athena. They tried to feed her for the first time since the accident, and soon she was fumbling and struggling over everything. Every time she missed getting something Terra stifled a sob. Athena kept asking why she couldn't see anything. Terra didn't have it in the heart to outright and tell her the truth. She tried to tell it to her in a more subtle way. As she went about this, Bahamut went out to the doctor again and asked if there was any hope. Unfortunately, the physician had little to give. The brain was still a mystery, both to esper and humankind. No one knew why exactly a sharp blow to the back of the head could blind a person. There was a chance that she could regain some sight in the future, seeing as she was so young, and perhaps the severity would lessen with time, enabling her to see some things. But for now…she was quite blind. And only time would tell if it would improve. The doctor could do little other than bandage her head and eyes, and then give her some medicine for pain. Bahamut forced himself to thank the physician, reminding himself it wasn't his fault that she was like this, and then led the kids back to the cart. Slowly, they began their long road back to Tzen.

Terra at last managed to explain to Athena and the kids something. She said the "bump on the head" had taken away Athena's sight, but it might come back in a few days. Until then, she was going to wear the bandages over her eyes to remind people that she couldn't see and needed to be helped. For now, Athena was content with that. She firmly believed that in a few days, she would see normally and go around as usual once again. Terra managed to say yes in a bright voice…but Athena was confused when she heard one of the kids say she was crying as she spoke in this pleasant voice. Duane and Katarin themselves sat with bowed heads…sorrowful and quiet.

Bahamut led the chocobos on…his blue eyes burning out into the snow with a cold glare.

The chocobos still made good time, even carrying all of them. They seemed to do well on snow, and they did weigh less than everything else had when it had been loaded with supplies. Still…it was a long trip for them. Bahamut spurred the chocobos on into a trot more than once, yet night had fallen long before they returned to their home. All of the children had nodded off by then and came in close together to protect themselves against the cold. Terra sat with them and embraced them as much as she could, trying to stretch out her warmth to all of them.

At last, they came to the gates and passed through them. Duane and Katarin were immediately surprised, wondering why the buildings were suddenly intact again after last night. They hadn't seen Bahamut destroy them in the first place, but they had seen the damage. Then again, they had been in such a rush to leave they wondered almost if they had hallucinated the whole event. Everything about the previous night still seemed unreal and surprising. Katarin took her own child to bed, but Duane stayed in order to help Terra and Bahamut carry the rest of the sleepy children inside. As it turned out, that was good…for Bahamut didn't help. He still looked dark and cold, and he walked over to his own porch and sat down on it. He said nothing and showed nothing. He merely sat there and continued to glare.

One by one, the children were put to bed. Once Terra was sure they were all tucked in and safe, and had fallen asleep, she went out to see Bahamut. That took some time. The children didn't feel safe anymore. They were growing fearful again, as they had in the days of Phunbaba. It was only because Terra stayed with them until they fell asleep that they were able to relax. Even when they did, Duane didn't go to sleep, but returned to his own house and stayed awake. He wanted to make sure he would protect his wife and his child from any returning attackers. Terra tried to reassure him to rest, but he said it would be hopeless anyway. They were all unnerved now. For a short time, they had begun to feel that they could live life as they had before the Collapse. But now…the old fears and terrors were back. The world was once again an unknown and dangerous place. None of them felt safe in it anymore.

Bahamut knew all this very well…for he was feeling the same violation. He heard every word spoken in the silent town. He smelled all the emotions on the minds of all the residents and children. He heard this all…and thought again of last night.

After midnight, Terra, wrapping her coat around herself, walked up to Bahamut's side. He didn't react to her. He continued to glare coldly out at the night. It was quiet now. Everything was still and silent. The woman looked at him a moment, but then slowly turned and sat down next to him. The esper didn't react. At first, Terra didn't touch him. She sat next to him silently.

"The kids finally went to sleep." Terra told him.

Bahamut didn't answer. He continued to look out.

Terra swallowed once and slowly sighed. She bowed her head slightly. "…Maybe…we should go back in the basement for a few days."

Bahamut's anger surged at this.

"…These are good children…great children." He spoke out loud in a dark voice. "They never hurt anyone…never threw any fits…never had anything to do with what humanity did… And now…because of some filthy subcreatures…they have to live in a dank hole like rats. They lost everything they had…and now they must live in fear. Athena had a precious long life ahead of her…and those bastards _robbed_ her. They took one of her greatest gifts from her. And all she could do was scream at them. She didn't even touch them."

Terra was silent. She stared back at Bahamut without any reply.

"They deserve to live in a world of peace. They deserve to go to sleep happy every night. This world has turned into a nightmare for them. This place has become wild and savage. They're going to sleep terrified tonight…scared back into that prison in the ground. This is their home. They deserve to go about it as they please. They deserve to live free from fear. That…bastard…whoever he is…he will pay for what he has done with his life."

The half esper continued to stare at him for a while. However, she wasn't a fool. She took this in as well. She hesitated only a bit longer, before becoming serious too. She leaned in closer to the great esper as he sat on the steps.

"Those were monsters that attacked us. Common beasts. We used to kill them by the dozen. But they were smart this time…they attacked us with a purpose. That was how they got past the wall."

The esper glared out without change.

"…Yes."

"They were told to attack us."

"…They were."

"…You know something more, Bahamut. You're not telling me everything. You never told me how you came back to life. Who were you talking about just now?"

Bahamut closed his eyes…and inhaled deeply. He hoped it wouldn't have come to this. And yet…he should have done something about it long ago, when he still had time. The day he ran off on his own after being brought back to life…a part of him agreed with Nireevyou's agenda. A part of him wanted to see humanity suffer and die for what it had done. That was what kept him from finding this person and stopping him then. After that…he became so used to his own life here that he forgot about him. He figured he was just some distant old esper, working on a futile cause. Here, the world would stay unchanged and he could live as he had forever.

Now…he realized that the past had caught up with him. It took it almost a year to, but it was here. His reprieve was over. Whoever he was…he was striking now. He should have reacted earlier, back in Tzen. He knew it had to be him there. That was the only explanation. Now…he was gaining power. Even without Bahamut's help, he was beginning to attack smaller villages. Soon, he'd be able to attack more. He was getting better organized and stronger. And Bahamut knew he couldn't afford to overlook him any longer. Now…the fight had been brought to his home. The peace he thought he would enjoy was breaking. His perfect life had ended up being just that…too perfect. And now, it was coming around again. His time of peace and contentment was gone. Once again…he found trouble in his life. He found threats to his peace and those he loved. And he couldn't afford to turn away from it again.

He told Terra everything he had omitted. He told her how he had come back to life, and what had happened in that short exchange there. Now…at last the woman realized why Bahamut had been so vicious and heartless when they first met. He had just received a horrible revelation. What more, he also told her about what he heard in Tzen. He didn't doubt that the two events were related now. It was a lot of information for the half esper to take in. After Bahamut was done, both were silent for a moment. Terra continued to look to him, and he kept his head bowed. She swallowed.

"So…what now?"

Bahamut continued to glare out in the distance.

"Now…" Bahamut slowly echoed. "Now…I do my duty as the patriarch of this family. Now, I strike back viciously and vengefully, as I would against anyone who dared to attack my family. Now, I make Nireevyou pay for what he has done here. I swore that I would make this world safe for these children…_my_ children to live in. And I will do that. I will spill the blood of every last demented fiend that has been released on this Planet. But first…I will destroy Nireevyou and his army. I will remove the last threat to broken humanity. I will do away with the last of the old world. Once they are gone…humanity alone will be free to rule this world."

Terra hesitated again. "But…he's an esper too. He's the only other member of your kind left…"

"Then he should have observed my decrees against harming humanity." Bahamut retorted. "Besides…I have abandoned my race now, as you have. I will no longer be living as an esper, but as a man. Bonds of species loyalty mean nothing to me…especially in regards to murderers."

Both were silent for a brief moment. However, it didn't last long. Terra soon thought of another concern. "He knows who you are. He brought you back to life. What if he has some sort of power over you?"

"That's why I'll be going in as this." Bahamut responded, gesturing to himself. "As a human. He wanted to kill this race…now he has his chance. It won't be until I am face-to-face with the man himself that I will vent my full, unbridled fury upon him. Before then…I will make the other foul creatures of this world fear humanity once and forever…and disperse them into the wild."

There was another pause between the two. Terra bowed her head slightly and heard Bahamut make these statements of revenge. He clenched his hands into fists and stared out into the night, as if he could already see his foe from far off and could kill him with his glare. Bahamut anger was aroused, and there was nothing that could make it yield. The half esper continued to stare at him and saw him like this. But then, at last, she gave a nod.

"…When do we leave?"

At last, Bahamut's cold stare was broken. He turned back to Terra at that. "Pardon?"

"I'm coming with you." Terra immediately answered.

"No, you're not."

"Yes I am."

"It's too dangerous. I'm not sure what he has waiting for me. If he had enough intelligence to bring me back to life, there's no telling what other devilry he has planned."

"I don't care." Terra sharply returned, with surprising ferocity. It was so much that even Bahamut was silenced for a moment. "You may be mad at all of this…but the only reason I'm not brooding like you is because I have to look after the children too. I'm furious. Those creatures stole Athena's sight and the peace of mind of my children. I don't want them to ever threaten my family again either. The only reason I agreed to go with my friends to fight Kefka was because I knew I was making the world safe for these children to grow up again. If these monsters are still here…my work isn't finished yet."

"The children need you." Bahamut returned, his tone softer but still firm. "If both of us leave, what then? What if they counter-attack?"

"We'll stop them before they have a chance." Terra answered. "And Duane and Katarin have watched everyone before. The kids are even older and more responsible now. They truly need me to defend them. And this is the only way I can."

"This is my fight…"

"No, it's mine too!" Terra nearly shouted in response, once again stunning Bahamut into silence. "These children mean the world to me. I don't care about anything else. I will _never_ drag another one of them to Tzen in the middle of a winter night because of a creature attacking. They made it my fight the moment they laid a hand on Athena. And you need me. If you're in human form, then you'll need someone to help you out. You said it yourself…you don't know if he has power over you. What will you do without me if he tries something?"

The esper had to admit Terra had a point there. And she was still a shockingly powerful fighter. No longer restrained, her esper half would be one of the most powerful espers in history. However…he still didn't want her to go. He knew full well she had braved countless dangers before…but that didn't make it any easier on him. He wanted her to stay where she would be safe. He didn't want her to have to fight in this gruesome business that he would soon bring himself to do. He would have tried to protest this. He would have been more gentle…tried to persuade her or voice his own fears. And perhaps she would have softened a bit as well in response to them.

However…in the end he knew it would be futile. He did not wish to marry Terra because she was a weak woman. She was strong now…especially now that she had a purpose. She had been soft and caring before, but he knew that within her raged the spirit of the fiercest lioness when it came to her children being threatened. She was too strong willed regarding them to be denied. She would die to protect these children, and to make the world safe for them. He knew that nothing he could say would deny her, no matter what his fears were. She would come in the end whether he liked it or not. And as she said…there was a personal element involved. She fought to protect the ones she loved. She had always done that ever since coming to Mobliz. She had to be able to do it now too, regardless of what Bahamut felt.

In the end, the esper slowly sighed. Terra calmed down a little at this, realizing he was accenting. But still, the great esper didn't like it. Why did this have to happen? Yesterday, he and Terra were preparing to be married and spend a long, happy life together. Now…they were being pushed back into fighting again. There would be more bloodshed, anguish, and pain to come…as well as more fear and anxiety. He wanted to spare her this. He wished that she would just stay here and leave him to do his grim business. However, because she would not…he wouldn't press it. And there was a cold comfort in that. In the end, if he did have to do this…he didn't want to be alone. And there was no one on Gaia he would rather have at his side. In the end, he gave a nod, and then reached out and took the half-esper's hand. Terra calmed down the rest of the way at that, and stared back in his eyes.

"Alright…together."

* * *

The next day, Bahamut found himself with Terra over on the other side of the now empty wheat field, close to the same place where they had been that night, overlooking the ocean. Terra took him there bright and early the next morning, right back to the stump that had functioned as their table. Once there, Bahamut had begun to dig a hole with their shovel. He was the only one who had the strength the puncture the frozen ground, and so he had to be the one to tunnel through the snow and beneath it. He did so for a few feet more, as Terra stoicly watched from the side. She stared at the ever-growing hole, but said nothing about it. Finally, Bahamut's shovel struck something hard. When that happened, he threw the tool aside, and went into the hole himself.

The esper felt around for a moment, digging his fingers into the soft, muddy earth surrounding the area he had hit. After doing so a moment, he managed to find handles. He dug through the mud and grasped them, and with one mighty yank pulled the object out of the ground. With a great uprooting sound, he soon pulled a small chest out and up to his waist. He was a bit puzzled when he did so. The chest was fairly little. It didn't have enough length in it for even a shortsword. However, he turned around and placed it before Terra, and then climbed out of the hole himself.

The woman bent down and produced a key from her pocket. She undid the lock on the front, and then opened up the small chest. Bahamut himself was out now, and turned to look down andsee what he had managed to unearth.

It looked essentially like a handle to a weapon. It was made of some sort of silver metal that looked highly advanced…much as some of the Lunarian technology once had. It was studded with crystals and gems, and the handle branched out twice in long arrays. Two other branches twisted sharply and turned back in over the top of the weapon, seeming to focus to a point. One great blue gem, perfect and rounded, was fitted in to the hilt portion. But other than that, there was nothing. Terra nevertheless grabbed this handle, which was big enough for two hands, and then pulled it out of the chest.

The esper crossed his arms. "Will I have to dig another hole to get theblade to your sword?"

Terra responded by holding it out in front of her. "Stand back." She instructed.

Bahamut did as he was told, despite his confusion. Once he was safely behind her, Terra held the handle in front of her, brandishing it like a real weapon. A brief moment passed. Then, to the esper's shock, a burning sound suddenly went through the air, and it sounded as if some high-pitched squeal was bent back in on itself. As it did, a blue light erupted from the focused part of the handle, and projected outward instantaneously. Within an instant, Terra was now holding a meter-long blue blade of energy. It blazed brightly and intensely, and Terra practiced waving it a few times. It made burning, cutting sounds through the air as she did so.

The esper was justly amazed. "Wow… I've never seen a sword like that in all my life…"

"Technically, it's not a sword." Terra answered. She did something to it, for the blue blade seemed to suddenly slide back down into the sheath, and vanish. The sound disappeared, and Terra began to tie the weapon to her side. "It's some sort of unique weapon we found. It focuses all of your inner energy into making a blade. The stronger you are, the stronger it is. When I turn into an esper, it becomes even longer and deadlier. It's called the Atma Weapon."

On hearing this, Bahamut wrinkled his brow in confusion. "Atma Weapon…didn't you say that was the creature you destroyed falling from Terratopolis?"

"Well…there were two made. One was the monster, and the other was this sword." Terra explained. "Ironically…this is what I used to kill the other one. At any rate, because its pure energy, it cuts through most blades and goes right for the enemy. It will come in useful."

Bahamut could hardly disagree. "I imagine…"

The woman finished fixing the sword to her own belt, and then turned and faced Bahamut. She inhaled deeply once, and then exhaled. "Alright…what now?"

"We should take care of matters around here first." Bahamut responded. "Once we are certain they can handle everything, we'll depart."

* * *

It took some time to get everything situated. First, Terra and Bahamut tried to make things as comfortable as possible for the children. They gave them another big breakfast, smiled and talked pleasantly, and tried to reassure them. It worked to some degree, but it was obvious they were still unnerved. Both of them still tensed when Athena struggled to eat. It was even worse as time went on, when she kept bumping into things and flailing about wildly, trying to find her way through the room and to her things. The two tried to help her adjust as best she could, and got the others to help out in this endeavor. It was going to have to be all of them working with Athena for a while.

Once the kids were situated for playing that morning, indoors this time, Bahamut and Terra went over to Duane and Katarin and explained that they were going out to find the person responsible for the attack and make sure he never did so again. But to that end, they would have to leave them alone. Katarin was a bit uneasy. Without Terra or Bahamut, an attack like the one the other night would have killed them all. None of them were exceptional fighters. However…Duane himself wanted to be able to prove that he could defend the ones he loved, especially his own wife and child. A part of him was upset that he hadn't run out and tackled the attackers the night before as Bahamut had, and he wanted to get back for that. Most of all, he wanted Bahamut to go out and strike back for what had happened. In the end, they would be ok with it for a while.

After that, as Terra prepared more of her own things, Bahamut went out to "secure the area". He first annihilated every monstrous fiend in a twenty mile radius, removing the foul subcreatures from the earth. Next, he began to take their bones and blood to make special wards. The espers had long since become well versed in all ways of "monsterology". In times of old, all espers, and many humans, knew how to construct special fields around small areas using these materials to ward off any creatures. Bahamut did so now, around the entire compound. Now, it wouldn't matter how intelligent these things were. They would be confronted with a paralyzing stench if they got within two hundred feet of the walls. It would induce such a sickening, nauseating feeling within them that they would either have to turn around or be immobilized by the sensation. It would only get worse as they got closer. Lastly, Bahamut cast numerous fortification spells on the walls, making them impervious to any threat.

When the esper returned, Terra had packed enough food for the both of them. She took a portion of their remaining money, but they carried no other camping gear or tents with them. She had fully dressed in her old red battle armor, light and flexible, and had her weapon at the ready. Duane and Katarin thought they would take chocobos, but to their surprise Bahamut dismissed that idea. He said that they would be faster without them. Neither of the young adults knew what that was supposed to mean, but it wasn't pressed.

Now it was time for goodbyes. Bahamut and Terra moved to each child and gave them a hug and a kiss. They reassured them that they would be back soon…that they were just going out to make the world safe again. Marcus and Essner were glad at hearing that, being the older and more adventurous types, and remembering how the world had changed for the better the last time their mom had left saying that. Still, the others were uneasy. They never liked saying goodbye to their caretakers. But the two preferred to do it now, in front of them, instead of waiting for when they went to sleep and slipping away then. That would only lead to more confusion the next morning. Bahamut gathered all of the children around to him once, and told them all that they would act out the very adventure that he and Terra were going on once theycame back, and that after this the children would never have to be afraid of monsters again. They liked this, although they missed them, and at last let him go. Terra hugged each one again individually, and finally got down to Athena.

As the girl rested her head on her shoulder, she asked a question. "You'll come back to us, won't you mama?"

"Death didn't stop me once from coming back, Athena." Terra answered with a smile. "It won't do it this time either."

At last, the group broke. Bahamut and Terra broke off. Bahamut was still dressed in his simple clothes and coat, while Terra had her long coat and boots on over the rest of her. Now, the two of them walked for the entrance. They looked behind and waved once more to the children they were leaving, but eventually they made it to the gate. Once they were there, they passed through, and left Duane to lock it behind them. After that, they marched back out onto the peninsula. The sun began to set, and the children went back in. After a few minutes, Mobliz began to vanish far behind them, and they stopped hearing any sounds coming from it. They were out into the wilderness, and now they were alone with each other in the wild.

They walked on a bit longer, until Mobliz had disappeared into a faint line on the horizon. It took about an hour, but that was alright for them. They wanted to make sure they were far enough away. After that, Bahamut and Terra both halted and turned to one another.

"Now…" Bahamut began. "Where is this Zozo?"

"Zozo is a den of thieves, robbers, murderers, liars, and monsters." Terra darkly replied. "It's no surprise to me that if who you're looking for is there that no one has noticed. Most people wouldn't be caught dead there. Ramuh hid there simply because no one would live long enough to find him."

"Sounds lovely." Bahamut darkly answered.

"The continent is big enough that we can land in a lot of places to get there." Terra went on. "But I think we should head to Maranda first."

This puzzled the esper. "Why?"

"So long as we're trying to clean out a place like Zozo, I thought we could maybe use more help." Terra answered. "Maranda is a pretty good place for finding carrier pigeons. We can get messages out quickly from there. I wanted to write to some old friends in Figaro and Kohlingen."

The esper frowned a bit at this. He didn't want more company. He'd just as soon have the two of them go and get it over with. They would have to wait even longer for more people to arrive, if this was what they wanted to do. However…he did trust Terra's judgment. And besides, she could have a point. Assuming the worst happened and some evil befell them, it was important for others to know what was going on. Humanity would have to be ready to strike against this in case he failed. Of course…he had no intention of failing, and Nireevyou was his personally. But it still wouldn't hurt. In the end, he sighed.

"Fine. Let's just get going."

Terra hesitated again at that. She looked around a bit, and then turned back to Bahamut. "How are we going to get there?"

Bahamut frowned a bit. "How do you think?"

The half esper hesitated at that. She got the meaning…but it unnerved her regardless. She looked down to the ground momentarily.

"…What's the matter?" Bahamut finally asked. "Are you still nervous?"

The young woman paused a bit longer. However, in the end, she shook her head. "…No. But I still didn't know we were going to do this… It's been a long time…"

Bahamut simply turned and walked a distance away from the woman. Once he had reached what he assumed to be a good range, he turned and looked back. The woman looked up at this and watched him. As for Bahamut, he cracked his neck once and twice, and then planted his feet.

"It's been quite a while since I've been this way…but it looks like you'll finally see my new body."

With that, Bahamut said the words in his head to induce change. Immediately, his clothing was ripped into shreds as his body bulged. A tail exploded out from behind him, and the skin on his back was stretched out at a strange angle before bursting, allowing two gigantic red foils to emerge. He continued to distort and enlarge, quickly spilling over the area he had placed around himself. Terra watched in shock, almost stumbling back as she saw this transformation. Her own was nothing compared to this. Now…she was stunned as she saw the strong man she had watched for months now turn into his true form…a massive, fearsome beast. As the last of Bahamut's shreds of clothing fell to the ground, he cracked his massive scaled limbs and rotated his tooth-filled jaw. Now, he was Neo Bahamut, brimming with power and as formidable looking as a mountain.

Slowly, he turned his head down to Terra. Even breathing from him now was awesome, blasting up huge clouds of dust at his feet, and spreading hot, moist air over everything. He spoke to her, but now his voice was tremendous and blasting. Again, Terra was stunned that she had actually been with this man… "Is something wrong?"

Terra blinked as she stared at him. "You… You're even bigger…more terrible…than what I saw when I used your magicite."

"I told you I was reborn into a stronger body." Bahamut simply answered. "Now it's your turn, unless you want me to carry you."

The woman blinked and hesitated a moment longer. But then, she slowly shook her head, and seemed to come out of it. The truth was, after seeing the massive change that Bahamut went through in his own esper form, her own body seemed rather mild by comparison. She hesitated again, but only long enough to inhale a deep breath and plant her arms at her sides. She closed her eyes and held for a moment. For the first time in nearly two years, she'd willingly be bringing her esper half out. She focused a bit longer inside her…before she felt her mind grasp the power that she bore within, that she had used to always miss before, and denied after she found it. Now…she freely brought it up.

The rays of light surrounded Terra again. Her aura blazed, and heat began to envelop her. Her hair fell loose, and began to grow fierce and free. Her eyes blazed with burning blue power. Her nails grew long and her face became bestial and cat-like. Finally, the rest of her body was enveloped in a burning pink glow. With that done, she cut off the power. She looked back down, and became normal again. Only now, she was wrapped in flame and blazing with power. Bahamut stared at her, and was justly amazed. Apparently, humans and espers made powerful hybrids. Terra's form would have given him a run for his money in his old body. He wondered if she even knew the full breadth of her power…

Both people…both espers…stared at each other a moment. They marveled at each other's bodies. They were so used to seeing each other as humans, this was almost bizarre. Bahamut hesitated, but then his great tooth-filled mouth grinned. "Kind of strange after all this time, isn't it?"

Terra inhaled once, seeming to still be a bit nervous about being in this form. The biggest part about turning into an esper that unsettled her was that her primal side _loved_ it. It yearned to flex its strength and might and to fly about fierce and free, especially the longer that Terra held it back. The more she denied it, the longer it wanted to stay out when she changed. She would be overcome by her own emotions and passions, and desired to just be a free-spirited, wild creature. It was because of that facet that she truly feared she was a monster when she changed for quite some time. Even now…she almost trembled with excitement to be filled with this new power.

"Yeah…" She answered with a nervous chuckle, her own voice seeming like she was a great predatory cat rather than a woman.

"I never told you this…" Bahamut went on after a moment. "…But you're beautiful in that body." A pause, and then an apology. "I mean…I love you as a human as well, and you're gorgeous there too…but you seem so vivid and free in that form. You have a natural beauty to you."

Terra's pink aura, if at all possible, seemed to turn a bit redder. She bowed her head a moment, but then looked up and back to Bahamut.

"I think I feel the same way about you like that. You're a terrible looking creature…and you look so horrific and monstrous… And yet…you have that inner beauty as well. You look beautiful because you're such a pinnacle of power and strength… It's like how people admire predators not because they're so savage but because they have some sort of poetry in motion about them…some sort of fluidity and perfection in strength and skill…"

Bahamut kept grinning. "I'll…take that as a compliment." He finally answered. "Well…shall we?"

Terra nodded with her own smile, showing off her sharp teeth. "Yes."

Moments later, the two powerful espers were tearing across the ocean at full speed, leaving the peninsula and Mobliz miles away.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	22. Confrontation

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

Yes, I'm still here. And I still have a bunch of chapters ready to go. But I have been delayed for a little while. The good news is (well...maybe it's bad news if you didn't like the movie) is now I have Advent Children and so I can correct the upcoming part of the story that is FFVII.

I'll admit, I did get a little disheartened. After having the chapters where Terra and Bahamut became engaged, I thought some people would be shocked or angry at me for doing it. The dead silence kind of confused me. And I have fallen off the wagon a little. But, I'm back again, and the story goes on.

* * *

Bahamut had no love of coffee or strong drinks in the morning. Hence, he found himself with relatively nothing to do other than sit in a chair in the lobby of the inn. There wasn't much going on that morning to stimulate him either. The innkeeper was tending to some duties at the counter, and one of the maids was sweeping the floor. But other than that, there was little to look at except for the roaring fireplace. The esper drummed his fingers against the tabletop and looked to the clock on the wall. It had been thirty minutes now, and still no sign of Terra.

The esper was, of course, back in human form. He didn't plan to return to his esper form until he was busting down Nireevyou's door. And right now, he found himself sitting in the front lobby of the town of Maranda. It was a much larger, nicer, and more beautiful town than Tzen, although it was still fairly on the small side. It was snow-covered here as well, and moving around was still a cold and miserable business. However, the weather was easing up a little now. Pretty soon, the first warm breezes of spring would come into the area and begin to work away at winter. Bahamut and Terra had arrived in Maranda three days ago, and had done little since then. Well…Bahamut hadn't, at least. Terra had been running around again.

First, she tried going to a local house to try and find one of her old accomplices. However, both he and the woman who lived there had departed close to a year ago now for Doma Castle, an area that was being rebuilt very slowly after the Collapse. With that turning up empty, Terra did as she said and wrote letters out to her other friends. She didn't write to all of them. Bahamut was too impatient to wait for all of them to gather back together, so she had to settle for just a few who could respond quickly. In truth, getting them all would take close to a month. One was on a distant, remote island, one lived in the middle of a savage wilderness, and one was somewhere in a frozen mountain chain that was lethal during winter. And those were just three. So she sent out the message for these and waited patiently… Terra was now out checking to see if any message had come back.

The esper had spent most of the past three days waiting here. He was beginning to regret agreeing to this. He was eager to get underway while his enemy would be affected by the element of surprise. The longer he waited, the sooner that he could wage a counterattack. Yet still he held his tongue. He could do little anyway, until Terra decided to lead him to Zozo. Before then, he'd never find his way.

At last, Bahamut caught the sound of the door opening. A small bell attached to it rang as it came open. The esper turned, and saw Terra come in. She quickly turned to the esper, and then ran across the hall toward him. He looked her over a moment, and saw that she was holding two papers in one hand, and had them raised as she ran forward. On seeing this, Bahamut already had a good idea of what had happened. She had come back empty handed the two days before. Was this good news, then?

"Well?" He called out to her.

"They got our message." Terra responded with some enthusiasm. "They wrote us replies. They came in early this morning." After finishing saying this, she stood right before the esper. She extended her hand to him and held the papers out. "Here."

The esper slowly reached out and took the papers from Terra's hand. They were simple and curled, from having been tied around a pigeon's leg. However, they were also much different. As he turned around and looked at them, he realized that one was made of good stationary and written in elegant handwriting. The other, the one on the bottom, was far cruder and made of much lower quality paper. The writing was far more blotted and reckless. At any rate, Bahamut ignored the second for the time being. He smoothed out the first and began to read it.

_Dearest Terra,_

Bahamut felt himself stiffen when he read that.

_Long have I waited to hear word from you. I have thought about you often both night and day, and feared that you might be alone and abandoned to some danger out on the wild. The thought of seeing you or your children hurt brings nameless fears to my heart. I weep at the thought of any horror befalling you. Words cannot express the longing I feel for your pain in the wake of this tragedy._

The esper felt his jaw tightening. Who was this creep? He sounded like some sort of poetic fop…and he didn't like how he was appealing to his fiancée. Men, whether old or young, human or esper…could all become slaves to a little ill-founded jealousy.

_As king of this realm, I have many pressing duties that demand my attention. However, rest assured, as always, my primary responsibilities are to the welfare of those dearest to me and to the protection of my realm. There is no workload or beaurucratic duty that will keep me from joining your side. On reading your letter, I immediately ordered my castle to make for South Figaro, so that I could commission a ship with which to arrive at Zozo's shore without delay. Do not fear, forI will be there shortly, and I look forward to gazing on your loveliness once again._

_Love,_

_Edgar Roni Figaro_

_P.S. The little shrimp is coming too. You know how he loves getting his hands dirty._

Bahamut now had a rather sour look on his face. He turned to Terra with a dark look. The woman, in response, rolled her eyes and sighed. She crossed her arms, shook her head, and reached over to take the message out of Bahamut's hands.

"I didn't tell him about you just yet." Terra tiredly explained. "I wasn't sure whether to tell the truth or the story we've been telling the kids. He thinks I'm still available. And he's a totally shameless flirt. He hits on every girl he meets. He nearly hit on a ten year old girl in our group…"

The esper still frowned. "I hope he's a better fighter than a romantic. He sounds like an imbecile to me…"

"He's really a brilliant engineer." Terra reassured. "And his twin brother is coming along too. He's one of the strongest men in the world…if not the strongest. I honestly don't know who would win in a fight between him and Cyan…"

Bahamut didn't answer. He just hoped that this next message would instill more confidence in him. He raised this message up next to read, but it took him a bit longer. It wasn't nearly as clearly and cleanly written as the first.

_Boy, Terra…you sure know when to cut it close, as always. We were just about ready to try again. Celes finished healing from her surgery, and in about a week, if we were successful, I would have had to say no. Or, at least, she would have had to stay behind. But, luckily, we're still good for right now. She may not have the edge she used to have, but she can still whoop my butt good in a fight. Just don't count on her using her Runic technique. Not that it matters anymore, though…_

_I'll find a way to get a boat from here, and then I'll be headed to Zozo as soon as possible. I have my ways of getting around, so we'll probably be there in no time. We may already be there by the time you get this. I hope to see you soon. Take care of yourself until we meet up._

Bahamut looked over this a moment. Well…at least this one seemed friendly. The language confused him somewhat, however. He didn't know what all of these things meant. He turned back to Terra and held the letter out to her. "What was he talking about when he started this message?"

Terra reached out to take the note…but hesitated when Bahamut said that. She swallowed a moment, but then took the note from his hand and began to put it away. She bowed her head a little and sighed. "…There were three generals in the Empire: Leo, Kefka, and Celes. The first one never believed in using magical power or technology to win wars. The other two, however…weren't really…'human'. They were both genetically engineered humans who were made into magitek cyborgs while still children. That was why Kefka bore magical power despite lacking magicite. However, though he was engineered to be more powerful…they hadn't perfected the augmenting process with him. It drove him crazy. They perfected it by the time they operated on Celes, however."

The esper raised an eyebrow to this. "So…this Celes was a general of the Empire?"

Terra slowly sighed. "I thought you'd be upset about this…" She murmured aloud. "Please believe me when I tell you she's a good person. We've never been especially close, but both of us know the author of this letter well and we've talked frequently about each other. She did some bad things for the Empire, but she didn't know it until it was too late. She and General Leo were both used by the Empire in the end, and the Emperor ended up betraying them both. When she did realize the true nature of what she was doing, she tried to stop it. She was in the middle of an invasion of South Figaro when she defected and tried to disobey orders to call it off. She was arrested in the end…and eventually she found our way into our ranks. She was the one who got us back together after the Collapse.

"Anyway, the thing is after magical power vanished, her cybernetic components shut down. Her body was starting to reject them, and she got very sick. She's undergone a series of operations to have them removed. Luckily, the researcher who did them is still around, and he was able to reverse most of it. She's a normal woman now. However, she was waiting for her wounds to heal so that she could attempt to have a child with her husband… It looks like they were just about to do it when they got my message."

Terra looked up to Bahamut at that. She saw that the esper was still staring at her. She sighed again.

"I swear…neither she, nor any of us, knew that she had gotten her power from esper energy."

The esper stared back a moment longer. However, in the end, he gave a nod. "Alright. I trust you, Terra. If you say that is so, then I'll believe it."

Terra nodded back in response. She then folded up the messages and put them away in her coat pocket. After doing that, she looked back up and sighed.

"Well…they're all coming. I guess that means we don't have to stay here any more. We should probably get going toward Zozo."

Bahamut stared back a moment, but then gave a ready nod. "Yes. The sooner this is over and done with, the better."

"Then let's eat some breakfast first." Terra responded. "Then we'll rent some chocobos and get over to Zozo. It will still take two days even on them. By the time we get there, everyone else should have arrived."

* * *

Bahamut and Terra soon left Maranda behind. Now on the backs of chocobos, they made their way along the peninsula west. It was a long, lonely ride. Most of the creatures in the area were savage, however, and Bahamut wanted to conserve all of his strength for when they got there. After all…he didn't know what to expect. It had been a while since he had done this sort of thing. He hadn't actually gone into an enemy's lair for some time. Usually he just observed. This was an interesting experience indeed…and it made him nervous. He was actually about to go into battle for the first time in centuries. And there was always a risk involved in things like this. And even if he couldn't fear for himself…there would be others with him, ones far more vulnerable and mortal. This was enough to upset him for certain…

The esper tried to focus on the battle to come over the two days. He had to keep himself ready. It had been a while since he had been in battle, but now he had to make sure to strike and strike hard. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes as he used to in the past. He had to clear his mind of all doubt and confusion and attack. The only thing that mattered was eliminating his foes. Nothing else did. He forgot about his bonds to other espers or ancient creatures. That didn't matter anymore. They had thrown off their worth for pity when they embarked on this demented quest, and there was no way to still the anger that they now felt. They had to either surrender or die, or they would hurt more innocent people…perhaps even kill them. And he couldn't let them become strong enough to do worse than what they had done to his home.

As described, there was no one on the roads now. Maranda had issued some warnings about traveling on this path, but Bahamut had seen that none of the populace even considered traveling this road anymore. It was far too dangerous. That left it fairly open to him and Terra, and without attracting notice. He kept scanning the whole time, looking for signs of any enemy coming to stop them. He saw none, and he saw no sign of any high energy readings for scouts. That could be good or bad. There could be spies watching them, and they were simply too low energy to be worthy of Bahamut's notice. He hadn't the time to search each one individually. They came to the end of the first peninsula and began to go north after that a short distance before they went down to rest. Their night was uneventful, and nothing came to try and stop them. The next morning, they were up bright and early and continued. They crossed the rest of the peninsula and reached Jidoor. They didn't bother going there, but turned northeast soon after, now on the mainland. As they did, Bahamut noticed that mountains began to loom in the distance. They were all dark, tall, and forboding, especially in winter. A grim cloud seemed to be around them, and they looked sharp and daggerlike as they scraped the winter sky. Even Great Bahamut found himself unsettled by them… They headed straight for them for a few miles, but once they reached the foot they turned again, and began to go around the dark giants, making their way slowly around and to the north.

The dark cloud didn't let up as they continued to go around. Bahamut felt uneasy again as they went on, fearing what was coming. Eventually, they managed to round the mountain chain enough to be going fully north, and that is the direction they went in now. For a few more hours, they passed alongside the mountain range and headed further north. When they did, Bahamut began to grow conscious that the mountain chain seemed to dip inward up ahead, making a small enclave within the mountains. Within that, Terra explained, was there Zozo was, cut off from the rest of the world. It was darker back there…and the sky began to grow more dreary as they continued onward. But by then, night fell, and they were forced to rest again to be fresh and alert the next morning. Bahamut was nervous about this. He suspected they could be attacked during the night. Fortunately, they weren't…but rather than sit easy with the great esper it only made him more suspicious…

At last, morning came on the next day. It was hard to see at first. It was still dark out, and it looked as if rain wasn't far off by now. Terra muttered at this, saying that it always rained whenever they went to Zozo. The esper wasn't too fond of it either, but he and Terra nevertheless gathered their things together and moved out once again on their rides. This time, as they went north, and began to move perpendicular to the great enclave, they actually moved away from the dark mountains and more to the fields that surrounded the area. As they continued to come that way, Bahamut looked to his left and saw the opening in the mountains become more and more clear. He began to detect some sort of building structure up the side of one mountain…but most of it was still hidden, far away, and shrouded with darkness. It was an unsettling sight. Everything was covered with fog, and had such a dark and gothic look to it that one would think they were looking at the dwelling of an old vampire or something. Even he felt a chill as he looked at it. He didn't scan it yet…but he already had a bad feeling.

"There they are."

That sound from Terra got Bahamut's attention. He turned back around and looked away from the dark sight to the field before him. There, perched around a fault that had burst forth during the Collapse, were a pair of tents. One was far shabbier and dirtier than the other, but they were both in good shape. One bore a spear head as a standard over it, while the other had some sort of mock iron crown on the top of it. Apparently, Terra's friends enjoyed decorating their dwellings. The woman explained that they always did this on the field so they knew who was who. She herself would put a red ribbon over the top of her tents. They were distant at first. However, as the two came closer, the tents opened, and out came four individuals. They turned and faced the two as they continued to come, and Bahamut saw smiles spread on their faces at seeing the half esper. At last, the chocobos came right into the midst of this camp, and were pulled to a halt. Bahamut and Terra both dismounted, and faced the group that had awaited them.

The esper looked them over to get an initial impression. One of them was a somewhat lanky, lithe man, dressed only in loose clothing despite how late in the year it was. He had the same light shirt and vest combination that Bahamut had first worn. His hair was mostly tied back by a bandanna. Close to him was a woman who looked no older than Terra. She was somewhat strange looking. Her features were tight and flawless, and her skin seemed to be pale almost to the point of whiteness. Her shimmering blond hair was without the slightest imperfection, and she was dressed in light, close-to-the-body plate armor with a white cape/coat over it. Most of all…Bahamut noticed that her exposed skin was crisscrossed with very old and deep scars. Next there was a person who had all the nice attire, clean features, and straight tied back hair of a very rich nobleman. He carried himself with a proper air and a pleasant expression, but also reminded Bahamut of some fictional romantic. He bore a much thicker cape/coat…and this one shifted slowly, as if a great many things were beneath it. Finally, there was the last. Although he had the same face and height as the other, the similarities ended there. On smelling the air, Bahamut immediately realized they were twins, but vastly different. The last was far more rugged, and he was built up with close to a hundred pounds of muscle. His clothing was also very loose and nearly ripped by his huge body.

The four didn't hesitate long. The first stepped forward the moment that Terra dismounted, and greeted her with a smile. "You finally made it."

Terra smiled back as she stepped forward, and the two of them embraced. Bahamut knew it was a gesture between two old friends…but having never been in love before he felt jealousy burn in his stomach for a moment. Yet he didn't have to worry about that long. Terra soon broke from the man, and turned and embraced the woman. After that…Bahamut grit his teeth as he saw the romantic gracefully bow and nearly kiss Terra's hand, before she pulled it out of his grasp and shook his hand instead. Finally, she moved to the last, and gave him a hug, seeming to shock the third man a bit…before she too was mildly crushed under his massive body. But after the greetings were over, the others slowly began to turn to Bahamut. When they did…they stared at him in some puzzlement.

"And who is this…?" The third man addressed, looking over Bahamut suspiciously.

Terra reacted to that. She paused a moment, wondering how to best do this. In the end, she slightly turned behind her and gestured to him. "This is B…um…er…"

"Tumahab." Bahamut answered, nearly snapping at the third man, who continued to earn his distrust. "Her fi-"

However, before Bahamut could finish that, Terra quickly elbowed him. It shut him up in a hurry, for it had enough power even to stun his body. However, he looked down in puzzlement at Terra at that. The woman didn't bother turning around…but he soon began to realize why she had done that, and had to admit she was right. None of these people had heard from Terra in a year. No doubt, to suddenly announce when they saw a strange man with her and that she was marrying him would cause some confusion and bewilderment. They could get to this later.

"He's been helping out at Mobliz for close to a year now." Terra continued. "He's great with the kids. And he's a good fighter. He's come to help us."

The four continued to eye this man suspiciously for a moment. This seemed unusual to them. True, they didn't know what Terra had been doing for quite a while…but to see someone strange suddenly with her, who obviously had her trust, was a bit of a stretch. In the end, the first man swallowed, and then began to walk up to him. Once he was in range, he managed a smile and extended a hand to him.

"Well…hello there, Mr. Tumahab. I'm Locke. Locke Cole."

Bahamut hesitated a moment. However, this one was amiable enough. He was a bit distrustful of strange characters, but luckily an esper like him could easily smell and sense true intentions, and saw that this man had pure ones. That was a bit surprising to him, considering how Terra had told him something about him. However, he extended his own hand and shook. Locke, nevertheless, soon grimaced…for even as a human Bahamut's grip was like iron.

"Hello. Terra has told me about you. You're the thief, correct?"

In response, the man immediately turned red. His face became angry, and he turned to Terra with an almost pouting look. "You told him I was a thief!" He outburst at her, causing the woman to innocently shrug. "How many times do I have to tell everyone! I'm a treasure hunter!"

"_Ex_-treasure hunter." The woman behind him suddenly spoke up, beginning to walk forward toward him. When she did, Locke paled a little, and extruded his hand from Bahamut. Meanwhile, the woman slid in behind Locke and formed a teasing smile. She put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in close to his ear to speak in a near whisper. "Unless you haven't been out on trading trips all those times you tell me you have to leave for a few days."

Locke grinned sheepishly, and scratched the back of his head. He began to sweat. "Um…yeah. That's it. Keep forgetting…heh."

Bahamut looked to this woman now…and struggled not to lose his pleasant expression. He reminded himself again that if Terra said she was alright, she was alright. After all, he had been distrustful of the half esper at first as well.

"…General Celes, I presume?"

The woman stiffened at that. Her own smile faded, and Bahamut detected the apprehension at that title. "…I stopped being a general some time ago, Mr. Tumahab." She answered back with an expressionless look. "And the nation I operated under is no more. My name is Celes Cole."

Bahamut saw that he had struck a raw nerve with that, and the reaction of the woman was so strong and restrained that he himself was taken a bit aback. And so, he resumed his smile and gave a nod. "My apologies. So…" He looked from Locke to Celes real quickly. "You two are married?"

"Yes." Celes flatly answered, her own look still rather hard and expressionless. Bahamut didn't show it, but he swallowed within. Great. He was already creating bad blood between the group members. In all fairness, he hadn't tried to be very accepting first though. He had to watch that a bit more. His smile faltered a bit, and he decided to look away and turn to the next member. That was unfortunate, however…for this is the one who held the far majority of his apprehension and distrust.

At any rate, this man gave a more masculine, less grand bow to Tumahab. "I am Edgar, King of Figaro." He stated simply, not filling it with any more fluff or dialogue as he had with Terra. In fact, he now acted mostly like just a normal person. Obviously, it seemed like he was saving most of his patter for the ladies.

Bahamut looked back to him a moment. "A king? Well…shouldn't you be taking care of your subjects right now, like a responsible ruler?"

Terra turned and gave a frown to Bahamut at that. However, that was nothing compared to how the big guy reacted. Suddenly, he stepped forward and put himself in between Bahamut and his twin. He glared at him darkly, and actually shoved him a little in the chest.

"Hey…if you have a problem with my big brother, you've got one with me."

_There's an ironic statement if I've ever heard one. _Bahamut thought, as he saw how massive this one was compared to his twin. However, the king, a bit unsettled at first, nevertheless reached out and placed his hand on his twin's shoulder. The bigger one bristled a bit longer, turning back to him, and then back to Bahamut. But finally, with a dark look, he moved to one side. With that done, Edgar stepped forward again.

"I think I can best take care of my subjects by personally handling the potential threat, rather than sit in a comfortable throne and order my army to die for me. Wouldn't you agree?"

Bahamut was forced to pause at that. In truth…he had just played a pot calling the kettle black. After all, he always preferred to deal with things personally rather than send other espers out to do them when he was king. And now, he earned a dark look from Terra, and an additional elbow in the side. The esper frowned a bit. He was quickly burning bridges before he had a chance to even build them. He had to relax a bit more before he earned the chagrin of the entire assembly.

With that done, Bahamut turned to the last man. He crossed his arms and gave him a glare, not bothering to extend any greetings at the moment. He didn't even offer his name. In the end, however, Edgar gestured to him and announced him. "This is my twin brother, Sabin."

Bahamut was about to throw out a comment asking if a few seconds of birth differences led Edgar to become the rich, elegant noble before him while Sabin was the hard-skinned, impoverished looking "second born". However, he decided against it. Obviously, Sabin loved his brother, and if he threw out another comment like that he might be forced to take a human's punch in the mouth. And so, he merely turned to the man and gave a short nod. It wasn't returned. Grimacing a bit, Bahamut turned away and back to Terra.

The woman sighed a bit herself, not liking how they were getting off on the wrong foot. However, she looked back to everyone again. "So…" Locke suddenly announced. "What exactly are we dealing with here? You said something along the lines of monsters actually organizing."

"That sounds almost like stuff out of the fairy tales I heard as a kid." Edgar added. "I mean…with monsters actually being intelligent enough to get together and organize. Usually, we only run into dim-witted beasts…with a few exceptions. Then again…considering what we've been through with the espers, I suppose we should be ready to believe in anything."

"I assure you, these creatures are organized." Bahamut replied, his own voice growing serious. "In ages past, espers interbred with many other species at times, producing bloodlines that possessed intelligence. There were also many foul experiments done through the ages that produced beings of similar nature. As of late, the world has grown very inhospitable for them, what with humanity nearly dominating everything on Gaia. However, they have found a leader who will organize them…and is now directing their collective hatred of humanity toward war. If left unchecked, they will eventually wage war."

The others stared back at Bahamut at this, a bit distrusting of how strange this sounded, but at the same time unable to shake the seriousness of the esper's voice. Sabin tightened his arms and glared at him a bit. "And how do _you_ happen to know all of this?" He finally asked. "What makes you so special? I've never even seen you before, and I've been to every town in the world."

Bahamut was untroubled by this statement. "It doesn't matter how I know. What matters is how you are going to deal with it. Suffice to say, Terra knows how I know this, and she trusts me, just as I trust you without fully knowing all of you based on what she has said. However, this next part I know because Ireceived it from one of my attackers. They are being led by an esper."

Now, the four others did react in surprise, backing up a bit and gaping at Bahamut.

"An esper?" Celes echoed.

"That can't be possible." Edgar added. "When we destroyed the three statues…"

"I don't want to go into detail about why it does not matter that they were destroyed, but again, the long and short is that because this esper was still alive, he did not disappear. There is much about the nature of magic and energy flow involved in this, and the distinctness from the Planet's energy and the soul, both of which humanity has little concept of."

Locke raised an eyebrow to this. "And you do, I'm guessing?"

"I do." Bahamut simply answered.

"Yet…you aren't willing to share any of this with us?" Celes added.

"I only told you so that you would be ready." Bahamut responded. "This is a creature more dangerous than any common monster, and it will still have the ability to use magical powers, unlike the rest of you. That could cause some problems. This thing should not turn into magicite once it is dead, so you don't have to worry about anyone else taking its powers for themselves. But killing it will still be a problem, and it won't be easy."

The group hesitated at that. They stared at Bahamut uneasily. They were all still very distrustful of him. This didn't seem to make sense. Who was this strange man? Why did Terra trust him? And how did he know all of these things? If he was a researcher on espers, he should have been in Vector. They had all the scientists, and even Engineer Cid's theories had been incorrect about most of esper knowledge. Furthermore…after seeing what had happened to all of the shards of magicite, it was ridiculous to believe that any esper still lived. None of them believed that part, and were only made more apprehensive when Bahamut refused to elaborate on it. If it was just Bahamut, they might have turned and left. But because Terra was here, and because she trusted him, they admitted that had to count for something. Still…none of them trusted Bahamut that much, and began to question Terra's trust in him. They would be watching them… Yet in the end, they caved in.

"Well…alright then." Locke finally answered with a shrug. "I'll be game for this."

"Me too." Celes answered.

"It'd be too rude of me to neglect to assist a lady." Edgar added…making Bahamut growl under his breath.

"And I guess that counts me in too." Sabin finally added, although grudgingly. "Let's get in there and kick his ass."

At this, however, Edgar suddenly made a halting gesture. "Hold on one moment first. This is a chance to test out a function on one of my inventions."

With that, the king drew back his coat and reached down inside it. Bahamut watched him, but was able to see little beneath it. However, a moment later, Edgar came back out wielding some sort of strange machine with a few lenses on it. Taking this device, he immediately raised it up to his head and began to fasten it alongside it. The esper looked at this in puzzlement, not having much of a concept or love for human devices. However, even if he didn't, he would have been confused at the level of sophistication that Edgar's inventions displayed. The others looked to him in intrigue as well.

"Isn't that your old Debilitator device?" Terra asked.

"Debilitator?" Bahamut asked in genuine puzzlement.

"It is." Edgar returned as he took a long cable from this device and fastened it to his waist, which appeared to connect to another device. "I've just added some extra features to it. I always enjoyed using the ability to scan my opponents when we could use magic, and sense I lost it I've been trying to get it back. To that end, I've perfected this device. It will enable me to see how strong an opponent is before we encounter it. I also thought it might be interesting to see how good we are after all this time."

Edgar finished plugging this cable into the other device, and adjusted a few switches. After he did, a sort of whining sound emitted from the machine, causing Bahamut to recoil. Was it going to explode? Or was it alive? Neither was true, of course. A few lights turned on around the edges of the machine, and the lens that was now positioned over one of Edgar's eyes began to contract and expand. It amazed the esper, who leaned in again and gazed at it in intrigue. Edgar began to look around the others for a moment. In the end, he turned his head to Celes first. She leapt back a bit, thinking that Edgar was going to shoot her with some strange device. However, he simply pressed a button on the side of his device instead.

"Alright…Celes, you're at 3,002."

The female warrior looked back at him a moment and blinked. "3,002? 3,002 what?"

"Oh, those are just the energy units that I've set up." The king responded. "For reference, the typical adult male has about 100."

"Oh, really?" Celes asked in pleasant surprise, seeing how much higher she was than a typical person. With that, she struck a little pose, showing off her pride with herself, as she did from time to time at events like this.

"How strong are you, big brother?" Sabin asked after a moment.

"Well…let's find out." He answered, reaching up to his head and slowly and carefully removing the device. Very carefully, he went over and placed it on Sabin's own head, a bit to the confusion of the bigger man. Once it was there, he shifted it so that the lens was over his own eye, and he stayed close to keep from ripping it off by the cable.

"Whoa…everything's green in one eye…"

"That's just the lens. Now, just look right at me…"

"Uh-huh…"

"And reach up and press that button."

"This one…?"

"No! That one!"

"Oh, ok."

Sabin finally pressed the right button after making Edgar sweat a moment. His younger brother wasn't nearly so mechanically inclined. After a moment, he looked a bit puzzled. "Hey…there's a number over here…"

"Yes, what's it say?"

"2,889."

Celes was a bit surprised. "What? You're that close to me?"

Edgar quickly began to remove the device from Sabin's head, not wishing to push his luck. "Well…you're not the cyborg you used to be, Celes. If you still had the magitek power, you'd be a lot stronger than how you are now. And the magicite helped us all to get radically stronger."

The ex-general still frowned a bit at this, having lost her reason to boast so easily. After that, Edgar reattached the device on his head, and turned around to look to Locke. "Alright, your turn, Locke."

The thief developed a smug smile, drew his dagger, and made a bit of a dangerous pose. Edgar once again pressed the button. After he did…he quickly stifled a snicker. He struggled not to laugh as he read the value.

"…1,438."

Locke's face immediately fell and turned bright red. Both Sabin and Edgar had to put their hands to their mouths and struggle not to laugh. Celes herself tried to suppress a smile, seeing as that meant that she was over twice as strong as her husband. Slowly, Locke put his dagger back in his pocket and began to look smaller as he turned around in place.

After a few moments, they recovered. Edgar looked back up again. "Alright…your turn, Terra."

The woman reacted a bit to that. "Me? Well…alright."

Edgar soon focused the lens on her yet. The button was once again pressed, and the machine reacted. When it finished, Edgar's eyes expanded slightly in a look of being impressed.

"Not bad…3,460."

The others turned and looked to that as well, surprised to see that Terra had the highest rating among them all so far. They expected Celes to be able to outdo her at least. Since Terra had "become human", they thought that her strength would be much lower. Evidently, they were wrong. Terra herself blushed a bit. Bahamut looked at her, and cracked a knowing smile. The truth was, she still _did_ have her powers, including her magical ones. What more, when she turned into an esper, there was no telling how high that little device would go.

"That's pretty good, Terra." Locke mentioned. "You must have still been practicing."

"Well…not really…" Terra managed to half-mumble in reply.

"Alright…now for the big one." Edgar finally stated. He turned away from Terra and focused on his "little" brother. Once there, Sabin flexed and showed off his own strength for a moment in one of his own poses. Edgar pressed the button again. It took the machine longer than anyone before in order to calculate the true value. In the end, Edgar looked pleasantly amazed.

"And…the winner is…Sabin at 4,024."

The muscle-bound man grinned a bit and chuckled at his own rating. "Maybe I've been overdoing it a bit… Though I know Terra could still give me a run for my money if I'm just that high."

"…And what about me?"

Everyone paused at that, and turned to who had spoken. Standing their simply…but having a bit of his own ego stoked by this exchange…was Bahamut. He looked perfectly innocent and calm, but did look to them with some anticipation. Terra hesitated a moment, wondering what was going to come from this. The others had their looks of some apprehension return toward the strange man.

"I'd like to see my level of power as well." Bahamut simply stated.

The group paused a bit longer. However, in the end, it seemed simple enough. Edgar at last gave a shrug. "Alright…" He answered, before turning to him, focusing him in the lens, and pressing the button.

A few moments of silence went by. During that time, the device continued to beep and register. Everyone stood and waited. Edgar himself was calm looking at first…but then he began to look confused. He grew progressively more so as time went on. His mouth began to slacken as he stared at the number on his machine. Sabin, not understanding it wasn't finished, finally took a step forward and called out. "So what is he at, already?"

"6,000…and rising…" Edgar slowly responded.

Now, it was everyone else's turn to react. He was already stronger than Sabin. They turned and looked to Bahamut, who simply stood there very calmly in response. He scratched the side of his face but continued to stand and wait. As he did, Edgar continued to gape at the machine…which only continued to beep.

"Passing 7,000…8,000…9,000…" He hesitated, and then truly sounded shocked. "10,000…! I thought it was physically impossible for a human to break that barrier…"

Bahamut merely breathed on his knuckles and rubbed them against his chest. By now, everyone but Terra was considerable shocked at Bahamut's level of power. They began to actually back away from him, staring at him in mixtures of surprise and fear that something could be that strong. Yet Edgar only continued to read off numbers.

"12,000…13,000…14,000…"

Terra began to sweat a little herself now, fearing that this would only upset the others. Edgar began to fiddle with his device, trying to see if it was broken. The others stared uneasily at Bahamut. By now, he could beat them all single-handedly. However, he didn't look at all surprised by these numbers, and continued to stand as they continued to ascend.

"18,000…19,000…20,000…!"

"Brother…are you sure you're reading that right?" Sabin asked, sounding totally disbelieving.

Yet still there was silence as Bahamut's massive power was revealed. It lasted a bit longer. But then, at long last, the machine stopped running. Edgar put a hand up to it. It was hot now. Any more, and it might have overheated. However, he was nearly apoplectic at the rating he saw. He might want to deny it like the others, but unlike the others he knew his machine was reading right. He built it, after all. Swallowing a bit, he read the final value.

"…23,565."

The others were stunned into silence. They had a good grasp of each other's abilities, and they knew that their own powers had to be comparible to the numbers that Edgar had given them. But to see this new stranger at such a high level… It astonished them all. Who was this person anyway? How could he attain such a level of strength, and yet have never made himself known until now? Bahamut himself stood calmly throughout all of this. When he saw the others staring at him, he merely gave them a shrug.

"Well…I do get a lot of exercise. And I don't smoke."

The others stared at him blankly in response.

Seeing a need to put an end to this, Terra immediately stepped forward. "Alright now…that's enough of that. We need to get going. Let's move out into Zozo."

She turned and immediately made to go that way. Bahamut soon turned and followed after her. The others continued to hold back. Now, they had a new reason to be nervous about this new individual. There was little doubt in Edgar's mind that this was something nonhuman. As he had said before, every theory confirmed that a human body wasn't capable, under its own power, of breaking a rating of 9,999. If that was correct…then what did that make this new person? Who was he anyway? And why was Terra warming up to him so much? What had been going on in the past year?

None of them knew. They only felt even more earnest to keep an eye on Bahamut now. With that in mind, they slowly began to walk after them.

* * *

The old spell of bad luck seemed to hold true for them. It was raining again when they entered Zozo.

Bahamut had felt more chills as he passed into the ring of mountains. It was very forboding…and cold. An icy wind kept whipping past them. It was uncomfortable even for him, and most of his group huddled in their own capes and cloaks. Only Sabin seemed to be able to weather it. There was nothing growing around here. No trees, no grass…no plants of any kind. Only the cracked, ruined plain greeted them as they made their way onward. There were no sentries or people either. Just ruined wagons that had long since been pillaged, and a few hastily painted messages warning away anyone. However, those had been there since prior to the Collapse. Zozo was never a place anyone willingly went. The sky continued to grow darker and darker as they passed into the cold mountains, almost seeming to turn the place into night. Bahamut wasn't sure if it was time for the sun to go down yet, but it didn't seem to matter much.

It still stayed above freezing, which was somewhat of a mixed blessing. If it hadn't…when the rain started to fall, it might have come in easy-to-brush-off flakes. Instead, soon it swelled from a drizzle to a downpour, and freezing cold rain drummed down on all of them. Even Sabin took out a battered rag of a cloak to put over his head at that point, and Bahamut was glad for his own wide hat. Mist rose up from their mouths into the wet, cold, virtual night as they marched on deeper into this silent, lifeless valley. Mountains began to enclose them on all sides, looming tall and dark in the already bleak environment. It sucked the enthusiasm and joy out of anyone who came into this place optimistically. Bahamut was nearly disgusted by it as he sloshed through mud. What manner of dark city was this? What sort of hive of filth and wickedness could this sort of place hold? Had someone once built it with good in mind? Or was it always this grim?

At last, the group began to pass into the main streets of Zozo, navigating their way in between a small rocky channel. Bahamut looked up despite the cold rain to see how it was. The mountains hugged the town tight on every side, and a mist from them hovered low over it, plunging the town into a perpetual night as well as this horrible rainstorm. With little room to spread out, most of the town was built up instead. Huge buildings, stretching up for hundreds of feet, went into the sky everywhere, crowded around smaller, stone covered streets. Many of the streets were in ruins now, but at one time all of them had been paved, and had railings on the sides along with pavement there. That appeared to be for walkways. Old pictures and advertisements, rotted with age of countless years and in languages that Bahamut couldn't understand, hung from every street. To be honest…this city looked advanced to the esper. More advanced than any basic human city he had seen until now. It incorporated architecture that was beyond the common homes and houses he saw everywhere he went. The question was, how come it was rotting away here like an ages old ruin? Perhaps this town was yet another relic from the War of the Magi…

"I don't like this." Celes suddenly remarked, as they began to walk into the midst of these great skyscraping buildings.

Bahamut gave a shrug. "It is dreary, but at least we haven't run into anything yet."

"That's just it." Locke responded. "Until now, we haven't been able to set foot in Zozo without being attacked by no less than six muggers. Where is everyone?"

Bahamut didn't answer that. After all…there were only bad answers that seemed likely possibilities. Instead, he turned and continued to walk onward. They all did so, although they looked around a bit more at the buildings and streets, for any signs of life or spies…all the while growing a bit more uneasy about this entire setup…

"Heh heh heh…well, look who's still alive."

Bahamut immediately turned and snapped his head upward to the sound of that voice. It was coming from over them, most likely from one of the buildings. In another moment, he would have focused on it. But then, he turned back, for he noticed that the others had frozen on hearing it. What more…dark looks began to come over their faces as they stood there, and somewhat tired expressions…

"What's wrong?" He addressed.

"We know that laugh…" Terra darkly answered, almost sounding a little tired.

With that, the six of them turned up to the voice. Now, they did focus on the source of it. Bahamut himself frowned a bit. Curling halfway over a railing, gnashing gigantic, slime-dripping teeth, and looking to be the perfect picture of cruelty and maliciousness, was a fat, purple octopus. Of course, it couldn't be a true octopus. They couldn't run around on land like this. It had to be some descent from an esper-like creature. At any rate, its huge eyes flashed with wickedness, and it menacingly tightened its huge tentacles around the railing as it stared down at them.

"I could say the same for you, Slimeball." Sabin shot back to the octopus creature.

"Why did you decide to go solo?" Locke called up to the thing, seeing it was alone. "Did Chupon get as annoyed with you as we did?"

The octopus grit his teeth at that, seeming to be rather irritated with them for the insults. "It's not like I need his help to squeeze your guts out and use them for shortening…but suffice to say after Lord Nireevyou busted us out of the Colosseum, he decided to mouth off one day to the big man. And by the way…" Here, he grinned wide again. "You'd all do very well to be scared of a guy who smacks away Mr. Chupon's sneezes, and then comes forward to turn him inside out…literally."

Bahamut wasn't at all intimidated by this. The ugly creature above him seemed to be a meaningless braggart. However…he noticed that the others changed at that. They all stiffened in response to this, and seemed a bit surprised at what he had said. On seeing this, Bahamut turned down to Terra. "What is he talking about?" He asked her quietly.

"Chupon was Ultros'…his...fighting partner. We fought with him a lot before the Colosseum was destroyed. No matter how strong we became…we could never beat him, because he would always blow his opponent away with his sneeze attack before one could get close to defeating him. I didn't think anything could kill him because of that…"

The esper frowned a bit at this. However…he was also a bit intrigued. He had never heard of such an attack before…save in one individual. There was this one esper he knew of right before he departed Gaia…who seemed to do a similar move when he got tired of fighting. But that one's name hadn't been Chupon… At any rate, he shrugged it off for now. It was irrelevant. His main concern now was focusing on this "Ultros" character.

"How about you get down here?" Sabin challenged. "I still owe you for the Lete River _and_ the Airship. And without you're little buddy here to help you, you're all mine."

"Heh. And without your magic, and your ability to use fire against me," Ultros sneered in response. "You're all just a six course meal. Luckily for all of you, I'm feeling a bit full this evening, and so I think I'll just introduce my friends."

Edgar raised an eyebrow at that. "…Friends?"

Bahamut, however, called out to the creature. "We have no interest in you or any other creature here, save for your Lord Nireevyou. Bring him out here."

"Oh? Who have we here?" Ultros remarked on hearing this, turning his attention to the new arrival. "New meat, it looks like. Though with all that white hair, he looks a little stringy for me. Well, ol' geezer, I'm afraid that's not how it works. Lord Nireevyou is a very busy man, so he's arranged for his lead guardians, the strongest of all his fighters, to handle all personal calls. Now me? I'm naturally the best out of them all. But let me introduce the others…"

With that, one of the windows of the building was suddenly kicked in. The group turned their attention to that, and soon saw a figure leap out and stand on the awning. He was an ugly, pudgy creature, dressed in clothing far too tight for it. His whole body was bright red, and his face had so much fat his eyes were nearly squished. He was bald save for a single tuft of hair that stuck out at the top, and his body was covered with belts that had small oddly shaped devices in them. His fat face smiled as he posed in victory.

"Duke of demolition, Manzan…"

Another window broke after that, on another building, prompting the group to turn and look to see the new sight. This time, it was a tall, lanky creature. Its arms and legs were both longer than its torso, and its fingers appeared to have more joints than normal in them. His nose was long and curved, and his head appeared to be bent back in a similar curve. His body was some putrid yellow, although mottled with black blotches that appeared to be old burns and scars. He reached into his sides with a smile and pulled out a pair of giant boomerangs, which would take a normal person their whole body to handle, but took him only one hand apiece.

"Lord of long-range, Platno…"

Yet another entrance was signified with breaking glass, and out popped yet another figure. This one was huge. Yet all of his muscles were rounded, almost as if he was made out of a multitude of balls rather than actual muscles. They connected well enough, however, and as he grinned and flexed he made them bulge. He was easily the largest of all, and didn't appear to have any clothes on that would possibly fit his gigantic body. He cracked his massive, ball-composed fists and grinned out of a great circular jaw at his foes below. His whole body was a bright orange color.

"Sultan of smash, Anaranda…"

Finally, the glass broke two floors underneath Ultros. Making the grandest entrance, sweeping a cape around himself and looking both proud and debonair as he stepped out, was the last. He looked fairly humanoid shape as opposed to the others, although he was much taller. His neck was thicker, seeming to extend directly from his head down into his shoulders. He had long hair that was combed so that half of it covered his face, and he dressed himself in elegant clothing as he drew himself up before the others. His look was smug and confident, and his skin was a bright violet.

"And last but not least… Prince of pain, Chile!"

The five warriors looked down on the six. For a moment, there was silence as they stared at each other, and the softly falling rain was the only sound anyone heard. Bahamut reached out and scanned each of these individuals. As indicated by their order, they ascended in strength stepwise, with the red one being a pushover, and the octopus being the strongest. Of course, that was all relative. Bahamut realized he could take them all on at once. This wouldn't be a problem…just a delay.

Terra drew Atma Weapon and ignited it. Celes soon joined her with her own glorious blade, which actually caught Bahamut's eye for a moment. On looking to it, he saw it was none other than Ragnarok. He chuckled inwardly at the thought. So…the legendary blade of the espers had found its way back into the hands of those who fought with him now. How interesting… Locke drew his own blade, which, unknown to Bahamut, was no weak matter either. It was the Gradeus, the strongest knife in the world, made of a metal so refined the knowledge had been lost with the War of the Magi, and now had no equal. Sabin adjusted a pair of claws over his hands that looked like modified tiger fangs to Bahamut, but he looked to use some different attack besides them… Finally, Edgar reached into his coat again, and pulled out a tremendous device. It looked to Bahamut like some sort of crossbow…but it was so heavily modified he couldn't tell what it was. The king leveled it against his gaze and aimed for the nearest target, however. With this done, Bahamut turned back to them and cracked his neck.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Ultros, that you are still outnumbered." He simply said to him. "I strongly suggest you surrender, before you make us angry."

Ultros snorted at him. "We have a regular egomaniac here, boys." He announced to the surrounding monsters. They all grinned and snickered in response. He flashed his eyes menacingly at Bahamut…and the esper didn't like that stare. It was a look of confidence…like one that happened when a trap was going to be sprung. Immediately, he began to scan the surrounding area…

"You see…I thought the same thing, old man. That's why I called a few more friends."

Bahamut picked up on the signal too late…as a new surprise occurred.

Abruptly, every remaining pain of glass was broken as a new monster burst through it and onto the awning. The roofs were filled with creatures who began to run down the sides, jumping from one window to another. The fire escapes were filled as the creatures ran down them. Doors were broken open, revealing floods of them as they came out. They poured down the alleys, turning the corners and coming out to meet the group. They came from everywhere, every possible direction that one could come from. Soon, they surrounded them above and below on every side. They formed a ring around them, with hundreds more behind filling the streets and brandishing their weapons. They hung from rails and howled at them. If that wasn't enough…three great Gigases came out, tall and hulking with muscle, and proceeded to roll gigantic boulders back the way they had come from. Within moments, they had successfully blocked off the way back out again. Now, they were surrounded. No less than a thousand monsters now surrounded them all on every side, each one of them itching to slice their foes to pieces.

"Now you all play nice." Ultros addressed them all. As he did, the four other warriors gave them one last confident smile before simply turning and walking back through the holes they had made, leaving this behind. As for the octopus, he too headed over to a new doorway. On seeing this, the others, besides Bahamut, recognized this as the entrance to Mt. Zozo. He strolled up to it, opened the doorway, and began to go through. "And bring me some doggie bags from each of them. I'll be hungry by then." With that, he shut the door behind him, leaving the six and the monsters behind.

Sabin cursed and turned his attention below. Locke did the same as he began to wave his dagger. Edgar groaned and turned his crossbow to the crowds around him. Celes likewise began to grow nervous and sweaty as she held her sword up. Terra forced herself to show nothing as she prepared her own weapon.

As for Bahamut…he merely looked once around himself, and then shrugged.

"Alright everyone…I give you one chance to surrender."

A wave of hot, foul breath greeted the esper as they all roared in response, blasting them all with deafening noise. After that…they immediately began to charge forward, swinging their weapons in dangerous arcs.

Bahamut cracked a grin. "Have it your way."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	23. The Hunt is On

Zozo turned into a bloodbath.

As the creatures present attacked, they soon found out that even with superior numbers, the six opponents were far from pushovers. Only a fistful of them were strong enough to even give them trouble. The rest of them soon learned the meaning of pain as they attempted to bring down their foes.

Terra danced freely through their ranks with Atma Weapon, slicing through metal, flesh, and bone alike as she went. She needed merely swirl around and bring her weapon down again and again in order to remove body parts. All weapons were useless against her as she struck down upon her foes, not even needing to bring up any of her magical power or transformation during the exchange.

Celes was much the same way. The woman was far weaker thanher cyborg self, but she was still far from harmless. And with the power of Ragnarok, she was as deadly as Terra. She had to use more skill, but her hardened instincts and battle capabilities made her strong against any assault. She too spinned and dodged, a picture of poetry in motion, as she swung her blade through her enemies. There wasn't a weapon or foe that could stand up to Ragnarok's power, and soon they began to fall in great numbers around her.

Locke probably had the most trouble. Even with the powerful Gradeus, the sheer number of opponents that attacked him made it hard to keep up. Fortunately, he wasn't one of the world's greatest thieves because he was sluggish or sloppy. What he lacked in strength he more than made up in speed, frustrating his opponents and baiting them into stabbing each other. He managed to avoid getting a single mark on him, while leaving many of his own, as he darted about.

Edgar was more constructive. He initially let the army charge him…and on drawing close enough he simply used his flash device to blind the lot of them. After that, he unloaded several clips of arrows from his autocrossbow into the opposition. His own assault took down nearly all of the flying combatants before he shifted tactics. Once that was done, he pulled out a device with a great circular saw on the end, and turned himself into a living spin attack, causing limbs and blood to fly everywhere around him in his chaotic wake.

Sabin flexed the strength he possessed to its limit. It wasn't enough that he slashed, punched, and pounded his opponents away. He began to envoke his own deadly techniques. Abruptly, he moved so fast he turned into a half dozen images of fire, moving so quickly that he smashed into the enemy like fireballs. He next spun around so fast that he seemed to turn the air itself into a blade, and flung these into his enemy as well. It took no time at all for a hundred opponents to be stacked at his feet.

But Bahamut was by far the worst.

He strolled calmly into the masses of bloodthirsty monsters that surrounded him. Each one of them launched themselves at him…only to suddenly be struck dead by a single grievous blow. The enemy kept assaulting, but they dropped like flies once they were in Bahamut's range. He never stopped smiling or lost his calm. The enemy didn't even know how he was doing it. After he killed some seventy of them, they began to grow fearful. Realizing they weren't doing that good…they tried to back off. That was useless too. Suddenly, Bahamut was in their ranks, and within a second had killed ten of them. Then he would disappear and reappear somewhere else, this time killing twenty. The monsters soon went from angry to being scared. They began to shrink away from this one, terrified about what he was doing to them and how easily. They began to feel he was an unnatural demon, not a mortal.

The enemy continued to charge again and again, only to be cut down one after another. They were unable to make any headway on their foes, and soon a circle of destruction was being maintained around them. The six began to use that to their advantage. Rather than staying put and killing them all, they began to back up in the direction that Ultros came from. It took some time to fight their way through the oncoming hoards, but as they continued to kill one after another they began to become less prone to attacking, giving them the room to get to the building. Once they battled their way to the doorway, they entered in, continuing to kill the legions that were awaiting within, and made their way to the stairs. They quickly ascended there, shoving off enemies left and right as they made their way up and to the balcony. Now, the enemies were forced through a bottleneck, and the six quickly finished off all those ahead of them. That left only monsters to attack them from behind, and they stayed back. Without the advantage of numbers, they knew that the first to attack would be the first to die. And Bahamut himself took the rear, the foe which none of them dared engage. The group continued to go up the rest of the escape, until they found themselves on Ultros' level. They then made their way to the door. It no longer was made impassible by rust, but it was locked. Luckily, a single focused Blitz from Sabin knocked it in, and they quickly went through. After doing so, they slammed the door shut again.

"We need to find a way to seal it!" Celes insisted.

The group looked around for a moment, now that they had a reprieve. However, there was nothing to be found. They were definitely on the path to Mt. Zozo, but there was nothing but a rock cave right here. Bahamut leaned against the door to barricade it for the time being, but soon he felt it smashed from the other side. A person like him could hold it without buckling, but he couldn't stay there forever. The others continued to look, trying to find any object that could be used. But with the lock smashed, there was nothing.

"Maybe I could drill out some rock to put it in front of the door…" Edgar suggested.

However, in answer to this, Terra suddenly stepped forward. Her face was hard and focused as she did so. "No…" She slowly answered. "That won't be necessary."

The others looked to Terra after she said this, but she didn't react to them. Instead, she leaned in closely to the door. After doing so, she closed her eyes and folded her hands again. Moments later, all of the other humans in the group leapt back in surprise as they had the first time they saw Terra do this…for a red aura exploded out from her once again as it had that time ago. She focused her energy on the side of the door soon after, and abruptly flames raked across the cracks within it. The heat was so strong that it melted the metal, welding it to the frame. She quickly did it around the edge, and within moments the door was secured. Bahamut leaned off of it at this, and the enemy continued to pound behind. Yet for now, it was a barrier they couldn't overcome.

"That will hold them a little, but we should move out quickly." Bahamut stated.

No one was going anywhere right away, however. As Bahamut and Terra both turned and looked, they found the others staring at them in confusion. Terra herself soon blushed and bowed her head. She was found out again, it seemed. Her secret was out.

"Alright…time out for a second." Locke suddenly interjected. "Now I know there has to be something going on here. Just exactly who are you…and how is Terra still able to do magic?"

Bahamut frowned and muttered under his breath. He was afraid that something like this would happen. In the end, he shook his head. "It's too late now to stop for explanations. We need to move out before the enemy gets any closer."

"I'm kind of with Locke." Celes added, gesturing to the thief. "My components all went dead, and everyone else lost their abilities. I was under the impression that magical power vanished with the espers. Is it because Terra didn't disappear that she retained her power or something?"

"I think I'm going to have to go with the mystery guy on postponing that…" Sabin suddenly spoke up. The others looked to him, and saw that his head was turned behind them toward the exit from the cave. "We've got more company."

The others quickly looked. Sure enough, more foes were coming already. These ones were the giant bear-like creatures that were particular to Mt. Zozo. There were about four of them on their way toward the others. However, just as they reached the entrance to the cave, they framed themselves in the doorway and roared, swiping their claws at them. Sabin didn't let them rage and foam for very long, and didn't look ready to wait for them. He brandished his fangs again and turned his full attention to the creatures.

"What's the matter? Chicken out already?" He called out to them challengingly. "Well too bad, because here I come." Immediately, the martial arts master charged after them.

"Wait a minute, brother!" Edgar called out after him, soon taking off in his footsteps. "Don't you remember what happened at the Lete River?"

"Both of you stop!" Bahamut called out to them, although he didn't run. "It could be a-"

Bahamut's warning was too late. Sabin was already to the opening, and almost out to lay into the bears. Edgar was trailing right behind him. However, as they tooka crucial step on the floor…abruptly it gave way all together. Giving out a mutual yell, the twins suddenly fell through the stone walkway as it crumbled into fragments beneath their feet, collapsing into what was beneath. The remaining members heard an echo as they fell, that continued to last for some time. It was obvious that wherever they fell was not a small pit, but a rather long tunnel. The bears, on seeing this, grinned, and then turned and ran away, safely on their side of the pit.

The esper frowned. "…trap." He finished lamely. He uttered a sigh. "Shall we go after them?"

"Don't worry about Edgar and Sabin." Celes returned. "There's not much in the world that can stand up to them. We should go on ahead."

The others agreed to this after a moment, and the four of them continued. They made their way up to the pit that had formed in the floor. They took a moment to look down, but even Bahamut with his keen vision could see little. Luckily, it wasn't too far to go over. One by one, the group members leapt over the opening and to the opposite side. On doing so, they quickly emerged into the outdoor area.

Bahamut was somewhat pleased on coming out. Here, the cloud cover was faded somewhat. He wasn't sure where they had gone exactly, but they seemed to have ascended above the rain a little. There was a light drizzle, but the sun was beating down overhead already. The clouds must have sank low around Zozo before raining… That was a curious effect. The esper thought again that the city might have held some power in it prior to the War of the Magi. Perhaps that was why Nireevyou had picked it. Ahead of them, there was a trail that went around and up the mountain behind Zozo. It was mostly blank right now. All that lined the rocky peak was grass forming a path. There was a somewhat rickety bridge ahead as well, one that Bahamut would never have dreamed of setting foot on if he couldn't fly, but nothing else. The bears had vanished. Bahamut quickly scanned the area…and frowned at the result. The whole mountain was filled with life. Any number of traps or ambushes could be awaiting them.

_Only one way to find out…_

The four continued to move along, keeping their weapons out and a wary eye. They looked above and below them, at the other entrances to the passages in the mountains. At any moment, something might spring out and attempt an attack. In particular, Bahamut feared what was overhead. That could launch projectiles or heavy objects down on the people below. Yet nothing came at first. They managed to make it to the rickety bridge without incident, and began to cross.

Bahamut held a moment. "Are you sure this is safe?"

"We've crossed it in fours before." Celes replied. "At least…me, Sabin, Edgar, and Setzer did…"

The esper supposed that would have to do, and went along with them.

The going was pretty well. The bridge creaked too much for Bahamut's taste, and he could look down and see a rather long and jaggedly terminated drop beneath them. It made the great esper a bit nervous. The swaying didn't help. However, it did hold as all four went on. They began to make it across without causing much in the way of trouble, and it seemed to be alright…

"Ha!"

The esper, however, thought too soon. Suddenly, he snapped his head up to the sound of the voice. So did the others. Soon, they saw that shapes were facing the direction they were coming. The group was shocked. They hadn't seen them a moment ago. But now, they seemed to stick out of reality somewhat…as if they were some sort of blur of what was visible. Moments later, however, they all turned a dark brown color, and revealed four, large, hissing lizard bodies. That wasn't all. Bahamut heard a hiss behind him, and turned around. He saw nothing for a moment…before reality shifted again, and formed the outline of four more bodies. Then, they too turned a brown color, and began to slither forward onto the bridge. The esper understood. They were chameleonic creatures. They vanished into their surroundings when they didn't move.

The group began to sweat and looked from side to side. They were blocked on either end now. Bahamut had the back, and Celes had the front. But from their position, they were stuck. They didn't dare risk changing orders on the rickety bridge. Each plank only had enough power to hold one of them. And sudden movements might make it fly apart as well. They were trapped.

"Sssshow'ssss over for you…" The lead chameleon sneered. With that, he began to creep forward along the bridge. The others followed behind him. Bahamut also saw the ones on his side begin to come. Almost immediately, the bridge began to creak and groan uneasily.

Locke frowned and looked to them. "You idiots! If we all get on here, the bridge will collapse and we'll all die!"

"That'ssss your problem." The one on Bahamut's side confidently answered. "We can stick to the cliffssss after we fall. Pity you can't."

The thief sweat at this. Celes drew her sword, but grew nervous as well. Terra did too. The enemy, not caring that the bridge began to shift and buckle, kept coming forward toward them. They grinned confidently, thinking that they had their foes in the bag. All they had to do once all were on was jump up and down. They didn't even have to risk fighting. The group was stuck. They didn't know what to do. Bahamut himself hesitated a moment. But then, at last, he called out in a commanding voice.

"Everyone! Duck!"

The full tone of Bahamut, even in human form, was undeniable. Though fearful and nervous, the three did as they were commanded out of pure frightened instinct and dropped. Even the chameleons, shocked at the sudden call, froze in confusion a moment. And that was all the moment that Bahamut needed. Once the group was down, he pulled back a palm, and with a tremendous thrust drove it forward, aiming just above the chameleons as he did. He did not hit them, but he struck with such power and fury that a column of air was generated. The force shot over the bridge and into the flabbergasted enemy. To their surprise, the force ripped them off of their feet violently and flung them back into the cliff side. They moment they struck it, their bodies hit with such force that they fractured the stone, and crunching sounds went from their bodies. They fell limply down onto the trail, and twitched and bled from their mouths.

Locke and Celes were shocked again. They slowly got to their feet, and stared blankly. Terra was surprised as well. The chameleons behind them were likewise, blinking in amazement at what they had just seen. But that only lasted a moment, before Bahamut spun around and did the same thing to them. Soon, they cried out in terror as their bodies too were flung away and into a nearby rock wall, smashing them as well. As he did, he called out behind him. "Go!"

This voice wasn't as commanding, but it was all the push the group needed. Soon, Terra, Celes, and Locke were back to their feet, and took off down the rest of the bridge. They ran a bit too fast, making it shake dangerously. So much, in fact, that Bahamut refused to risk standing on the fool human device any longer. He quickly chanted an auto-aero spell and made himself levitate just a few millimeters off the top of the bridge. To the casual observer, it looked like he was still standing, but his weight had been taken off of it. Once the last of the chameleons died, he turned and began to run the rest of the way off of the bridge. He soon joined up with the others, and they all exited as one.

The four paused a moment to catch their breath after that nervous exchange. However, the danger had passed. Soon, they straightened up, drew their weapons again, and began to make their way onward once more. They once again looked wary, watching for anymore signs of danger. As for Bahamut, he switched on his heat vision, making sure no other silent assailants were hiding. However, it looked mostly clear. They had a bit of a path to go along, but ahead and beyond it there was another cave entrance, leading onward to the next part of Mt. Zozo. The group continued to stay alert, and watched the ground carefully as they came, mindful of any more traps…

Suddenly, Bahamut snapped his head up, noticing an approaching heat signature. He braced himself for an attack…but there was no need for it. The signature did come, but he didn't bother attacking. Instead, he suddenly ran off the edge of the trail that was overhead, and leapt down below. Moments later, his huge body landed with a resounding "thud", as he squatted on his touch down right in between the group and the doorway. They froze again as he came, and immediately brandished their weapons to this new opponent. Slowly, a bit more slowly than necessary, he leaned himself up and beamed a great smile.

"Hey guys!" Manzan, the new arrival, addressed them in a dopey sounding voice. "Looks like you made it past the first stage of our fortress. But this is as far as you go. Now you have to deal with the first of Lord Nireevyou's elite warriors…" Here, the fat creature struck a pose for victory. "Dean of demolition…Manzan!"

Bahamut snickered, struggling to stifle an outright laugh. Luckily, the fat imbecile was so dumb he didn't even seem to notice. A single punch would be all it would take from him to do this weakling in. Terra and Celes began to brace their weapons for a fight, and looked nervous. Bahamut merely snorted at the sight as he crossed his arms. Calmly, he began to walk forward…

…When he suddenly felt a gloved hand put against his chest. He looked down to see the source, losing his smile, and saw that Locke had been the one who had done it. The thief hadn't turned, but he had his own confident look on his face, putting his palm on his chest. "I'll take care of this." He confidently stated.

Bahamut raised an eyebrow to this. Now this was a different matter. Bahamut could kill this thing easily, but against Locke the creature was far more evenly matched…probably even better. "It's no bother." Bahamut simply answered. "This thing is nothing to me…"

"Well, I got to pull my weight somehow on this trip." Locke simply answered. He turned a bit and grinned to Bahamut afterward. "Besides…if I can't even handle this tub of lard, then I've got no business coming along with the rest of you."

"Hey!" Manzan suddenly protested, beginning to pout in this stream of insults. "What am I over here, chopped liver? I have feelings too!"

Celes looked a bit more concerned, seeming to pick up on the same thing that Bahamut had. She looked to the thief more earnestly. "Are you sure, Locke?"

Locke merely rubbed his nose and then struck one of his old proud stances. He drew his dagger and made it dance a little in his hand, and began to lean into a lunging pose for his fight against the creature. "Just save a little bit of Nireevyou for me. I can't let you guys have all the fun."

Bahamut cracked a grin at this. Pretty cocky for a relatively weak human…but the thief was likable. "Will do. Come on."

With that, the esper began to walk on, moving to go right past Manzan. Terra held a moment, looking back to Locke earnestly, but then turned and followed after. Celes was last. She continued to hold…and finally leaned over and gave the thief a peck on the cheek. She then turned and went after the others. They continued until they were right alongside from Manzan. The creature looked to them, back to Locke, and then back to them again, trying to decide. He began to sweat and grow nervous, wondering if he was making the right decision. In the end, he flustered a bit, and then faced Locke. Bahamut, Terra, and Celes were left free to walk onward. The esper soon vanished into the doorway, followed closely by Terra. Celes went there, but then hesitated long enough to turn and call back.

"Beat the hell out of him, Locke."

With that, she turned and went back with the others, leaving Manzan to huff and puff in indignity again.

* * *

Soon, the three had passed through this new opening, and ran into another cave. As they did, they soon began to hear sounds of a scuffle behind them. That lasted only moment…before a loud noise erupted and the ground shook slightly. On hearing that, Celes turned and nearly stopped, looking back to the already distant opening. Unfortunately, there was already nothing there. But Terra likewise grew nervous as she ran onward. Bahamut didn't understand so much, but humanity had perfected knowledge of explosives since he had been gone, and that was the unmistakable sound of a bomb. In the end, Celes had to simply say a prayer to herself and move onward.

As the three passed through the initial rock corridor, they opened into a much larger area. The ceiling got higher, allowing stalactites and stalagmites to grow, and actually breaking in a few places to allow natural light through. However, the ground had dropped out even more. As the three came to the end of the short runway, they saw that it dropped off of the edge and into a deep, dark, uncrossable chasm that filled the entire cavern. This place was the main junction to many other caverns, it seemed. As they entered in, they saw large tunnels within the main cavern, with many other branches weaving through it. These tunnels and pillars of rock had other caves in them, and other bridges rounding them. All in all, it was a rather confusing passage.

The three slowed and halted for a moment as they drew to the edge. Sure enough, there was an old, rotted wood bridge without rails just ahead of them. It was built on top of the few rock pillars protruding from the lethal drop high enough to be used as supports, and it weaved its way throughout the rest of the huge cavern. Terra's friends had been here before. It was a rather confusing set of passages to be sure, and a dangerous place to wander around. But in the end, the three went back into single file and continued to run forward again. Terra took the lead, Celes fell in behind, and Bahamut was in the back.

For a few moments, the group's footsteps thudded along the wooden bridge. This area was less exposed to elements, and it was more stable. It didn't creak nearly so badly. It seemed they were in the clear for a while…

Until, most suddenly, Terra stepped down on one particular plank in front of her. Immediately, to her shock, a much larger panel of flooring collapsed beneath her. For a brief moment, the woman gaped in shock, and began to fall. Celes, fortunately, had great reflexes, or she might have run right into the pit that resulted. She managed to halt, and Bahamut did behind her. He looked ahead in fear for Terra. However, the woman was both strong and quick reacting. Her shock lasted only long enough to make her heart race, before she managed to leap off of the falling platform as hard as she could. Despite physics working against her, it gave enough power for her to leap off of the edge and onto the opposite side. She landed on her feet and wobbled a moment later, but then calmed down. Panting in fear, she turned and looked at the fate that had nearly befallen her.

"Trap doors…" Celes grimly replied.

Bahamut sighed in relief as well that Terra was alright. He too looked to the door, and examined it a moment. "It shouldn't be too hard to avoid. If we keep a sharp eye out, we should see if there are any-"

A hyper twip sound interrupted Bahamut. He turned to the sound, as did the others, and moments later shifted his head to one side just in time to miss an arrow from imbedding itself in his forehead. He frowned and glared across one of the large chasms to the opposite side. There, coming out of the caves and fanning out on the bridges, were bow-carrying monsters. Evidently, they looked to make this journey a bit harder for them. And now, with them standing still for so long, they were aiming at the easy targets.

Bahamut scowled, and turned to Celes and Terra. "Get going."

The two didn't need to be told twice. Terra quickly took off, while Celes bounded over the new pit and ran after her. Bahamut himself easily cleared it, and then began to run. As they went, the esper turned and tried using his technique again. But this time it didn't work. They were too far away. It only succeeded in blasting away at their faces a moment, making them hesitate and recoil. Bahamut tried to do this to keep them occupied, but they still managed to keep firing. The important thing to do now was dodge.

Another pit opened under Terra soon after, but this one she saw and managed to clear. However, after leaping, there was another one almost right after it. This one made her stumble, and she scrambled and nearly fell off of it. Yet in the end, she managed to make the leap to the other side. Celes, however, couldn't clear a pit this large so easily. She managed to leap over the side, but she came short on the other. She ended up falling on the edge, and she reached out her upper torso to grab it. On colliding, she let out a cry, but then struggled to raise herself up again. Terra came back quickly to lift her, and as they did Bahamut continued to throw blasts of air at the enemy to keep them from shooting. He thought of doing a Pyron…but he figured that in this rickety area it would be too much. Besides, he still wanted the element of surprise. Finally, the two girls were up and took off again. Bahamut turned and easily leapt over the wider pit, dodging arrows as he did.

The three were confronted by troubles again and again. Terra had to practically skip to get across these obstacles. Some of the trail was already broken, forcing the group to jump over onto a pinnacle of rock and then leap off just as quickly. Some of those were also sabatoged, and collapsed on touching. Bahamut barely had enough time to get over those. However, the group managed to keep it up, even as the enemy pursued them relentlessly and continued to fire arrow after arrow.

At last, the end of the cave was in sight. As they turned a corner on the bridge, the glow of daylight was framed within an oval opening just ahead. Terra immediately picked up speed, and the others followed suit. The last of the arrows went by, but after that there were no more bridges parallel to their own, and they were unable to fire. It looked like smooth sailing from then on in. Terra leapt over one last pit, and then ran on beyond it the few more feet to solid ground. The others followed behind quickly, with Celes leaping over the same pit…

When, on landing, the woman received a shock. The ground immediately gave way beneath her. Celes gave a yell, but it was too late to move. The ground was dropping too fast…as if something was actually moving it down rather than just falling. Sure enough, as Bahamut ground to a halt in surprise and looked to it, he saw that the platform was staying still while it fell. Celes had dropped into a squat, but it was too late to jump out. Quickly, she vanished down into the darkness.

Bahamut cursed to himself. He should have known something like this might be tried. It was a special trap, one that would only go off after another person had dropped their weight on it. Only on the second run would it actually fall. He now looked down the doubly long pit, and Terra quickly came to the edge as well. She anxiously looked down into the deep chasm, but Celes was already gone. Only darkness greeted them, and the fading echos of her cry.

"Celes!" Terra called out.

"She's already out of range." Bahamut grimly replied. "But I think she's alright…for the moment. This platform looks like it was more of an elevator than a booby trap."

Terra looked back up to the esper at this. "We can't leave her alone."

Bahamut frowned at this and hesitated. In truth, he thought they could. The important thing was getting to Nireevyou and stopping him, hopefully triggering the rest of the enemy to disband and scatter. The woman was strong enough to handle herself. However…there was the fact that those other powerful monsters were there. Even this group couldn't handle them that easily, especially as they grew stronger. The esper hated this delay, and especially hated breaking up…but he figured he'd be the best for this anyway. In the end, he sighed and looked back to Terra.

"Alright. You get her. I'll keep going ahead and plow the way for the rest of you."

Terra hesitated a moment, but in the end she thought this idea was good enough. Bahamut was the strongest among them, and Terra was definitely second with her magical power and transformation ability. In the end, she gave a nod to him. "Ok."

"Be careful." Bahamut warned, leveling a serious look at her.

"I will."

With that, Terra began to take herself over the edge of the bridge. There was a support column nearby, and she made for this to begin letting herself down on, until she was certain she could survive the drop. As she cleared the way, Bahamut looked to her anxiously again. He didn't like how they were all separating…but he figured that the best way to end this would be to end the life of Nireevyou. The rest of the enemy would scatter in terror once that happened. With that thought in mind, he turned away and back to the rest of the path. He quickly leapt over the new pit, and continued to run down the pathway to the outside.

* * *

Celes had more than enough time to recover on her trip. The drop was very deep, going well below the normal levels of the cave. It seemed as if she was descending into the heart of the mountain itself. The bridges overhead shrank into threads in her vision, and the columns that were terminating pillars before seemed to rise up into oblivion. The sunlight faded from the ceiling, and all grew dark as she lowered deeper and deeper into the mountain… It became nearly impossible to see anything after a while. However, as she continued to lower…a dark cloud suddenly came out and blotted her vision overhead all together, and plunged her into darkness. The ex-general reacted to this. That meant that she was being sealed off somewhere, and she was now caught in a new chamber.

A red glow just began to enter Celes' vision as the platform below her suddenly surged up. It had come to a halt, and with another cry Celes fell down on it a moment. Surprised, she quickly turned to see what had happened. She was surrounded by rock on three sides now. It had been black darkness before, but she could tell what it truly was now due to the glow of a light ahead of her. That light came from a long rock tunnel that stretched ahead of her. And unlike the natural lit tunnels of Zozo, this one was far darker and subterranean. Numerous torches lining the walls were what provided the illumination here. Celes turned to this hall and stared at it a moment, looking to see signs of any other threat or danger…

Abruptly, she heard a whizzing sound, like a great bumblebee. She saw a blur in front of her face, and on instinct suddenly rolled to one side. It was a good thing too…for a giant cutter suddenly swung through the air and slashed at where she was. It was so powerful, that it raked a giant cut into the stone wall behind her before coming back like a boomerang to its caster. Celes, having now thrown herself to the floor, looked up in shock. Her eyes widened, and sweat sprung from her brow at her narrow brush with death. Quickly, however, she suppressed her fear, and then shot back to her feet. She drew the Ragnarok, and prepared for a fight…

Her eyes soon zeroed in on the cutter. In a perfect arc, it spun back down the corridor and around a bend just ahead. Once it did so, she heard a slapping sound, as if someone had caught it. Right after, a tall, bent, and lanky form rounded the side. On seeing it, Celes remembered it. She also remembered the giant boomerang weapons that the creature had before when she saw it in the main street. He still held one in either hand, and Celes realized that what had nearly taken off her head was one of them. The thing came out fully into the hall, and glared at her sourly.

"Yo." It simply stated, without any emotion or care.

Celes glared at the thing, and began to step off of the platform. "Platno, I assume?"

"Yup." The tall creature replied. "I'll have to be killing you today." To accent this fact, he hoisted up his giant boomerangs.

The ex-general hoistedRagnarok in front of her in response. "You can try." She simply responded. "But I think you're biting off more than you can chew."

"I'm not too worried." Platno simply answered, still not with much emotion. "No one has ever gotten within ten feet of me, let alone close enough to attack me. I'll be able to defeat you without even having to shift my weight."

Celes simply tightened her grip. "Well…I always had a knack for breaking records back in the military. Let's see if I still have it…"

* * *

The massive gigas grunted once in surprise…before a powerful fist smashed him right in between the eyes. The hulking monster grunted once again, groaned, and then went crosseyed before stumbling backward and falling onto the ground. It sprawled out immediately, and moved no more.

Sabin dusted his hands off, and Edgar replaced one of his latest tools. Around them, inside the dimly torch-lit corridor they had fallen into, a score of Gigases were piled at their feet. After falling through the trap door, the two of them had been redirected to what looked like some sort of caged cell. It was small work for Edgar to get out using his array of tools, but on escaping the twins discovered that this team of monsters had been waiting for them, heading off their descent down a torch-lit corridor. However, it seemed the creatures had been sorely unprepared for the two of them. It had only taken a few minutes for the both of them to finish them all off. Now, the two were in the clear again.

Edgar began to look around the area soon after replacing his tool. "Well, we're out of that trap. But where are the others? And where are we?"

"I dunno." Sabin answered, hopping on a few bodies of fallen giants to get past them. He landed on the ground a moment later. "But there's only one way we can go right now, so I say let's do it."

Edgar looked to him and frowned. He began to pick his way through the fallen monsters a bit more carefully, but as he did he called out cynically. "Yeah…but let's do it a bit slower this time, shall we? I don't think we want to run into any more traps, especially ones that might end in pits of lava or spikes or who knows what else."

Sabin turned back to him and shrugged. "Hey! We got through there ok, didn't we?"

Edgar sighed as he finished exiting the creatures. He was about to speak again…when he suddenly froze. The sensor array was still on his head, and in a snap he turned his head to one side, toward a bend in the corridor ahead. As he did, he reached up and pressed a button on it. Sabin noticed this, and immediately tensed up as well.

"What's the matter?"

"There's a power coming this way…much stronger than these clowns. I'm reading at least 4,000."

The monk frowned, and immediately turned and prepared himself. Sure enough…they soon got a reaction. The ground slowly began to shudder, and it grew more violent at the form drew closer. At first, the two thought it was another Gigas, but Edgar knew they didn't get this strong. At any rate, the ground continued to shake and shudder louder as the big thing drew nearer…making the twins a bit nervous. Pebbles began to rain from the ceiling, and a cloud of dust began to rise from the ground. Still, the two looked to the corner and waited.

Finally…a giant, rippled, orange hand grasped the edge of the wall. Moments later, a rippled creature, bursting with muscle, rounded the corner. As it did, its giant round jaw grinned at the two. It stomped forward on huge legs and put its whole body in view, and then stood still and menacingly before the twins. It tightened its jaw and cracked its massive knuckles, all the while looking ravenous and cruel. The two brothers were a bit stunned, but stared back and at the ready.

"Looks like you two humans managed to survive the first part of the trap…" Anaranda chortled in a giant, deep voice. "But here's where you die. Now you must face the power of Anaranda."

Sabin looked for a moment, but then snorted and came out of his ready stance. He crossed his arms confidently and glared at the creature. "Hmph…how come I don't feel that scared?"

The monster replied by chuckling darkly and dangerously. "Heh…well, you should." He answered menacingly. "No matter how big you are, you can't kill me. The more you hurt me, the stronger I become. I'm immortal. No matter the opponent…no matter how strong…no matter the injury… I will always come back stronger."

"Well, this should be interesting." Edgar simply answered.

Sabin, however, turned back to him at that. "Hey! Leave him to me. I want to wipe that smile off of his face."

Edgar frowned in response and turned back. "You got all the Gigases. I want to do something for a change. You get to fight all the time. I'm stuck in the castle."

"There's plenty of guys for you later. This one called me out."

"…"

"…"

The twins frowned and stared at each other for a few brief moments after this. However, it wasn't for very long. At the end of a brief pause, Edgar suddenly cracked a smile. He gave a knowing look to Sabin, and the twin immediately understood it.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Sabin hesitated at that, and in the end raised one eyebrow. "…You won't be using a double-headed coin again, will you?"

Edgar frowned and groaned once, as if Sabin was dragging up some sort of old story that had no bearing now. "Oh, come on. You know that's back home."

The monk continued to stare back for a moment. He wasn't too sure about this. However, in the end, he slowly sighed. He straightened himself up a bit and crossed his arms. "Alright…do it."

Edgar gave a nod, and reached into his pocket for a coin. During this whole exchange, Anaranda was beginning to grow more irritable and insulted. The twins appeared to be ignoring him, and that only irritated the beast. He began to huff and stomp where he was. Finally, Edgar produced a coin, and immediately got ready to flip it. As he did, he looked out to Sabin with an expecting glare, as if he was waiting for him to say something. He held for a moment as Sabin frowned and watched. But in the end, the monk spat out a word.

"…Heads."

Edgar immediately flipped the coin. It landed a moment later in his palm, and he immediately turned it over and slapped it on the back of his hand. Slowly, he pulled his hand off again, and both twins looked over it. The emblem for Figaro was imprinted on the coin rather than the image of the head of state. It had come up Tails. Sabin frowned again, and Edgar withdrew the coin and replaced it in his pocket. He smiled a bit as he did so, drawing himself up and getting ready for a fight. Sabin huffed and grudgingly moved over to one side, where he leaned against the rock wall and crossed his arms. Edgar began to make for the large orange creature. But after a moment, Sabin suddenly called out.

"Now brother…" He spoke in a slow, challenging voice. "You wouldn't happen to have a double-tailed coin, knowing that I would call heads again if I thought it was a fair toss, would you?"

Edgar did not answer to that…although his mouth twisted down slightly and he looked a bit uneasy as he walked forward.

"You overconfident little twerps." Anaranda sneered. He glared down angrily at Edgar as he walked up to him. His hands balled into fists and he raised them threateningly. "We'll see how tough you are after I'm done with you. I'll pound you both into pudding, and serve you to Lord Nireevyou for dessert this evening."

Not looking that troubled, Edgar drew to a halt before the creature. The monster easily stood over twice as tall as him, and looked far more bloodthirsty and deadly. However, the king wasn't upset. He merely crossed his arms and began to scratch his chin slightly, as if thinking this over.

"Really?" He calmly answered. "Well, I, for one, find something funny about desserts. You can never tell when one will be a bit too much for you."

* * *

Locke shifted his weight slightly, and tossed his dagger from one hand to another. Manzan continued to frown, and shifted on his own two feet. He didn't look nearly fast enough to be a match for him in terms of speed, and he was too fat to be that agile. But he was quickly wondering what those things tied around him were for… In the end, however, he looked at him dangerously.

"Your move."

Manzan huffed and seemed to turn redder. However, that was only a moment before he extended a plump arm to his belt, seized one of the round objects, and ripped it off. The moment he did, Locke noticed something. It appeared that the object lost a small part of itself when it was pulled. And after that part was detached, the object began to hiss like it was burning. Not only that, but small sparks began to shoot out from one end of it, and smoke billowed as well. Locke was puzzled by this, but didn't have long to be before the creature lobbed this object right at him. Based solely on instinct, and knowing that this object couldn't be good, he leapt back slightly just as the object landed on the ground where he was a moment earlier.

Immediately, the object exploded into a ball of fire. Dust and rocks were blasted out as an eruption thundered from the ground. Locke gaped in shock, but he couldn't do that long either. He was close enough to the blast to be struck in the face by heat and rocks, and he recoiled in pain. What more, he was still in mid-air from the leapt when it blasted, and the force of the explosion struck him violently, throwing him backward like a piece of driftwood in a storm. Locke cried out for a few moments as the deafening boom rang through his ears. But then, he came down and landed hard on his back. The thief emitted another cry on connecting, and the force dragged him across the ground even further, raking his body along it.

However, as he came to a halt, he suddenly stopped feeling the ground behind his head. The thief groaned, stunned and sore from the eruption. He lay on the ground a moment, before grunting and leaning up. He wiped dirt from his face, and looked to see what had happened. Far in front of him, the smoke from the blast was already fading, and the dust was dying down. However, that eruption was far away from him, accenting how far he had been flung. In fact, he soon paled in terror. He realized the reason he felt nothing behind his head was because his head was now dangling over the edge of the cliff. The blast had nearly thrown him over the side to his doom. The thief swallowed…but not nearly so much as he did when he saw two more of the small objects be flung through the still clearing smoke…headed right for him.

_This is going to be harder than a thought…_ The thief gulped.

Quickly, Locke pulled himself up and threw himself into a forward roll. Just in time too…for the bombs landed and erupted soon after right where he had been. The impact helped push him forward with the roll, and he further used the power to roll up to his feet. Once he was there, he quickly dashed for the creature, ready to slash into it for all he was worth. But Manzan, slow-looking as he was, still had enough speed to pull another bomb and toss it right at him. The thief gulped again, and quickly threw himself in a side roll to just barely avoid another explosion. He still felt the debris and heat from it as he rolled into a squat. Yet, on landing, he sighed and quickly rolled again, for Manzan was already flinging another at him. This one was missed even more narrowly than before. The impact struck him, and nearly pushed him out of his roll when he landed. As it was, he barely managed to come into a squat before another bomb was headed his way. By now, Locke was rolled almost all the way to the rock wall. He had to escape a different way. Quickly, he rose to his feet and leapt backward…but again was a bit too late. Another blast went off, and he felt fire burn his face and pebbles sting his skin as an eruption caught him and flung him back once more.

This time, however, Locke managed to open his eyes as he went sailing, and gaped in fear. The explosion was so close, and he was so near the edge, the eruption had flung his jumping body backward and over the edge of the cliff. Already, the power had died down, and he was falling. Immediately, the thief reached out and struggled to seize the edge of the cliff side. As he fell, one hand grabbed rock, while his other drove the Gradeus into the stone. It held…but both of his arms were yanked painfully as his weight pulled on them. He felt the bones in both pop, and he gave out a cry of anguish. However, he did stop his descent, and now he dangled just over the edge of the cliff. The thief panted from the sudden exertion, and looked up as sweat began to roll off of his brow.

_This is much harder than a thought…_ Locke thought to himself. _I got to think of something else…_

If Manzan had kept throwing, that would have been the end for him. However, the fat creature seemed to think it might have successfully sent Locke to oblivion with the last blast, and now was looking with confusion at the area in front of him, trying to see if there was any sign of his opponent. Locke used that lull to his advantage. Quickly, he shifted all his weight to the hand holding his dagger, and used his other one to tear off a fist-sized rock from the loose cliff. The nimble man next planted his feet against the cliff side, and quickly found secure locations. Once he did, he inhaled for a moment, focused, and then suddenly lunged up. It wasn't enough to put him over the edge, but it was enough for him to peek over the side. He quickly spotted the approaching Manzan, who reacted in shock to Locke's sudden appearance, took careful aim, and lobbed his rock right in between the thing's eyes.

The stone hit with a sickening crack, and the monster yelled in agony. He grasped his forehead and began to stumble backward in pain. Seeing this, Locke quickly planted his now free hand on the side, and then pulled himself the rest of the way over the edge. He quickly pulled out the Gradeus and got to his feet. Manzan was staggering, reaching for another bomb on his belt while grasping his face. However, he couldn't risk taking one off without immediately throwing it, and so he was forced to hold. The thief used the advantage to barrel straight at him. The monster tried to move back, but he couldn't get away fast enough. Locke was on him in an instant, and slashed out with his blade…

Immediately, the man received a grim surprise. His blade sunk into the creature's pudgy body…and then came out again without breaking the skin. Locke was stunned. He tried slashing again, only to have the same result. The consistency of the creature's flesh was so flabby and rubbery that even a blade as sharp as the Gradeus couldn't leave a mark. The thief hesitated a moment, trying to rethink his strategy. But that was a moment too long. Abruptly, Manzan's hand left his eyes and backhanded Locke. It wasn't the strongest blow in the world, but it swung the man's head to one side, made him stagger, and forced him to stumble back. That was all the distance Manzan needed to look at him with fresh anger, rip off a bomb with his other arm, and fling it at him.

Locke was dizzy from the blow, and couldn't react that quickly. However, his eyes did widen when he saw the bomb headed for him. As it was about to land…he did the only thing he could do. Struggling to straighten himself up, he suddenly lashed out with a foot and kicked the bomb straight into the air. The tactic seemed to work. The bomb didn't go off until it was a good twenty feet into the sky. The resulting blast pushed down on both combatants, but it wasn't that severe. Locke couldn't celebrate his victory long, however. Manzan already had pulled another bomb, and was flinging it at him. The thief groaned, and then did a quick backflip to avoid it.

The fat monster was furious now. He ripped one bomb off after another, and kept a steady stream of them being flung at the thief. Locke, on his part, cut the acrobatics and soon just began to run and leap around the small outcropping to avoid them. Gravel and stone were thrown up everywhere in the wakes of the explosions, and the thief was hard pressed to avoid them. Unfortunately, the fat creature had plenty of bombs to spare. The thief began to worry. The landscape was growing more and more rough and ragged, filling with craters. He couldn't get closer to the cliff without the risk of the blast throwing him off. And he couldn't keep it up on the rough terrain forever… He'd eventually get tripped. He had to think of a way to beat this creature, and soon…

At last, the inevitable happened. As Locke dodged another blast, he suddenly stepped down lower than he calculated. His eyes widened, and he gave out a mild cry of surprise as he found himself stumbling into one of the craters. He struggled to put his hands out in front of him, but soon he fell into the blackened pit face first, completely off of his feet. Manzan saw this, and gave a "hah" in response. Finally, Locke was where he wanted him. He pulled off another bomb, and quickly tossed it into the crater.

Locke was stunned from the impact, and a bit dizzy from all the work. Sweat was stinging his eyes, and he was panting. But still, he managed to get to a squat rather quickly, and looked alert again. To his horror, he was just in time to see the latest bomb bounce once off the ground before rolling right into the crater and between his legs. The thief gulped. His fast acting reflexes immediately calculated what he had to do. It was already too late to dodge. The crater made that impossible anyway to do cleanly. He couldn't hope to avoid all of the blast. And so…he got a crazy idea. It would go down in history as one of the dumbest things he ever did…and yet, he realized, it might give him just enough force to actually be able to drive his blade into his opponent, and it might be the only chance he had to catch him off guard long enough to do it. And so, having little other choice, the thief did it. Aiming himself as much as he could in Manzan's direction, he leapt into the air toward him just as the bomb went off.

The explosion ripped at Locke's legs, burning his clothes, and subjecting them to so much force that they could have been broken. However, despite all that…it was a success. The force of the explosion, while painful and wrenching the thief, also flung his body out of the crater and straight toward Manzan. The fat monster gaped in shock as he saw Locke turned into a living projectile, sailing right for him. Locke was in pain, but somehow he grit his teeth through it, raised his dagger with one hands, and aimed right for Manzan. For a few moments, he sailed straight toward him, leveling his bladeand hoping that it would be enough to finish the creature…hoping that the fat creature would be paralyzed a moment longer…

Then…somehow, the creature swung its body to one side. A weight fell in Locke's heart, and he cursed mentally, as his ballistically launched body was thrown just mere millimeters away from slicing into Manzan's face. The rest of the thief brushed past Manzan as he was thrown by, and then continued on through the air toward the rock wall beyond.

A moment later, Locke landed on the ground roughly. The force was so great he couldn't even roll properly, and his body was flung across the rocks like a rag doll. He was cut and bruised in numerous places as he was thrown, before his limp form crashed into the rock wall of the mountain. It was rather hard despite the loss of speed there, and he gave another cry as he landed. With that, he sprawled out on the ground, and panted and winced. His legs were numb from the blast. His body was sore and beaten. He was exhausted. He couldn't rise immediately. He could only lie there.

As for Manzan, who was also sweating and panting, he turned around and looked to his foe. The fat monster gasped a moment, but then wiped his brow and began to steady himself. He too had a brush with death, and he had barely avoided it that time. But now…he realized that his opponent could do no more. He was right where he wanted him. With that in mind, Manzan managed a victorious smile, and glared at the fallen, panting Locke. The thief could only weakly look back at the moment.

"Just some weak little fat tub of lard, am I?" Manzan sneered. "Well, I showed you, you miserable thief. I'm not the Dean of Demolition for nothing! Now I'm gonna-"

Manzan froze on saying this. While he was speaking, he had been reaching for another bomb. But as he had reached over…he had felt nothing. He was sure another bomb was there, but he didn't feel it. The creature looked puzzled for a moment, and felt for another one. But there was nothing there either. He felt again, and still nothing. In fact, he didn't even feel the belt. The creature, confused, looked down…and saw that all of his bombs were gone. They were no longer on his body, and neither were the belts. All that was there now was his red flesh. Shocked, he looked up to the thief again.

Locke panted a moment longer…but then managed a weak smile. As he did, he lifted his free hand…or, now, formerly free hand. He may have missed Manzan with his dagger, but on brushing by he had managed something else. Now, he revealed that he had all of Manzan's belts, sans each and every remaining bomb on them.

"Well…I'm not considered a master in my line of work for nothing either."

Manzan blinked a moment. He couldn't believe it. His mouth dropped in surprise. However…he noticed something else. All of the bombs were missing from the belts. Where had they gone to?

He received an answer moments later…as he began to hear a loud series of hisses right beneath him. The red color of the monster faded, and turned pale. His face broke out into a cold sweat, and his lip trembled as he looked down to his feet. There were the bombs…each one of them active…and now lying around him in a pile. He looked back up, his eyes growing small in fear, and looked to Locke, who had already twisted and rolled away from him, pressing himself against the wall and putting his back to the creature.

"Oh bother…"

A giant eruption of all of the remaining bombs at once resulted after Manzan uttered his last words. Locke grit his teeth and bit down as searing heat burned more of his clothes, singed his hair, and blasted against him. Rocks hit him from the resulting boom, but he was able to weather these. Still, it was a painful and hot experience. He clutched himself hard as he felt the rush of power and flame come over him. The sound was deafening and hurt his ears, and so much of the cliff side was fractured that a large piece of it broke off and slid down the side of the mountain, creating a larger ruckus and calamity as it did so. The world shaked for a few moments as the blast thundered through the area. But at long last…it did die down. Rocks slowly settled, and the dust cloud slowly began to be driven off by the wind.

Locke groaned, and then rolled his sore, aching body back away from the mountainside. He panted again as he sprawled out on the ground, and looked behind him. There was a giant black crater now, and a great fault line where part of the cliff had broken and rolled into the abyss going down Mt. Zozo. There were also a few flaming fragments lying around. But other than that, there was nothing. The bombs had totally blown Manzan away. The first of Nireevyou's elite warriors was gone.

The thief panted a few more moments, and let his pain subside a little. But then, gritting his teeth, he began to grab onto the side of the rock wall and pull himself to his feet. He managed after a few moments. Somewhat stiffly, he walked away from the wall, crunching the stone ground, and made his way toward the cave opening. He tucked his blade back into his belt as he did so. Once he reached the entrance, he put his hand against it for a moment, just long enough to turn his head behind him.

"…And by the way…that's 'treasure hunter'."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	24. Tools of the Trade

Sorry to tell some of you guys this, but the story is going to be on another hiatus for a while. But don't get sad. It's only going to be about four days. I'm heading over to Chicago for the Anime Central convention, and I won't be able to update during then.

* * *

Platno swung his first arm down. The boomerang was flung from it at incredible force, and soon became a giant circular cutter. It was flung at a vertical angle straight for Celes, and so low to the ground that it began to cut a large trench into it. The speed was considerable, but Celes quickly calculated the correct angle, and leapt out of the way.

She soon received a nasty surprise. Platno had already flung his other weapon at a diagonal angle, right for the direction she was headed. Already, the cutter was so close to her she could feel the wind from it. Quickly, she flung herself back to where she had been a moment earlier. Yet that too was a mistake. She heard a cutting sound growing closer behind her again, and with a cry she quickly twisted herself again to the opposite side. She barely missed getting cut, but the cutter sliced a section of her cape off instead. Celes paled. She forgot that these weapons acted as boomerangs. The first cutter had come right back after passing her once. That wasn't the worst, though. The other cutter apparently did an arc on its own return, and was now coming up behind her as well. She tried to move, but was unable to do so before the edge of the cutter shot past her shoulder. A flash of blood went out as it flew by, cutting right through the armor to strike the woman, and she cried out in pain.

Nevertheless, Celes managed to hold on through it, and tried to counterattack. However, that was hopeless. Platno had his timing down well. As the last cutter slashed her, the first one returned to his arm, and was immediately thrown again. This time, it was for her legs. The ex-general was stopped in mid-run, and quickly had to leap to avoid the cutter. That was almost a fatal mistake, for by now the other had returned to him, and he flung that at her airborne body. Celes paled again, and just barely managed to twist her body in midair to have the cutter sail over her. Gravity pulled her back to the ground soon after, still in her bent backward shape. However, using her own limber body, she was forced to flatten herself soon after to avoid the cutter that returned to Platno. If she hadn't been so stretched out through training, it would have killed her. As it was, a few of her hairs were cut. The other cutter came back harmlessly overhead, but unfortunately Celes couldn't use it to her advantage. She needed all the time she had to get out of her dangerous position and into a squat.

Soon, Platnohad thrown the first at her again, and she was forced to side roll to avoid it. This one swung low to the ground again, though it was angled this time, and cut through the stone at her feet. Sure enough, Platno soon flung the other where she landed, forcing the woman to roll again or be sliced up. But the monster was throwing different this time. Both cutters were angled so that they would come around behind where she had landed. The woman was forced to roll yet again to miss the first one. Unfortunately…she realized after that she had nowhere to dodge. She was up against the rock wall. The woman paled a moment, but then quickly did an unorthodox move. She rushed up the side of the rock cave and did a backflip in midair, just missing the returning cutter.

Celes was starting to sweat, and grow tired. This creature was smart and deadly with his cutters. In essence, Celes found herself being chased around by them. Each swing was designed to make her go in a given direction…namely, into the path of the next cutter. She was so busy trying to stay alive that she had no time to plan an offense or get any closer to the monster. If he kept this up, Celes knew she would eventually tire, and then be an easy target. She had to do something. She had to somehow break the chain of dodging and give herself enough time to counter. Unfortunately, she had very little time to think of anything…as was no doubt Platno's intention. Already, the first cutter was headed for her again.

Unable to think of anything else, Celes reacted in another unconventional move. This cutter was once again meant to make her leap into the air, no doubt into the path of another. And so, quickly, she raisedRagnarok over her head andjumped. Only she didn't stop in midair to be easy pickings for the next shot. Instead, she plunged her sword into the ceiling, and made it an anchor. Rather than twist to avoid the next cutter, she pulled her whole body to the ceiling, letting this shot slide harmlessly beneath her. Platno's surprise showed. He didn't plan on her doing this. The cutters continued to arch below her on their preset paths, to which Celes was well out of range. Unfortunately…the woman realized this move accomplished little else than giving her a breather. She couldn't attack from here, and she couldn't drop to the ground without getting back into the attack pathway. Both cutters returned behind her, but she was still stuck up there.

In fact, Celes soon realized she was in trouble.Ragnarok was stuck, and Platno aimed his next shot for the dangling woman. The ex-general swallowed. The cutter was let loose, and soon a disc of death was headed right for her. She had to get down now if she was going to survive. Bringing her strength to bear, she pulled her legs up and planted them against the ceiling, and then graspedRagnarok hard. Now standing upside down, she gave a mighty pull and yanked her sword free. Immediately, her whole body fell to the ground, avoiding Platno's cutter by mere inches. Yet the woman wasn't out of danger yet. Platno intended on her falling…and had flung the other cutter right for her. Now, she was in a bad position on free fall, and seemed helpless to adjust her position before she landed in the path of the weapon. She panicked for a moment, wondering what she could do. In the end…there was only one thing she could think of. She spun around in midair and droveRagnarok down ahead of her, into the stone ground. It struck and held, and like a graceful acrobat she held herself suspended above it, balancing on the hilt.

Platno was surprised again, as was Celes, for this soon had an interesting effect. The cutter continued to sail forward, and connected with Ragnarok. But the sword was unbreakable by mortal standards. Rather than cut through it as it would have any other blade, the great cutter struck it like a horseshoe around a pole, spun around it once, and then had its path redirected to cast it to the ground loosely. It lost so much speed on descent that the giant boomerang merely clattered against the rock once before coming to a halt.

Seeing this, Celes realized there was hope. One of his weapons was disarmed. Without them, he couldn't keep her back. Quickly, while hanging upside down, she looked to the other cutter. It was on its way back, and she quickly did some calculations. The timing had to be just right. He wouldn't give her another chance at this. She waited until the cutter was at just the right distance…and then suddenly swung down and landed on her feet. Immediately, she used her new force to pullRagnarok back up from the ground, swing it up, and slice into the oncoming cutter. It was a perfect move. The sword went through the giant boomerang right through the middle. The great weapon was sliced in half, and its two useless, now-unbalanced halves flew to either side of the cave, where they collided with the walls and fell to the ground.

Celes was sweaty again, but she managed a smile as she leveled her blade at Platno. It looked like his record was about to be broken… But before she could call out challengingly or make a move…she paled. Platno responded to the destruction of his weapons by crossing his arms and grabbing the pinky finger on either one of his long, spidery hands. He grunted once…stiffened a moment…and then, to Celes' surprise, seemed to rip the pinkies from his body. Only they weren't fingers for long. Instead…they rapidly enlarged and lengthened as he pulled them out, growing wider and curving as they did so. A sort of stretching and tearing sound resulted as he yanked these from his own flesh. He seemed to rip out his very arm bones as he did this, as long as they were. However, such wasn't the case. Once he finally finished pulling them out from his hands, they broke off…and immediately two more pinkies filled the ones he had just yanked. He now hoisted the long objects in front of him…two more cutter boomerangs.

Celes cursed once to herself, before Platno let them fly again. Soon, she was taking up the deadly dance once more. Apparently, destroying the weapons wasn't going to help her either. She was back to square one all over again, and more tired than ever. The woman continued to dodge the stream of cutters for about a minute…before she felt hot pain as she fell short another one. This time, it was against her leg. A few seconds later, one of her arms dangled out too much and got sliced as well…the deepest cut yet. The ex-general realized she was in trouble. Soon, Platno would start lopping off parts of her body. She grew anxious and fearful. What was she going to do? How could she fight this thing? How could she move fast enough to strike back, tired as she was? She began to fear she couldn't…and that fear started to grip her heart and made her tremble…

_Wait, Celes…_ She told herself, even as she began to panic. _Calm down… You're not thinking like a general. He wants you to panic. He wants you to desperately come at him. That's how these work. The enemy always wants you to play his game. You have to force him to play yours. Stop thinking of this in terms of brute strength. Look to your opponent… He has to have a weakness. There's always a weakness. He wouldn't be mortal if he didn't have one…_

With this in mind, Celes forced herself to calm down and start thinking even as she scrambled to survive. As she did, she looked again to her opponent. He was big, and seemed to be pretty strong. However…she soon realized something. All of his strength seemed to be focused into throwing his weapons. Indeed, as he moved, he planted his feet solidly, and put his whole body into casting the great objects fast and hard enough to be lethal. That seemed to be the real reason he didn't want to shift weight. If he did, he'd lose the ability to focus all of his power into throwing his boomerangs. The slightest change in this could frustrate his ability to fight. If he couldn't throw his weapons…he was nothing.

Celes quickly developed a new idea. It would require putting herself in danger again, but she had no choice. After all…risks were a part of war. Abruptly, the woman swung her blade around and inserted it back into her sheath. Platno was puzzled again by this, but kept throwing. The latest cutter came to her at an angle. It was obvious from the way it was coming that it meant her to dodge to the right. However, Celes braced herself and summoned what stamina she had left this time. As the cutter neared, she threw herself into another dodge roll. But this time…she did so to the _left_. The monster gaped in surprise at this. Celes, on her part, felt another painful slash go past her leg as she did this. It was a costly maneuver indeed, and she cried out again as she rolled away. However…it had worked. She was clear for a few precious seconds. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she quickly forced herself to her feet and ran to the wall.

As Platno watched helplessly, waiting for his cutters to return, Celes reached the rock and found what she had been looking for…half of one of the boomerangs. She quickly scooped it up, just as the cutters returned to the tall monster. He quickly reared back to throw again, but it was too late. Celes turned and threw the weapon straight for Platno's left hamstring. She was no slouch at throwing weapons herself, and the aim was straight and true. And just as she expected, Platno had already put too much weight on his calf to be able to dodge it. The weapon sailed through the air and struck the mark, slightly behind one of Platno's outturned feet, and sliced right through the hamstring. Immediately, all of the standing power in the one leg left him, and the creature dropped down to one knee. The monster gaped in surprise, shocked at what had happened to it. Blood leaked from his back leg, and he struggled to push himself up. But it was impossible. That leg was now useless, and his body was too awkward to rise on the other.

Celes straightened herself and immediately drew Ragnarok. Then, the warrior took off for the tall creature. Platno glared at her and grit his teeth. He tried throwing his cutter at her…but without the proper leverage it only turned a few times before falling uselessly to the ground. A moment later, Celes ran right over it as she headed for the thing. Platno panicked. Soon, Celes was on top of him. In one last act of desperation, he brought his other boomerang out to block. Celes swungRagnarok down one, and lopped it in half easily. Then, bringing her sword back around, she sliced once more across Platno's neck. The creature gaped one final time before his head left his shoulders. After that, the tall monster collapsed to the ground and went totally limp. His blood slowly poured forth.

Celes let out a massive exhale, and slumped slightly. She was exhausted from that fight, and sore from all of the activity she had gone through. Slowly, she put her sword back, and then pulled off her cape. She tore it into further strips, and tied them around the slashes that Platno had given to her. But once all of those had been tied, she rose back to her feet and wiped the sweat off of her brow. She swept her sweaty hair back with both hands, and tied it back with one of her wrist bands. With that finished, the woman at last began to walk forward, leaving the dead warrior behind her and pressing on into the caves to find a way back to the others.

* * *

Terra paused a moment to catch her breath. She found a pretty solid foothold on the rock, and let her feet rest there a moment. She looked around a bit to see how far she had gotten. She was still dangling over a considerable oblivion. It had gotten dark around her now, and she could barely see the rock column in front of her. Unfortunately, she still couldn't see the ground. She looked overhead, and saw that already she had left the bridge hundreds of feet away. Yet still she hadn't come to the bottom. She began to grow fearful that if there was a trap, Celes had already run into it. She wished she could just drop…but she also realized that might be foolish. She still had no idea how high she was. And so, in the end, she sighed and continued her descent.

As she began to climb down, she thought again. Perhaps she could merely transform and fly the rest of the way down? Perhaps she should… It was a tempting thought. The transformation came easier now, after all. And her friends would find out sooner or later that she could still do it. It might as well be one at a time instead of all together. It would make this all much easier. Besides…she wasn't as scared of it as she used to be. Bahamut had taken her fear of it away. She began to slow her climb as she went, and thought about it for a moment longer…

But before she could come to a conclusion…she suddenly felt something. Abruptly, a wet, cold, and slimy object pressed itself against her waist. It quickly moved around her, until it had it completely encircled. The woman looked down in surprise to this, but even if the area wasn't dark she wouldn't have been able to see it. For abruptly, she was yanked right off of the column and into the gloom. Terra cried out in surprise. Her equilibrium was cast to the wind, and soon she was spinning and flailing about so much in space that she lost her sense of direction. She soon couldn't tell which way was up, or where she was going, as she spun into the darkness.

Abruptly, as she was being cast about, however, she saw a light up ahead. She couldn't focus on where it had come from, but it seemed to suddenly be lit in the darkness. She rapidly began to be pulled toward that light, still tumbling over herself in midair. She managed to make out the details of a hole, and some long, dark length attached to her and pulling her into it. But she was still too shocked and dazzled to make out what was going on. Before she could do anything else, she was into the lit area, and suddenly found herself thrown onto stone ground. She landed hard, and gave out a mild cry as she hit. For a moment, she was stunned, and couldn't tell what was going on, where she was, or what had happened.

That didn't last. Abruptly, the slimy length around her waist began to show impressive force as it tightened, and began to become a painful squeeze. Terra winced, and grabbed for the wet thing that held her. That wasn't for long, however. Soon, another length lashed around her neck, also slimy and cold and smelling like ammonia. It quickly tightened and throttled her. Terra shifted her grasp to her neck at this, and struggled to pull it. But seeing it was futile after only a moment, she reached down for the Atma Weapon. A black length beat her to it, reaching out to the weapon, seizing it, and then tossing it away. After that, it lashed around her wrist and yanked her arm away, pinning it. Another length did the same to her other arm, and finally one went around her legs. Soon, she was totally restrained and unable to move, while the life was being crushed out of her.

As Terra gagged and struggled to breathe, she at last got enough of her bearings to see something. The massive, ugly face of Ultros raised over her body, grinning maliciously at her fallen, trapped form. Drool dripped from his massive incisors, and his eyes flashed wickedly. At once, Terra realized what had happened. Ultros had grabbed her. It was his tentacles that were now crushing her to death. And now that he had her pinned, she could do nothing about it.

"Look who we have here…" Ultros sneered with a smile. "You're that same little witch that always enjoyed giving me a hot foot. But now, you don't have any monks, samurai, thieves, or even upstart little artists here to save you! You're just all alone…and all ready to make me a fine meal. Lord Nireevyou wanted me to bring you to him personally…but he never said whether or not you would be in one piece or several…"

The woman grit her teeth and struggled. She was turning blue already, and she was starting to get dizzy. Ultros maintained his iron grip, however. She couldn't get anything free, and he was going to crush her in seconds. She had to do something to get loose, before it was too late. Finally, she realized something. Her legs were bound…but they weren't held back. Ultros was just holding them together. And now, the great octopus was leering over her, opening his great mouth to get a bite. This gave her one chance… As the monster lowered to attack, she managed to put all her remaining strength into one move. She swung both legs upward and underneath the creature's jaw.

Normally, octopi lacked bones, but Ultros was no true octopus. The blow successfully caught him hard under the chin, and slammed his mouth shut with a bone-jarring thud. His teeth were knocked a little loose, and he was stunned by the move. Immediately, his tentacles loosened as he staggered, allowing Terra to slip free and gasp for air. She quickly rolled backward and away from the great slimy creature, stumbling a bit from dizziness as she did so. Nevertheless, she had time to get clear and breathe a little after a few moments. She winced a bit as she gasped, feeling how sore she was. She now had bruises where the monster had clutched her, and her skin had sores from where his suckers had attached to her exposed flesh.

As Ultros cursed and recovered, Terra looked around for a moment. She now saw where she was. It was a rock room, illuminated with torches. It was fairly large, and looked to be almost like the top of a tower. This was mostly due to a circular staircase beginning in the floor of the center of the room. Overhead, there was a single circular opening, just big enough to let a human through, that had a hatch dangling from hinges next to it. Evidently, that was where Ultros had reached out and snagged her off of the pillar. She frowned at the thought. Nireevyou had wanted him to bring her to him. That meant that he likely had expected Terra to be in that position when she had been caught by Ultros. The rogue esper was expecting her to react like this. It made the woman nervous… But not nearly nervous as she was next. Ultros was recovering, and she now saw that her Atma Weapon was on the other side of the room.

The octopus sneered and shook off the last of his daze, and glared daggers at Terra. "Oh…that did it. Now you've made me mad. Lord Nireevyou won't even get your bones now. I'll grind them into flour, and make a nice bloody sandwich out of your flesh. I'm going to end our little rivalry once and for all."

Terra swallowed, and dropped herself into the best ready position she could muster without a weapon. Transforming, unfortunately, was no longer an option. She hadn't the time to focus without others covering her. She said a quick prayer to herself…hoping that she was as strong as Bahamut said she was. It was her only chance to best this creature…

* * *

Bahamut continued to charge up the mountain trail. He hadn't run into any incidents or opponents yet. That was good for them, because now he could vent himself on them fully. He was ascending above the cloud level now as he went higher. The day was getting clearer around him, and the sky began to turn blue. He looked up from time to time, and saw the peak drawing ever nearer. It couldn't be much farther. Nireevyou didn't have many places left on this mountain to hide. There was only room for a few more caves before the whole mountain terminated into a peak. With this in mind, Bahamut continued to charge up the mountain path.

At last, just up ahead, Bahamut saw another cave entrance. He quickly scanned the area in front of him as he ran forward, looking for traps or enemies. He froze when he did so. There was indeed one power just a little ahead of him…hiding on the other side of the cave. It was a weak power compared to him, but it could have been operating the controls to a bigger trap. Immediately, Bahamut ground to a halt, and stared ahead at the entrance. He balled his hands into fists and glared at the opening coldly.

"I know someone is up ahead." He called out coldly, his voice echoing around the high mountain. "Come out already."

There was a brief pause of silence, during which his echo faded and he saw only the darkness of the cave. However…that didn't last long. Soon after, he saw a form step out of the darkness and come into the light. He had his arms crossed, and calmly smiled at Bahamut as he neared him. As for the esper, he frowned at the sight. He recognized this one. It was Chile, the lackey that he had run into back in Zozo. He still looked smug and confident as well, and looked out at Bahamut with an arrogant stare.

"There's no need to shout, old man." Chile calmly responded, his voice smooth and controlled, and having the air of a debonair fop. "I can hear you quite clearly. Besides, I wasn't hiding from the likes of you. I planned on coming out anyway."

Bahamut leveled his glare at him. This loser wasn't nearly his equal in strength. Beating him would be a cinch. He raised his fist again and prepared himself. "Well, now that you're out, perhaps you'd like to come over so I can get this over with."

Chile merely let out a small, snooty laugh. He placed his wrist against his mouth as he did so. Bahamut had little love for preppy, arrogant individuals like this. It made his anger rise a bit, but he held for the moment. "Oh please…like someone of my class, upbringing, and talent would waste his time on a filthy little old man like you. I've got to keep myself clean and tidy, you know. I'm merely here to unleash your doom upon you. I do hope you appreciate all the effort we're wasting on an inconsequential…civilian…" Here, he spat this out with some disgust, keeping his nose up as he did so. "Such as yourself. These are our deadliest guardians."

Here, Chile gave a clap of his hands. Immediately…Bahamut picked up on another energy. And unlike the bag of wind in front of him…this one made Bahamut's eyes widen. This energy was strong…much, _much_ stronger than the foe in front of him. And it was already approaching. He felt the ground shake as it neared, and the shudders quickly began to turn violent. Bahamut felt his body raised and lowered roughly, and he saw rocks begin to fracture off of the mountainside and fall to the ground below. The esper was stunned. He didn't think creatures this horrible existed…and he stared up in genuine alarm at the dark hole behind Chile.

Moments later, the hole exploded as something on the other side punched a much larger hole through the cave. Huge boulders, large enough to crush a man, went flying everywhere in a great eruption of dust and debris. Bahamut was shocked. One headed toward him, and he quickly had to punch it to shatter it into pieces before it flattened him. But now, he stared ahead with growing amazement toward what had come. The last few rocks fell, and Chile still stood there calmly. However, he was not alone anymore.

A great wyrm, as large and powerful looking as the greatest dragons, stomped out of the hole and made his way forward. Each footstep of his powerful legs shattered the stones underneath him. His skin, brass-colored, sparkled in the sunlight, and large blue eyes without pupils or irises glared in front of him. His head swung around on a huge neck, and his teeth flashed at Bahamut as he came out. He also had a great tail that freely swung behind him. Without thinking anything of it, the giant beast swung his tail at the new hole he had made and broke off another man-sized boulder. The world shook as it came forward, glaring at Bahamut all the way.

The esper was stunned. This thing was the most powerful beast he had ever seen that was non-esper. He knew what it had to be. No creatures like this had ever lived in his time. This was a great dragon of the Old World, from a time when beasts and monsters were almost considered god-like in their own right. Even espers feared these great creatures, and one was headed right for him…

Chile, calm as ever, lowered his hand, and seemed to open what was a hatch in the ground. After he did, he began to lower himself into it. But before he did, he looked up and called out to Bahamut again. "This is a Brachiosaur, one of our master's most prized possessions. He will make your final moments of life more painful than conceivable to human knowledge. I'll be back in a few minutes to collect your remains. Good day." And with that, he lowered himself into the hole and shut the door behind him.

Bahamut tensed up. This was bad. In his human form, this creature could probably flatten him. Its power was that shocking. But now, with its master gone, the thing gave an earth-shattering cry. It was so loud that even Bahamut recoiled in pain from it. The thing sneered once, and then began to stomp forward toward Bahamut. The ground shook more violently than ever, and rocks and debris rained down from the mountainside. Its huge bulk became a juggernaut as it came forward. Bahamut began to sweat. He even took a step back as the thing came up.

However, he managed to snap out of it. He readied himself for a fight. The monster sneered and drew closer and closer, lowering its head and opening its mouth to sink its teeth into the esper. But just as it was in range, and a moment before it could attack, Bahamut gave his own yell, and swung his left fist around with all his might, smashing it into the side of the dragon's head.

The thing roared once in pain as the powerful blow smacked its head aside on its long neck. That was cut off, however, when its head was viciously slammed into the side of the mountain. It hit so hard that it smashed out more rocks in its wake, and it staggered and halted its run in response. However, it was far from dead…and Bahamut paled when he realized it wasn't even that injured. Snorting, it pulled its head slowly off of the rocks, and shook it for a moment, groaning at the power it had just endured. But then, it leveled its glare at Bahamut…and grew angry. Snarling, it suddenly spun around so quickly that even Bahamut couldn't keep up with it. Before he knew what was happening, the creature swung its huge tail around and smashed it into the esper.

Bahamut was turned into a projectile, and his body was thrown a hundred feet back down the mountain. He landed roughly, letting out an oof as he went down, and then tumbling down like a limp rag doll another few dozen feet. He finally came to a stop, and sprawled out on the path. He lay there a moment before grunting, and with a strained face began to rise. His stomach was bruised from the power of that blow, and he felt stiff and aching as he rose. The granite had been driven into his soft flesh, and he was dazzled from the power of the hit. Soon, however, he was standing, and shook his head. He looked back up to the Brachiosaur afterward.

The great beast hissed at him, turning around to face him again. Then, once again causing another quake in its wake, the huge beast began to storm down the path after him. But that wasn't all. Bahamut soon had another reason to fear. As he sat there and struggled to get back to his feet, the violent vibrations thwarted him. They were so strong that he could barely get his feet under him as he rose. That was when he realized something. One Brachiosaur alone wasn't this heavy to cause these kinds of vibrations…

He looked up again, back toward the larger cave entrance. His stomach soon sank into an icy pit in his gut…for he saw two more Brachiosaurs stomp out of the new hole, both furious and bloodthirsty as well, to join the first one that was, by now, nearly on Bahamut.

The esper sighed.

_I'm getting too old for this…_

* * *

Anaranda stormed forward, bellowing like a bear, and swung his massive fist at Edgar. The king saw soon that this individual packed considerable power…but little in terms of speed. He nimbly leapt backward to avoid the impact. Still, the whole ground shook on connection, and a huge rumble was sent through the ground. Immediately, the huge monster stormed forward and swung a backhand at him next. Edgar quickly had to duck and move back again to avoid his head being taken off.

By now, Edgar decided to counterattack. Quickly, he hoisted his autocrossbow, took aim, and let fly a hail of bolts at his enemy. Anaranda raised one of his massive forearms to guard his face, but other than that had no protection as the arrows sunk into his flesh. Edgar fired off his clip into the creature, decorating it with bolts. But once he was out, he realized the creature wasn't in pain. It didn't even bleed. Instead, it lowered its arm and grinned evilly at the king.

"Was that supposed to hurt?"

Edgar merely grimaced, and replaced his device. He backed away a little, but Anaranda, oblivious to the bolts in his arm, put his fists to his sides and immediately stomped after the king. He quickly put himself into a full fledged charge, ready to trample Edgar into nothingness when he reached him. In response, Edgar quickly reached to his side and pulled out a new device, a great big funnel with a large array attached behind it. He paused only long enough to fit a pair of earplugs into his ears,but then he activated it and sent out a sonic blast of noise at the hulk.

Anaranda immediately screamed in pain. The sound was so deafening and painful that it distorted his sense of reality. He soon began to twist and stumble on his own feet, staggering around and reaching his massive arms to cover his head and ear openings. He stumbled for a moment, before, in a desperate attempt to lunge at Edgar, shot forward and instead smashed his head into a stone wall. It was so powerful, that the rock overhead fractured, and a huge boulder came down on his head, landing with a sickening thud. Anaranda cried out and buckled underneath it, and Edgar shut off his machine and replaced it in his belt to recharge.

However, he soon realized he had little reason to rejoice. Anaranda wasn't in pain from the experience. Instead, he was furious. Fuming and snarling, he quickly straightened up again. He reached up to his head and seized the boulder that had landed on it, and raised the massive rock over his own head. He turned to Edgar next, and prepared to bring the huge stone down on him, crushing him into smithereens. As he glared hatefully at the king, Edgar paled and swallowed for a moment. But then, he quickly pulled out yet another device, the great flashing weapon from before. He took quick aim at Anaranda's tiny eyes, and then pressed the button. A huge brilliant yellow light pierced the dark of the cave and pierced Anaranda's pupils. The orange monster cried out in agony again, and released his boulder. It slowly toppled out of his hands and landed on his head again, this time cracking and splitting in two. However, again, the thing seemed to not notice, and instead fumed and reached for his eyes in pain.

Edgar frowned again at this. However, he still had quite the repitoire. He replaced the flash, and reached for yet another new weapon. This time, he brought out a large device that had a somewhat oval-shaped set of saw teeth on the end of it. In addition, he pulled out a small protective white mask that looked deceptively like a skull, and placed that over his face as he pulled a cord hard on the side of the new device. As he did, it began to sputter, and soon grew loud as a motor started within it. Edgar hoisted the device and pressed a button, and a long chain began to turn the saw teeth within it. He brandished it before himself like a blade, as Anaranda's vision cleared and he turned to glare at the king. He staggered forward to lunge at him again, but this time Edgar was ready. The noble quickly darted forward and past him, and as he did he raised his chainsaw and swung it down on Anaranda's extended arm. As he tore past, the great rippling appendage was severed from Anaranda's body, and fell to the ground. Anaranda bellowed again.

Edgar spun back, and hoisted his saw over his head, ready for another slice. Anaranda had his back to him, staggering away, grasping his wound, and yelling out non stop. Edgar prepared himself for another strike…but then suddenly held. He began to realize something about the creature. For one…neither of the wounds were bleeding. They didn't even look cut. In fact…it seemed almost as if the balls that made Anaranda up had separated themselves when he lopped off his arm. That wasn't all. As Edgar lowered his saw in puzzlement, he noticed that Anaranda wasn't yelling in pain…

He was laughing.

"Heh heh…now you've done it!" He cried.

Edgar stared on. As he did, he began to notice something. It seemed that more balls were coming out from the severed limb of Anaranda. As they did, he saw that they began to fuse together, creating a new surface like the rest of his body. However, it didn't stop there. Once they formed, more balls began to inflate and add onto these. And more after that. They continued to do this, and sped up as they did so, rapidly lengthening Anaranda's stump of a limb. They also shifted in size. Some grew smaller and some shorter before fusing, creating contour and shape. Within a few moments, Anaranda's limb had fully regenerated. He flexed his new fist once and then tightened it and as he raised his arms up.

But that wasn't the worst thing. His severed limb was growing on the end too. Only it did so much faster. And once it reached the part where the shoulder would be, it began to grow more erratically. It formed a large lump, and various smaller lumps began to form on it. As they did, they soon began to grow wider, as if more balls were coming in front behind to make them into mounds rather than lumps. The central mass continued to grow, and as it did it also began to make more fine details through selective growing. The same happened with the other lumps, some of which lengthened more than others, and some of which stayed smooth. They continued to grow until they were as big as Anaranda himself. Only then did they begin to fuse. The ends split to form longer strands of balls, and the mound on top rounded itself and fused to form a more orb shaped array. They continued to sharpen up. And as they did, the huge form began to move. It slowly rolled itself onto what was now legs, and straightened up as it finished growing. It cracked its new limbs, rotated its neck, and then turned to face Edgar. To the shock of the king, he now saw that there were _two_ Anarandas.

"Well…" Edgar remarked from behind his skull mask. "That's a good trick…"

"Ha!" Both Anarandas remarked at once, producing a booming stereo effect. "Now you see! You can slice us up like a pie, but it won't do no good! We'll just rebuild ourselves from the fragments! We'll keep getting stronger every time you cut us up!"

Edgar swallowed a moment, but that was all he got. Soon, both hulks were charging at him at once. Thankfully they were still slow, but with two of them that made less difference. Edgar quickly leapt out of the way as their fists smashed down on his location, pounding a crater into the ground. The king quickly leapt back, but one of them recovered and kept going forward, swinging his arms at him. He managed to dodge them, feeling the wind yank at his clothing as he did so, until he was backed up to a wall and stopped. Grinning, the closest monster swung his fist forward right for him. Gulping, Edgar quickly dodged to the side, and the thing embedded its huge fist into the stone wall. It snarled, and tried to pull it back…but to no avail. It was stuck. Edgar had little time to gloat over his victory, however. The other one swung his own fist down right where he had landed, trying to pound the king flat. Edgar's eyes widened, and he quickly went back to avoid the huge fist, which smashed the stone ground into fragments instead. However, he couldn't move anymore. He was soon backed up to the wrist of the massive creature, and was blocked against his forearm.

This monster glared at Edgar. He struggled even harder to break his hand free, but to no avail. Grunting, he quickly brought his opposite arm up instead, ready to hit Edgar with that. The king panicked for a moment. He was stuck. The other Anaranda was pulling back his fist and gritting his teeth at Edgar, ready to move in again. On his other side, the stuck arm blocked him. Sighing, the man realized he had no choice. He gunned his chainsaw up again, and sliced through the wrist of the monster. The creature, which had been rearing back to punch Edgar, had, at the same time, been pulling on his stuck arm. Now suddenly free, his face turned to surprise, and he waved backward on his feet a brief moment before crying out and falling on his back. Now, Edgar was free. He quickly darted out of the way, just as the other creature came forward and drove his fist into the ground, smashing where he had been second ago. This one cursed, seeing how it had failed again.

As for Edgar, he quickly used his lull to back up from the two creatures. He removed his mask and put his chainsaw away, and watched them. The one that had struck last grunted and pulled himself up again with a frown, glaring at Edgar. The one on his back also groaned, a bit stunned from having fell, but then began to pull himself up too. His severed hand already had regenerated. As for the hand against the wall, within a few seconds a giant body was attached to it again. This latest Anaranda scowled at his position. Then, he put his foot against the wall, and with one mighty pull yanked it free. After that, he turned and glared at Edgar. The others did too, and began to walk toward him with dark expressions. Edgar sighed. Now, he had three of them to deal with.

"You'll pay for that!" All three of them said at once, even louder than before.

Sabin, on his part, was still calmly leaning against the wall, and regarding this entire battle with some boredom. "Need any help yet, big brother?" He asked innocently.

Edgar frowned, and waved him off with a free hand…even as he backed away from the titans nearing him. "I still have a few tricks left up my sleeve." He simply answered. He turned back to the enemy as he did so. As he looked at them, he reached into his coat again, and this time pulled out a hard hat and put it in his head. "Well…if you won't get sliced up like pie…maybe I can skewer you like a shiskabob."

With that, Edgar pulled up his latest device…his great boring drill. He quickly activated it, and the giant weapon began to rotate. He aimed this at the nearest creature. The Anarandas paused at this, staring at the latest development. But Edgar only hesitated a moment before leaping forward and driving his diamond-bitted drill toward the nearest monster. It gaped and leapt back a bit, but it was too late. Edgar was already on it. Aiming as close as he could to the thing's heart, he drove the machine forward and into its chest, and quickly gunned his machine up to full power. The drill pierced him immediately, and drove itself clean through to the other side.

The Anaranda gaped in shock for a moment, and looked down as Edgar put his weapon through it. The king gave a victorious cry as he shoved. For a moment, the monsters froze as Edgar held his device. But then…they simply grinned and looked down to the king maliciously. Edgar himself lost his own smile…as he realized that the thing wasn't bleeding or in any pain.

"Well…crud."

That was all Edgar could say before the beast bent over, seized Edgar with one massive hand, ripped him and his drill out of him, and then flung the king across the room. Edgar cried out in surprise and shock as he felt himself flail through the air…before he smashed against the rock wall at the bend in the corridor. At that, he gave out a resounding "oof", and slumped down to the ground again. He fell flat on landing, and gave out a groan. Pain radiated through his back…and he felt very thankful for his helmet. He leaned up soon after, shaking his head as he did so, and managed to groan and struggle his way back to his feet. He was a bit sore now, but he recovered easily enough.

The Anaranda's grabbed their sides and bellowed in laughter at their puny opponent, taking the moment to gloat. Edgar frowned at them as he rose. He wiped his dirty face for a moment, and, still glaring at them, replaced his drill and helmet back into his coat. After that, he managed the boldest stance he could muster before reaching into his coat again, and coming out with yet another device. This one look like some sort of giant gun, so heavy and huge Edgar had to brace it against his side with both hands to support it. The ammunition that it held seemed to be some sort of giant rail bullets with balls attached to giant hooks. These, he aimed at the three in front of him.

"Too tough to grill, eh?" He called out to them, as they continued to laugh at him. "Well…let's try a roast."

At that, Edgar fired the weapon. The creatures stopped laughing, and looked in puzzlement at this latest move. Edgar's gun soon began to fire out the small rail bullets. On firing, each one of the hooks spring ejected to extend, sailed right for their targets. Moments later, they embedded themselves into the flesh of the closest Anaranda. The monster looked down in puzzlement. He felt no pain, but he saw the hooks soon latch into him, and a moment later the balls that had been hanging on the end of the rail bullets swung down on a giant hinge to hang from his flesh. That wasn't all. Edgar soon pumped four more into him on various spots. He turned and did the same to the one on the right, followed by the one on the left. As each one landed and hooked into its foe, none of them realized that a small automatic device had gone off in each one, setting off a chemical reaction to create a severely unstable compound. With his work done, Edgar swung the gun around and replaced it under his coat. With that, he smiled at the creatures.

"Move…and you're dust." He simply stated.

The nearest Anaranda looked up to him, followed by the others. They scowled and began to sneer at him. Immediately, ignoring the warning, they all began to march forward to the king. As they did, the vibrations their bodies generated violently shook the volatile chemicals located inside the balls attached to them. It took only moments for a chain reaction to begin. Before the creatures even had time to gape in surprise…each one of the small anchors exploded.

Edgar raised his arms to his face and shielded himself as a series of fiery eruptions went off. Explosions rocked the inner tunnel, and fire and smoke poured out from around the four creatures as they were ripped apart by powerful blasts. The eruptions continued until every last explosive in each anchor had gone off. After that, the shockwave continued to ripple past Edgar for a moment. Sabin himself, far in the back, closed his eyes to the boom. But in the end, the explosions died down, and the area became calm again as the echo died down. At that, the king lowered his hand and looked to his damage.

The Anarandas were gone. All that was left was a few oddly shaped piles of orange balls, still somewhat joined to one another. They smoked and smoldered slightly as they sat in errant clumps all over the floor. Edgar looked over this for a moment, and simply crossed his arms and shrugged.

"I warned them." He commented. "Let's see you regenerate from that."

About two seconds later, Edgar wished he hadn't said that.

The smile on the king's face faded as he saw the balls begin to shift. It didn't matter if they were in the largest clump or a single small ball. They all began to do it. Then…as they started to quiver…they began to divide again. The smallest ones split in half and grew to their former sizes in an instant, then split into four and did the same thing. They kept this up and began to grow. The larger clumps merely seemed to extend from what was already there. They all did this at once, and within a few seconds each former bit was much larger…and growing bigger. Edgar gazed in wide-eyed shock for a moment, before his face fell and he let out a sigh. But that didn't change the fact that soon the lumps began to stand up from the ground again. They became more detailed once more, and soon began to form bodies.

After a few seconds more, the corridor was stuffed almost the point of being jam packed with Anarandas. There was at least fifty of them now crushed into the small space, all full sized and without a scratch on them. They cracked their new limbs and stretched a bit, but mostly they stared at Edgar and grinned with delight. Slowly…they began to laugh. They rapidly increased in volume, but now it came from an entire chorus of them rather than just a few. They glared maliciously at their quarry, and turned their bodies to him as they continued to laugh.

"Heh…we told you." They sneered after a moment longer, now from a huge booming crowd of monsters. "You can cut us up, tear us apart, or blow us into a million pieces… We'll always come back stronger. Just like a weed, we only grow back stronger and bigger every time you pull us out. Your toys can't beat us." After saying this, they flashed a larger grin and began to crack their knuckles. They slowly began to step forward toward the small human, each one of them ravenous and feeling victorious. "Any last words?"

Edgar glared at them a moment. He actually sweat a little now. However…he did have one trick left. And frankly, he felt it still had a good chance of working. This creature might not bleed…but it was alive. And anything alive could be affected by this. He took one step backward, from the approaching monsters. But then, he swung down into his coat one last time. This time, he pulled out a much larger helmet with a special breath mask on the end, and swung it over his head. With his other hand, he yanked out a great nozzle, connected to special tanks that hung from his back. He aimed the nozzle at the enemy, and placed his hand on the button.

"I don't pull my weeds, gentlemen…I spray them."

With that, he pressed the control button. Immediately, a blast of thick, green smoke spilled out of the front of Edgar's machine and flooded the creatures in front of him. The smoke couldn't travel far, but it did spread out somewhat on its ejection. And Edgar spread a thick cloud all over the enemy before him, making sure to scatter his foul gas over them all. The creatures hesitated again and snorted, staring at this strange attack. And in their hesitation, Edgar managed to thoroughly douse each and every one of them with a healthy helping of his green mist. They looked around in puzzlement, and as they did so failed to notice that they were inhaling great amounts of it into their circular lungs. For a moment, they dwelled under this cloud, and continued to breathe it. But the gas reacted quickly with normal air, becoming a harmless, neutral substance. It did so now, and quickly dissipated. Soon, the confused monsters stood in normal air, and looked around themselves.

But that lasted only a moment. A strange sort of sound began to rise from the creatures. It sounded like drying of some sort…or some sort of stretching or ripping. As it went out, the monsters looked in terror toward their limbs. To their shock, they saw that large brown spots were beginning to appear on their skin. Not only that, but they were quickly spreading. And as they did, the millions of balls that made up their flesh began to turn brown and dry. They withered, becoming wrinkled small pits on their skin. As the brown spots spread, they dried up more and more of them. They began to crack open and let out empty clouds of brown dust into the air. The Anarandas gaped, and tried to cry out in shock. But their lungs had already been totally infected, and they could only let out small dry sounds before dust poofed out of their mouths. Their bodies began to turn a duller color, and their limbs began to wither, especially as the brown continued to cover them, turning them into small, dried out stick versions of their former size. Their faces began to sag as their skin turned to wrinkles, and they looked out to Edgar in shock.

But Edgar had already replaced his mask and bio blaster, and now had his circular saw out again. With one pull of the cord, he fired up the chain again, and soon he gunned the huge blade. He smiled at the rapidly withering opposition.

"Now…let's try this again, shall we?"

The Anarandas could only exhale empty sounds before the king went into them. Again, he spun around in a deadly twister, swinging his saw out as he did so. He slashed through the creatures left and right, slicing off their limbs and casting them everywhere. He moved into their torsos as well, and soon slashed them off too. But they didn't stay entire this time. They exploded into dusty fragments, and were chopped up even smaller as Edgar continued to cut through them. A huge cloud of brown material soon surrounded Edgar as he danced around into them, chopping the dry creatures into fragments. It was a massacre. The withered creatures couldn't even react as Edgar sliced them into bits. They were torn up like a kid jumping into a pile of dry leaves.

After a few moments, Edgar came to a stop. He exhaled once, showing a bit of tiredness, and stood in the wake of his destruction. He slowly powered his chainsaw down, and glared out as he huffed and puffed. All that was left now was dry, leafy matter piled up at his feet, and tons and tons of dust. A cloud of it still hung in the air and floated there. Edgar himself was turned brown from all of the material that had blown over him. He glared out a moment longer, staring ahead with a dangerous look. But then, his face twisted, he reared back, and he sneezed, scattering dust off of his hair and body and thrown everywhere.

Sabin, over against the wall, cracked a grin and leaned off of it. He began to walk forward, waving the dust out of his face as he did so. Edgar sniffled and huffed for a moment longer, but then put his chainsaw back to his side. Sabin wandered into the dust cloud after him, continuing to wave it away, while Edgar began to pat his clothes and run his hands through his hair, scattering the dry material off of him.

"Stupid allergies…" He remarked, sniffling, as he turned and began to walk out of the cloud, back down the hallway.

Sabin quickly pulled up to his side and walked with him. "Not bad, big brother. But why didn't you just do that to him in the first place?"

The king breathed hard again for a moment, but then merely shrugged. "Well, you know me. I wanted to give the overconfident imbecile the impression he was going to actually win this fight. I mean, that was a pretty good move after all. Growing back every time I lopped off a limb. I just wish I would have known he was going to leave such a mess…" Edgar sneezed again here, still surrounded by a cloud of dust. Frowned, he waved more of it away from his face, and eagerly stepped out of the dust pile and into the main corridor. "I wouldn't have let him divide so much."

Sabin sneezed as well after this, accenting his similar allergies taking effect. However, he and his brother continued to walk down the hallway, making for the bend from earlier. "Maybe next time, you should invent a flamethrower or something." He suggested.

"Nah." Edgar answered as they turned the corner. "That would just make smoke and ash. And in this small of a place, that'd be just as ba…"

Edgar trailed off and halted. Sabin stopped as well. The twins both stood frozen in the hall, and looked ahead down the latest corridor they had descended. As they did…they saw that they weren't alone. Standing just at the end of the next corridor, before the next turn in it, was another opponent. His arms were crossed, he smiled smugly, and his hair was over one side of his face. On seeing him…the two of them immediately recognized who he was. It was yet another warrior from the city of Zozo…this time, the one named Chile.

However…they weren't as impressed as he might have wanted.

Edgar frowned. "Another one?" He asked rhetorically as he shook his head. "They're making this too easy on us."

"Yeah. I thought we'd have to hunt them down." Sabin remarked, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "I'm amazed they've lived this long."

Chile, on hearing this, frowned and stuck his nose up. "What rude little creatures." He snorted, sounding utterly insulted by these remarks, but still very confident. "Though I suppose your two lives aren't _totally_ meaningless. After all, you did manage to kill Anaranda somehow." After saying this, the creature let out a very bored sigh. "I suppose I have to kill you now myself. What a ridiculous waste of time. I have much better things to be doing than wasting my time on the likes of you. It disgusts me that I even have to dirty myself touching your ugly little bodies…"

The twins stared back at the creature on hearing this. Both of them showed similar expressions, both of them dark and frowning at the arrogance of the latest foe to challenge them.

"Now I know why they need a mountain for a base…" Edgar grimly responded as he looked at the odd, snooty creature before them. "This was the only place they could find big enough to hold their gigantic egos."

"On second thought, big brother," Sabin said out loud…already twisting his arms behind him, locking his hands, and cracking. "I'm glad you got the chance to beat up the big one back there. Now I get to beat the tar out of this one. And personally, I think I'll enjoy ripping his face off a lot better than I would have the lunkhead's."

Edgar sighed a bit himself at that, but gave a shrug. He walked over to the wall and prepared to lean on it himself. "I'd really like to help you out on this one, little brother." He responded, and then frowned and shrugged. "But…fair is fair. You get to hog him all to yourself."

Chile looked down at this, and his eyes widened in surprise at this kind of dialogue. He "hmphed" in reply, and then turned his nose again. "You annoying little trollups. How dare you talk down to one of my superior grace, strength, skill, and beauty. I am one of Lord Nireevyou's greatest warriors, making me one of the greatest beings alive. And you underevolved, uncouth, uncultured, barely sentient apes think you can actually contest me?"

"I don't know about any of that stuff." Sabin simply replied as he began to step forward toward the monster, limbering himself up a little as he did. "I was thinking more along the lines of just plain kicking your scrawny, pansy ass."

The monster opened his eyes again at this, and glared back in indignation. "Uncultured wretch!" He cried back in anger. "You will suffer for that! Feel privileged. You will die at the hand of the great and marvelous Chile!"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	25. The Last Two Warriors

Hey everyone! I'm back from ACEN.

Good things about the trip - I got a piano book full of FF songs! But there aren't any from FFIV... :(

Bad things about the trip - I (in my opinion) wasted over $60 buying The Black Mages CD and The Black Mages II CD. I thought I was just getting FF music...not getting hard rock remixes of FF music. I consider both CDs to be a bastardization of FF themes, and typical of Square Enix's inexplicable attempts to appeal to a non-existent punk/surfer/skateboarder demographic.

But enough about that. On with the story.

* * *

Sabin frowned once, and quickly posed in his ready position. He adjusted himself for the briefest moment, and then took off toward the enemy. He quickly brought his fist back and readied it to smash in the monster's face.

However, he soon discovered the thing wasn't all talk. His hand was moments from rearranging his expression, when the monster dodged to one side, letting the hand slide harmlessly past. Sabin was a bit amazed, but quickly followed up with his other fist. Chile dodged this as well. Frowning, Sabin began to advance, and as he did he unleashed a combo with his bare hands, striking at Chile again and again. But the cocky creature merely smiled and dodged every one. Despite how fast or accurate Sabin tried to be, he couldn't get a hit in. He did this for a while, before he suddenly ended one of his punches with a swinging roundhouse kick, bringing his feet into this. Chile smiled, and simply extended his own arm from his cape to block it easily. Sabin reared back afterward, and tried three more thrust kicks. Chile blocked two of them, and simply stepped back for the third.

The monk grit his teeth and continued to advance, punching, kicking, and doing everything in his power to take down the enemy. But for all his effort, his basic skills were no use. Chile was too fast even for his advanced moves. For all of his effort, the most he managed to do was make Chile step back or occasionally block him. The creature was just too fast. Finally, as Sabin drove his hand forward to punch the thing in the face, it reached out and seized his limb. Sabin was surprised for a moment, before the creature drove an iron palm into his chest. Immediately, Sabin was knocked away by incredible force, sailing a good twenty feet before landing on the ground and dragging all the way to the wall.

Sabin lowered his head and coughed. To his displeasure, and a bit to his surprise, a wad of blood came out with it. He looked back up, and saw Chile calmly strike a pose and wave at him with a superior smile. This joker was stronger than he looked. Evidently, he wasn't kidding around. However…Sabin was a fighter. A strong opponent only excited him. Grinning, he quickly wrenched himself, and did a flip back up to his feet. Once he did, he leveled himself in a ready position, and began to lightly hop on his feet. He flashed Chile a smile once, and then went forward to fight again.

The creature frowned a bit, for Sabin was faster this time. He pulled no punches, immediately doing his advanced moves, and striking faster than before. Chile was annoyed by this, but little else. He began to back up again, continuing to block against the moves and dodge every one he could. Yet as he did, he began to notice something. Sabin was getting faster. Unknown to him, the monk was already slipping into a focused state, a sort of self imposed trance. As he descended deeper into it, he made his limbs looser and quicker. He felt less and less resistance to any of his moves. He tried to make himself like water as he cleared his head, moving his hands faster and faster. Slowly, the creature began to turn from displeasure to surprise. As Sabin continued to back him up, he continued to move quicker, until Chile couldn't dodge anymore. Now, he had to just block. But even then, Sabin went quicker…faster than humanly possible. His arms began to blur, and he looked like he had more than one fist moving at a time. His moves seemed to go so quickly they left an image of themselves behind, and they only went faster. The thing started to look left and right, and began to struggle to keep up. Finally…one of Sabin's hands shot out, and Chile gasped at it, not seeing it coming. Only due to a reflex reaction, not anything planned, did he dodge his head to one side and avoid it. Still, it just slightly touched his cheek…

At this, Chile was enraged. Gritting his teeth at the thought that the foul being had actually touched him, he suddenly broke out of his blocks, spun back, twisted around, and gave Sabin an incredibly powerful kick under the jaw. With a force like a battering ram, Sabin was knocked off of his feet and into the air to smash his face against the ceiling, before the ricochette sent him falling back to the ground. He landed so hard that some of the rock was smashed beneath him, and he sprawled out against it. Blood oozed from the corners of his mouth.

Chile frowned at him, and exhaled once. However…that only made him madder. He was actually showing signs of fatigue to this miserable creature, and it made him furious. Indignantly, turning his nose up again, he brushed his hair back calmly and straightened up once more. That blow had seemed to do it. He bet he had broken the man's neck with it, and that had put an end to his insulting little fight… Sure enough, he lay limply on the ground, and did not move an inch.

However, to the shock of Chile, he abruptly sprung back to life. He flipped himself up and was back on his feet in an instant. The monster was shocked. Sabin himself grinned as he shifted his feet into a ready stance. He paused for a moment, just long enough to wipe some blood away from his nose, before he put his hands together and reared them back. Immediately, his muscles tightened, his eyes focused…and, to Chile's surprise, radiant light began to glow from his palms. It took only a second to form. It quickly grew stronger, becoming a powerful glow, and formed a ball in his grasp.Abruptly, Sabin shifted his hands forward in a clamshell shape and cried.

"Aurabolt!"

Immediately, the radiant ball turned into a giant radiant beam of energy. Chile gaped in shock, surprised at how Sabin's own chi had been transformed into a blast of pure energy, and now the powerful wave was headed straight for him. It turned into a burning bolt of light, dimming everything else, and bathing Chile in its soft white glow. The creature gaped for a moment, but then grit his own teeth and put his hands up in response. He blocked them over each other and planted his feet, bracing himself. Moments later…the bolt hit. Chile soon grit his teeth and struggled not to cry out. The deadly energy burned his palms, and struck him with force he didn't believe possible for the human. He struggled with all his might to restrain it. Soon…he truly began to sweat. His muscles burned, and his legs trembled. The force pushed him…raking his feet against the ground and making him form two giant trenches. He continued to strain, stretching his face muscles and putting everything he could into holding the powerful blast back. Deadly head washed over him…and he felt it burn his skin…

But at last, the beam died. Pebbles that had been blown up in its wake slowly began to settle. A great burning line was in the ground now, sizzling from the power. Chile stood at the back of two trenches that came from his feet, both four feet long. He huffed and puffed as he stood there, his still burning hands frozen in the position they had been locked in to block the attack. His brow was sweaty now, and he slowly panted and breathed. Slowly, he looked down over his body. When he did, he gaped in shock. His lovely clothes had been singed and burned. They were now ragged on the trim, and had holes on them. The creature was horrified. Not only was he forced to show his sweat to this worm…but he had ruined his outfit! He looked up in fury toward him…

And was just in time to see Sabin smash him in the face. Chile cried out and staggered back in pain. The blow wasn't nearly as strong as his own, but it was still rather painful. It made him retreat a few steps, and clutch his face in agony. It burned from the painful strike, and he moaned as he grasped it. As for the monk, he merely settled back down into his previous position, and stood more calmly.

"You have to stay alert in a fight, you know." Sabin informed him.

Chile didn't answer. Instead…he began to hiss. His calm demeanor was gone. His anger fully began to replace it. Slowly, he pulled his arms away from his eyes, and he glared evilly at Sabin. His body tensed up with violence, and he fumed and quivered where he stood. Slowly…a trickle of blood came from his nose.

"Damn you…" He hissed, no longer egotistical or arrogant. "Damn you to hell… You dared to strike me. Spilled my blood…ruined my face…"

Sabin raised an eyebrow to this. The monster seethed and hissed again. It began to grow livid with fury, burning with violent anger. Suddenly, it reached up to its neck, and grabbed the edge of its clothing. Giving a cry, it pulled down, and ripped them into shreds. His tattered cape and shirt fell to the ground, leaving him bare chested instead. His eyes began to crack as he glared hatefully at Sabin. He began to nearly foam at the mouth, as angry as he was becoming. Every muscle in his body tightened in rage. He quivered in anger as he stared at the man.

Then, abruptly…he did something Sabin never expected in a million years.

He drew up to one foot, clapped his hands twice, and then began to go into a crazy dance.

The monk was dumbfounded. His arms dropped to his sides, and he stared in puzzlement. Chile didn't react. His face was still tight with rage, but he continued to dance. It was a fast, violent sort of step. He moved quickly, and pranced around in a circle with numerous footsteps. He continued to do so for quite some time, and only grew crazier and wilder with every move. Edgar scratched his head in confusion. Sabin crossed his arms and tapped his foot. Was this supposed to be an attack? Was he doing something to prepare for an energy blast? Sabin didn't know. But Chile continued to dance faster and faster, making the man feel he had lost it entirely.

Finally, the monster stopped. He was covered with sweat at this point, and his purple skin seemed to have turned redder. Not only that…but as Sabin looked at him, he realized his muscles looked a little bit larger. Perhaps it was only because they were more detailed, now that the creature was gleaming with sweat. At any rate, Chile panted now, and continued to glare at Sabin with maddened intent. The monk coughed after a moment, and scratched the side of his head.

"Um…well. You look warmed up now."

The monster frowned and snorted at him. His sophisticated air was gone. Now, he was ruled purely by rage. "You fool… That was my patented Chile Mambo. I dance it before I kill. It raised my power dramatically. You are doomed now."

Edgar had to stifle a laugh from where he was. That ridiculous move was supposed to be a power up. Sabin had to lower his head and cough a bit himself in response. "Er…ok. Whatever you say. Let's just-"

Sabin had no time to say anything else. It felt as if a tree had fallen on his face a moment later as Chile, moving faster than even he could see, smashed him in the face. The man went flying back thirty feet before he was once again flattened on the ground. Now, his world danced around him, and he was dizzy from the hit. The monk was stunned. He had never seen a blow so fast or powerful. He shook his head once, and then flipped back up to his feet. He wavered a bit, trying to stabilize himself as he did. He looked again to Chile…but then suddenly saw him change into a blur. Blinking in astonishment, Sabin turned his head, and suddenly saw that Chile was on the wall, hanging from it for a moment. The monk turned to him, but he immediately turned into a blur again. This time, Sabin was unable to see him reappear…before another blow smashed him in the stomach. All of the wind rushed over of Sabin's lungs as he bowed over in utter surprise, around the powerful fist of Chile. The monster immediately added an uppercut, sending Sabin flying back and to the ground again.

Despite being sore, the monk grunted and got back to his feet again. His eyes rested on Chile, and he got into a ready stance. However…it was too slow. Another blur…and soon Chile was hooking him across the face again. He grunted and went through it, and struggled to punch back at him. However, Chile vanished the moment he struck…and he soon felt a foot being smashed into his back, pitching him forward. The monk stumbled for a moment, but grit his teeth and righted himself. He was growing used to the power of the blows, and was able to weather them better. He swung around and aimed another roundhouse kick behind him…but he hit only air. He saw another blur before him, before a fist smashed him in the face. Again, Sabin was sent staggering back, before Chile was on him again. This time, he delivered a painful series of blows to his stomach, pushing him back with each one, and causing the monk to spit up blood as a result. He finished up with kicking him again to the face, sending him flying back and smashing into the stone wall. It was painful, and he left another crack as he landed. Grunting, Sabin slumped to the ground for a moment after landing, wincing all the way.

Sabin rested only for a moment. Chile was soon leaping on him again, ready to deliver another blow. The monk looked up just as he closed on him, and saw his fist coming for his face. Immediately, Sabin balled his hands into fists and focused. He cleared his mind again, and brought up another powerful move. Abruptly…Sabin's body was enveloped in a bright red aura, and he began to glow and burn as if he was aflame. Chile halted at this…which was a fatal mistake. Coming back just as fast, Sabin came to his feet and attacked. The monster could only gape as Sabin moved like a blur, hooking him across his own face. Chile's stupefied look turned into a sneer soon after, and he swung his fist back at him. But Sabin was now so fast that he too left after-images. As Chile's fist went through an empty head, another blow struck him in the side, making him cry out in pain and gag up blood. He struggled to hit this, only to be uppercut in the jaw, and then punched in the neck. Chile's eyes bulged, and he bent over and grasped his throat. More air, however, was soon knocked out of him as Sabin drove his fists and legs into his stomach. Chile continued to get violently pounded for a moment…before he grit his own teeth in frustration and anger. Abruptly, he snapped out of his own doubled over pose, put two fingers together, and aimed them out at the fiery images that encircled him now. He focused his own chi for a moment…before a violet blast of energy suddenly erupted from his fingers and sailed into the crowd.

"Augh!"

Sabin cried out in pain and halted as the shot tore through his shoulder, leaving a bloody, burning hole behind it. He immediately broke off his fiery dance, and became normal again. He halted and dropped to one knee, raising his hand to the spot. His shirt, burned from contact, smoldered and fell off of one shoulder, exposing his own sweaty chest. He continued to hold for a second, before turning back to Chile. It was a bit late…for suddenly the thing was on him again, and this time drove his knee into Sabin's face. Crying out, the monk was forceably yanked to his feet.

Chile followed up with an iron palm, driving him back into the stone wall and smashing him in the hardest yet. Sabin cried out in agony, his face tightening in pain, and limply fell off shortly after, collapsing to his knees. The furious Chile walked forward toward him, tightening his own fists for another blow. He came to a halt right in front of the wavering Sabin as he neared, and stood straight and tall. He glowered down on Sabin's own fallen body, heaving and sore where it was. Abruptly, Sabin seemed to lose his balance, and fell forward and against Chile's legs. His body rested against them, and soon he began to sweat and bleed all over them. The monster scowled, and hissed at him for dirtying him. Immediately, he rose another hand to strike…

When suddenly, Sabin sprung to life yet again. This time, he laced his arms around Chile's legs, and suddenly sprung off of his knees and into a squat. Before the thing could react, Sabin suddenly took off and into the air, taking Chile with him. The monster gaped in surprise for a moment…before his face was smashed roughly against the ceiling, smashing in his nose and leaving a bloody mess. The thing bellowed in agony, before Sabin, still in midair, flipped himself and Chile around…and went back down to the ground, this time aiming Chile back to the floor. Moments later…he brought both him and his whole weight down onto the rocky ground as he shoved Chile face-first against the stone ground again, smashing him in so hard that a crater was broken into it.

Sabin was a bit dizzy after this, and a little woozy from having been beaten around so much. He released the monster on landing. That, however, was a bad move. Fuming in rage, Chile revealed he had reserves to spare. Screaming in anger, the monster flipped back up, yanking his bloody, broken face out of the ground, and looked up to Sabin with horrible rage. The monk was stunned. He couldn't believe Chile had so easily recovered from that. And now…the monster, one of his teeth gone and another chipped, mouth filled with blood, one eye swelling puffy and his nose smashed in, was ready to rip Sabin limb from limb.

Screaming again, Chile shot forward and seized Sabin by the throat. Now…he moved faster than physically possible. Sabin could only gape helplessly as Chile smashed his fist again and again into Sabin's stomach, pounding endlessly on and on so fast that a blur was all that resulted. He dug in his fist with each blow, determined to pound Sabin's guts into jelly and make him throw them up. Sabin ran out of air long ago, but the thing continued to pound him. He went crazy, beginning to pound his chest as well,making him gag up whatever fluid and blood he could make him.

That was only the start. Once he had hit him close to fifty times, Chile drove him back and smashed him into the wall, pounding Sabin into a crater. Then, he turned to his face. Eyes mad with hate, face livid with violence, Chile mercilessly pounded him in the head. He smacked him again and again and again, not stopping or halting for a moment. He broke the bones in his own knuckles. He ripped the flesh from his hand, making it bloodier and bloodier. But still, psychotically staring at Sabin, he continued to pound his face into a bloody pulp, smashing in his own nose and beating him again and again…

At last, Chile let him go. Totally senseless, barely conscious, Sabin fell totally limp to the ground. His face throbbed and swelled with pain. His stomach felt like a piece of raw dough. He had turned into a piece of cooked noodle, and he collapsed to the floor. He seemed, for all intensive purposes, dead or beaten half to death. Chile sneered at him…so tired from his own attacks that he too was heaving and panting. He growled like a beast at the monk, quivering in anger and exhaustion from his own move. However…Sabin didn't get up. It was over. He had beaten him down into nothingness.

The monster breathed hard a bit longer, but then leaned up again. He brushed his hair out of his face again, and tried to look as calm as possible. He struggled to regain his lost pride after having been smacked around so viciously as well. At last, he turned and looked to Edgar. The twin was staring at the fallen Sabin in wide-eyed shock, but showed little else. Chile grit his teeth at him, and pointed a hand to him. He panted, but his voice was calm again.

"Your brother paid a terrible price for daring to insult me. And now that he is dead…you will have to pick up the slack of my wrath. When I send you to hell, you'll find him in the section where countless other souls tremble in fear for eternity at the name Chile."

The monster turned his full body to Edgar at that, and began to step forward.

He got one step before he heard a snicker behind him.

"Oh come on…after having me play possum twice, you still didn't get wise?"

Chile's eyes widened in shock. It was impossible. Nothing could have survived that series of blows. Nothing ever did. His brains should have been beaten into jam. It couldn't be true. Slowly, the monster turned around to gape in overwhelmed amazement at the source of the noise. But despite his denial…it was true. Standing and grinning, despite all of his horrible injuries, Sabin stood straight and tall right behind him, no longer limp but looking rather focused and strong, and as solid and formidable as a rock.

Strong as Chile was, and as skilled as he was (or thought he was), he lost much when he gave in to rage. None of those punches had been focused as they could have been. As such, shortly after the hitting began, Sabin was able to use his technique to loosen himself up again, become so fluid and conformist to every blow that the damage was all but negated after the first few hits. In the end, all that Chile had done was waste his energy while Sabin conserved his. What more, while he was being beaten, Sabin had been summoning his own skill forward to do a much stronger attack. Until now, he had been enjoying the fight. But now that Chile had lost himself to anger, it was obvious he wasn't going to provide any more stimulation. It was time to bring it to a close. Quickly, he narrowed his own gaze as he dropped into a ready position, and then announced his attack.

"Bum Rush."

Chile was soon totally overwhelmed as not one, not two, but _ten_ different Sabins encircled him. And unlike before, these ones weren't all images. Each one of them seemed to strike him with such force that he felt his bones ripped asunder under the power of them. Now, for a few seconds of hell, he own organs were crushed, his bones shattered, his brains grinded, and his blood was hit with so much heat and power it began to boil within his own body. The fury and power with which Sabin encircled him was so great that lightning seemed to shoot through the sky, and a sonic sound ripped through the air. The blows came so fast and strong that even as Chile was ground up like meat in a sausage maker, he was still alive throughout the attack until the very last, when all of the images of Sabin merged back into a single one, and that one gave Chile a kick with enough force to crack a mountain. The monster was ripped off of his feet, launched through the air, and smashed into the nearby stone wall.

An eruption of dust and rocks resulted, and Sabin, sweating, bleeding, torn, but still standing, stayed frozen in the position of the final blow, keeping his leg aimed at Chile. As the debris settled, he saw nothing more than a crater punched into the granite, and Chile's legs dangling out from a hole in the wall. The rest was embedded in it. They held up for a brief moment…before the creature within let out his last breath through his bloody, torn lungs, and they went limp. Chile moved no more.

Sabin exhaled once, and then twisted his leg back and lowered it. After that, he became normal again, losing his fighting mode. Exhaling a bit, he began to wipe the sweat and blood out of his eyes with his bare hands. After a moment, he tore off the rag of his shirt and used that instead. As for Edgar, he formed an acquiescing expression and gave a nod, as he rose off of the wall and began to walk toward him.

"And you yelled at me." He scolded his twin. "Why didn't you just do that from the start?"

Sabin turned to him at this, and after a pause he smiled. "Like you said, big brother. I like them to think they have a chance."

* * *

Terra dodged quickly to one side, narrowing missing a purple tentacle from striking her. A single slap from Ultros was nearly lethal, and she couldn't afford it. As it was, the powerful appendage ripped a tear against the ground. The thing chuckled, and struck out at her again a moment later. Terra gasped at the speed, but managed to flip backward, just avoiding it soon after. The thing slithered forward for a moment, and then lashed out again. This time, Terra ducked as it raked along the back stone wall.

"You can't keep this up forever, girlie." Ultros sneered. "You better make a move, if you can."

Terra frowned at the thing. He was right. She had to do something. She trembled nervously. She stood still, and wavered slightly, keeping her panicked eyes on Ultros for his next move. Abruptly, the thing snorted, and lashed another tentacle out at her. Terra saw it this time, and gave a reaction. Quickly, she leapt back just slightly. The effect let the tentacle strike the ground just in front of her. Seeing this, the woman reacted. She leapt forward again, and smashed one of her boots hard down on the end of Ultros' appendage. The octopus yelled in pain, and writhed beneath it. However, Terra only used this as a launching point. Pushing off from that foot, she lunged forward toward the main bulk of the beast.

Ultros turned back in shock, but it was too late. Terra was on him, and drove her fist forward, right in between his eyes. The thing gave a yell and recoiled in response, flailing his tentacles out in pain. Terra followed up by sweeping her leg around and smacking it hard against the side of the thing's face. The blow was hard, and jarred his head one way. She quickly spun around, ready to give him another blow…but then stopped. Ultros had recovered enough now to bring his tentacles around and lash them around her legs. Sneering, he seized her, ripped her off of the ground, swung her once around his head, and then flung her hard back into the opposite wall. She smashed with a sickening noise, and then fell off and slumped to the floor. She moaned out in pain as she landed. If that had been her back when Ultros and her first met, then she would have certainly died.

"I don't appreciate a lady slapping me in the face." Ultros seethed, as he slithered forward.

Terra slowly raised herself off the ground. She groaned, shook her head once, and then turned. The thing was already on her. She gasped, and quickly threw herself up and back as three tentacles smashed down on where she had been, and tore the ground to pieces. She landed on her feet a moment later, but soon had to dodge again as the creature thrust another tentacle at her like a lance. She dodged this one, only to have to dodge another that came for her again in a similar way. Beginning to grow fearful, Terra struggled to break free. But it was too late. Abruptly, Ultros slammed four tentacles in front of her, embedding them in the rock wall, blocking her path. She paled, and quickly turned to run back the other way. But he did the same on her other side, blocking her from that direction as well. Fearful, the woman turned and looked ahead of herself. Now, she was caught in a cage of Ultros' making.The great octopus slid toward her, shortening his limbs and flashing his teeth hungrily.

Terra hesitated again, but only for a moment. Then, she realized she had to move and try something. And so, tightening up, the woman rushed right forward toward the closing creature. Ultros looked at her in puzzlement for a moment, before she suddenly leapt into the air, sailed over his head a moment, and then brought both of her boots down heavy on his head. They sank right into the spot on his brow she had hit before, and compressed it. The blow was strong, and Ultros gagged and yelled as a result of it. However, this move had another effect. Terra now had a place to get leverage from…and her way was clear to get to the Atma Weapon. Quickly, she leapt off of the monster's head, and began to sail over him…

"No you don't!"

Abruptly, however, slimy lengths wrapped around her legs again, and with a gasp she felt herself torn out of the sky. This time, she was swung around wildly once before being smashed onto the floor. The impact was hard and bone jarring, and she cried out in agony as she was brought down onto it. She felt her bones strain and her body radiated with pain. The tentacles released her legs, but she could only moan and sprawl out on the floor for a moment.

Yet no sooner had Terra gotten the strength to raise her head again…when she felt Ultros lash another tentacle around her neck. Immediately, her windpipe was crushed again, and she was yanked off of the ground as well. Terra's eyes bulged. She grabbed for the slimy appendage around her throat, but she was powerless to move it. Her fingers ineffectively sank into the sludge, and Ultros thickened the length around it to crush her further. Now, she was dangling in midair, slowly being hanged to death.

"You won't get away this time!" The thing sneered at her. "Struggle all you want! I'll still kill you!"

Terra kicked wildly, but the octopus kept his limbs away from her. There was no way for her to inflict any pain. And he was too strong to pry off with her bare hands. Again, she began to grow dizzy, and knew that she'd black out soon if she didn't do something. And so…disgusting as the thought was to her…she realized she had no other choice. Grimacing a little…she finally seized a length of Ultros' flesh, pulled it up to her mouth, and sank her teeth in.

Ultros' large eyes bulged in shock, and he immediately loosened as he gave a yelp. Terra's mouth filled with a foul, ammonia-like taste, and she gagged immediately as she was released and fell to the ground. However, she at least had the air to gag. She landed in a half squat, managing to catch herself on one knee before collapsing. She clutched her already tender throat, and looked up weakly to the monster. Ultros, meanwhile, whined as he pulled his own tentacle back to him, and put it in his mouth like a child with a sore finger. However, his eyes soon looked up and back to Terra, and flashed violence.

"You bitch! Calamari isn't on this menu!"

With that, Terra's vision suddenly went black, and then showed stars as Ultros gave her a powerful whip from his tentacles. The woman sailed backward from the force of the blow, ripped off of her feet, and soon having half of her face covered with a rapidly forming bruise. But the monster wasn't done with her. While still in midair, Ultros stretched out and seized her legs with more tentacles. Furious, he smashed her up and down against the ground, pounding the woman again and again against the stone floor. Terra cried out in more agony, losing what air she had managed to get back. But as she continued to get beaten, eventually the blows hit her head, and knocked her too senseless to fight back. By the time Ultros was done, the woman was bleeding from several points, and her armor was dented and torn. Scowling, Ultros flung her again against the wall, smashing her limp body once more against stone and letting it fall into a heap.

Ultros' scowl turned into a wicked laugh, and soon he began to gloat over the fallen Terra. As for the woman…her face was swollen, and blood dribbled from her mouth onto the ground. A small puddle formed as she slowly raised her head again, one eye puffy and nearly shut. She weakly looked up for a moment, staring ahead at the purple horror, as he continued to gloat over her. She stared emptily at him for a moment…before she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head…her weak face and split lip began to form a smile. She was lying right next to the Atma Weapon.

The octopus noticed her smile in mid-chuckle, and then saw the reason. Immediately…he cut himself off, and his large eyes began to widen. As for Terra, she heaved once, but then stretched out her hand and seized her weapon. She pulled herself back up to her feet, and immediately ignited the meter-long blade of energy. She swung it dangerously in front of herself for a moment, turning her full attention and battle stance back to Ultros. Her eyes flashed violence as she stared at him, and grew dangerous. The octopus sneered in response. Wringing his tentacles in fury, he yelled and began to attack again.

Terra sidestepped the first tentacle. But this time, Ultros was forced to recoil quickly, for she soon swung her weapon down and threatened to lop it off. He struck again, but had to recoil it once more in order to avoid the potential strike. As Terra swung at him, she advanced. Within a few moments, she was up to his side. The octopus sneered, for now, he had to be on the defensive. The woman swung Atma Weapon down on him, forcing him to leap back to avoid it. He soon had to flatten his body afterward, for she gave him a horizontal slash next. He slithered back afterward, but Terra advanced after him. In an attempt to stop her, he lashed out and seized her around the leg. But before he could pull her back, the woman spun around and swung Atma Weapon down at the tentacle. Ultros' large eyes bulged, and he screamed in agony as one of his slimy tentacles was cut from his body, spewing foul, sticky blood in its wake.

In rage, Ultros back-"tentacled" Terra again, smacking her away and sending her falling to the ground. The woman was stunned and hesitated there a moment. Hissing, Ultros drew up a new tentacle, pointed it like a spear, and drove it down for her head. However, Terra managed to recover, and quickly rolled out of the way of the blow. Not stopping, the monster drove another tentacle down where she had been, slashing her clothes but missing her. He continued to do this as she rolled away from him, struggling to impale her. However, he was too slow…and eventually he reached the extent of his tentacle distance, and couldn't follow up with another. Seeing this, Terra quickly rolled once more and lashed out with her blade again. Ultros felt hot pain yet again as another tentacle went off.

Terra grit her teeth and quickly got to her feet, and then dashed in toward the main body of the creature, holding Atma Weapon at her side and ready to strike. Ultros seethed in rage, now mad with pain and anger. He lashed out for her legs soon after, trying to trip her. The woman managed to leap over this as it came for her, but that was what Ultros intended. Now in midair and helpless to dodge, he thrust another tentacle out and struck her square in the chest. The woman gave out a cry and "oof", before the tentacle drove her back all the way to the wall and smashed her hard into it. She cried out again, and Atma Weapon fizzled and went out. Seeing this, Ultros grinned at his chance. He quickly wrapped the blade around her waist, and brought her limp body back to his waiting mouth. He opened wide and prepared to engulf her as she drew close. Yet just as he was a few feet from devouring the woman, she managed to come out of her daze and look up. She gasped at what she saw…and quickly ignited Atma Weapon again. She drove it forward wildly…but managed to thrust the blue blade right into Ultros' eyeball. Immediately, the great orb was pierced, and foul fluid poured from the wound, burning on the blade.

Ultros roared in fury, yanking Terra away from him and smashing her into the ceiling, stunning her a moment. In absolute agony, he flung his tentacles around wildly, and grasped for his face. A burning, smoldering crater was all that was left of one of his eyes. Terra's blade had burned it out. Moaning in pain, he held his tentacle for a moment to it, whining softly. Terra herself was dazzled, and unable to slash her way free again. Then, the octopus lowered his appendage, and glared hatefully at Terra with his one remaining eye. Abruptly, Terra was yanked out of the air again, nearly snapping her neck, and smashed headfirst into the wall. The blow dazzled her, and she lost her grip. Atma Weapon tumbled out of her grasp and to the ground again. She groaned, but managed to notice this. She weakly reached for it, but it was too late. Ultros snapped her back around and bashed her body into the opposite wall, then swung it down hard on the ground with such force that it bounced off. Bellowing in anger, he flung the woman across the room again and let her fly into the wall once more. She again limply fell down, and this time couldn't get up. She sagged, and coughed up a wad of blood. She was too weak to move, and simply lay there a moment.

Ultros, seething in anger, began to slide forward. He continued to look like he was in agony. However, Terra was only able to weakly raise her head. She couldn't rise again. And on seeing this, Ultros grinned in delight.

"Vwee hee! At last!" He shrieked. "Finally! After all these years! I did it! I finally won! You're finally going to die! In the end…I came out on top!"

Terra panted, struggling to get her breath. Her body was filled with pain, and her own agony was so great that she couldn't move. She just lay there, as the hideous bulk drew nearer and nearer to her. It was gloating over her now, its one eye still ravenous and hungry. It desired both physical and mental satisfaction for this. And now…Terra couldn't fight back physically anymore. Her body was too abused and beaten. It refused to move in the least. She began to smell ammonia again as the creature drew nearer and nearer to her. Its great hideous bulk hovered over her body, and its remaining tentacles began to creep toward her. She weakly looked out, and saw the hideous lengths approaching her, ready to seize her body and rip it to shreds. As she stared at it, weakly holding her eyes open, breathing heavy, she finally managed to call out.

"Last word…Ultros…"

The monster hesitated on hearing that. He frowned, and glared at the woman. But in the end…he let his tentacles contract a little. He muttered, but then shrugged. "Fine. But make it snappy. No delays." He paused a moment, and then grinned. "Unless you're wanting to beg for mercy. Do that all you want."

Terra panted and heaved a moment longer. But in the end, she managed to lift her head slightly to him. "What was it…that you said…when I burned you at the Lete River? I can't remember…"

Ultros glared down at her a moment. However, after a pause, he snorted. "Just a little gag, on my part." He simply answered. "I believe my exact words were…Seafood Soup."

Terra heaved again, and gave a nod. Then, she weakly looked up into Ultros' one eye again. When she did…the octopus suddenly gaped. Her eyes were burning red with an inner aura. Not only that, but soon a fiery aura began to explode around her, enveloping her in a red glow. The octopus stared in utter shock at this. He knew what this was. He had learned magic himself before, after all. But most of all…he recognized what this meant…and what it had meant back at the Lete River. The creature gasped. It stepped backward, and its tentacles began to quiver.

"No…no…it's not possible…"

"In this case, Ultros…" Terra continued, glaring at him as her glow died. "…Seafood Saute."

Ultros couldn't believe it. Magic was gone. It didn't exist any longer, and no one could do it. And yet…it still came. He could only glare in shock as he saw a great red fireball form over Terra's head. It was concentrated and collected. It burned a deep red glow…like magma of the center of the earth. It wasn't especially bright, for it cast off no wasted heat. It retained it within itself. And now…the great fireball was suddenly thrown forward, right at the octopus creature. Trembling, quivering, and shaking all over, the great octopus could only shake his head as he saw doom come straight for him, and moan one last "no" before it struck.

Immediately, the ball erupted into a blinding white flash. The rest of the room was bathed in horrible red heat, and lines of searing flame began to singe everything burnable in it. The tentacles left behind immediately ignited and burned into charcoal. The slime and blood on the floor vaporized. Only Terra was spared, for it had been her spell. But as for Ultros, he screamed out in agony as his body was enveloped in the great blast of fire. Terra couldn't even see him as he was consumed by the flames. The horrible heat burned him away into nothingness, and the horrible burning roar that emitted from the fireball swallowed his voice into nothingness.

At last, the fire died again. The heat vanished, swept away by a magical wind. The sound of burning died, and the air became normal and cool once more. Only the cracking and popping of the appendages that had been left behind now burned. As for Terra, she slumped against the wall again and panted. Beaten as she was, that spell had taken a lot out of her. She had slipped up in the fight, forgetting that she had the ability to use this power. It wasn't until she was faced with death that her instincts told her to use it, and she remembered. However, it had saved her. Now, she looked ahead.

A great black splatter was on the ground. Nothing more. The stone was burned into, and now the black lines had been permenantly etched into it by the horrible heat. Other than that, there was nothing. No ash, no flesh, no smell of burning…nothing. The heat had wiped all else away in flames. Only the body parts left behind still burned. There wasn't the slightest sign of Ultros or any of his other appendages. The woman blinked at this and stared. She supposed that her fire spell could have vaporized him…leaving not even the smell of ammonia behind. Unfortunately, it was just as equally likely that the creature had run yet again. He had a great tendancy for that. Terra had thought they had actually managed to kill him back at the airship, but he surfaced again at the Colosseum. Like he said, he had more lives than a cat. She hoped this was the last battle between them…but she honestly had no way to know. Next time, however, if he did show up again, she would incinerate him with a Metron spell immediately. She could use magic. He lost his ability to. That created a difference between them he would never recover from.

Terra slowly exhaled, and with a groan rose to her feet. She was sore all over from the fight, but she couldn't wait around. The others still needed her. She held one of her arms, sore and bleeding, and stumbled and limped a bit as she walked. But she managed to make her way over to the opposite wall, where Atma Weapon was lying in wait for her. She reached down and snatched it up, and quickly buckled it to her side again. She then turned to the stairwell. She realized that she wanted to go down anyway to get to Celes, so it was probably a good bet to go that way.

Sighing a bit, Terra began to walk over to the stairs, beginning to think of a healing spell as she did so and hoping she could remember one before she ran into more trouble.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	26. Nireevyou

Hey everyone! I'm loving my piano book of FF music. But I do have one regret... The FFVI section lacks Kefka's Theme while including Colliery Nalsh (I think that's supposed to be Coalery Narshe in English...), which in my opinion is a rather boring and bad sounding song. Oh well... I wonder if One Winged Angel is on here... (I can't tell from the titles, because they're all in Kanji)

* * *

Locke didn't like this.

He had thought following after the group would lead him up. But instead, shortly after entering the cave, he saw that the bridge that spanned the next wide area had lowered, and seemed to connect to an auxiliary area. Now, it led downward instead, down a staircase that went along the length of the chasm and into the deep darkness below. The thief had been around places like this long enough to know a trap when he saw it. It was obvious that something had broken the path off, and was now leading him down. The question was…did the group go this way as well? Or was he being led off into another encounter with another member of the little fruit basket he had seen back in Zozo?

Locke didn't know, but he didn't like the looks of the place. After descending into the darkness for a few hundred feet, he had entered another enclosed area. It looked like some sort of rock tower ascending from the pit. He was illuminated again, but it was all by fiery torches. There wasn't a sound anywhere, or any signs of any other opposition or enemies. However, in a place like this, the quieter it was the worse it was. The remnants of the force they had fought in Zozo alone should have caught up to them by now. And so, he kept his dagger out as he slowly descended deeper and deeper into the mountain. He struggled to keep himself still as he looked for signs of any noise…

At last, he finally reached the bottom of this stairway. But he saw little in terms of comfort. Now, a rough, rock hallway, illuminated by the same fiery torches, led onward. What more, there were no branches in the path. They all just led to the same direction. The thief hated this. It implied that he was being forced to go one way…just like a trap would. However, he saw no opposition, and he couldn't go anywhere else. He just had to keep his wits about him and proceed. And so, he raised his blade again and continued.

For about thirty minutes, he made his way down the slowly winding pathway. He kept his eyes alert for the slightest sign of any trap, and listened for any foes. However, he saw nothing. There wasn't anyone at all coming, and there wasn't any resistance. He didn't even run into a locked door. There was nothing here but the path, and no sign of anything coming. No deviations, no branches, no pits…just a straight shot. After all that time, Locke was only made more anxious. Why didn't something try to stop him? Why weren't the other warriors coming after him? Why wasn't a trap sprung? Did they not intend on him getting this far? Or was the fortress incomplete in terms of traps? What was going on?

At last, Locke saw two changes. As he turned a corner, he looked ahead down the next hall. There was a merge up ahead. From where he was, he could look down the hall and see the merged hallway move on up ahead. But he could also make out, just barely, the exit of a tunnel similar to his emptying into this one. This gave him some relief. So…he had options. That was something. So long as there were options, he wasn't entirely forced into playing the enemy's hand. But it would seem as if guards would be appropriate in this area… And sure enough, after a moment of creeping forward…he began to hear something else. Far in the distance, nearing the same branch…he heard light footsteps, slowly creeping forward.

Locke immediately tensed up. He pressed himself against the rock wall of his own corridor, brought the Gradeus up to his neck, and stared ahead. From this distance, he could see little other than the flickering light of the flames. He held a moment, but then began to creep down his own passage. With practiced skill, he made himself as silent as a cat. He didn't disturb the slightest pebble as he went along. Because of that, and because of his new position, he removed any chance of the other from seeing or detecting him. The only sound now came from that person's own footsteps coming down the hall, creeping slowly. Locke glared at the break ahead, and continued to make his way down. For a few moments, the two slowly approached each other…

When Locke was about ten feet away from the branch, he saw it. One of the flickering flames managed to catch a shadow. It was distorted, due to the number of lights, but he did see something.Locke shifted his dagger into a stabbing motion. He licked his lips nervously, and inched closer to the edge of the bend. There, he held a moment. He waited for the shadow to draw a little closer. Slowly, the owner of the other set of footsteps rounded the bend. Immediately, Locke sprung out and readied to stab…

Immediately, the thief froze and turned pale. He saw a set of blonde hair, nearly white skin, and somewhat torn and ruined armor. It took him milliseconds to realize that it was Celes. Gulping, he quickly put his hand holding the dagger behind him, just as Celes spun around and glared at him. She yelped as well, and leapt back in surprise on seeing him. After all, he had been so silent that she had thought the way was clear, and though she had been cautious she didn't know someone would actually be waiting for her. She put a hand toRagnarok and nearly drew it out as she went back…before her memory kicked in and she recognized the person. Immediately, she exhaled in relief, and gasped as she calmed herself. Her arms fell limply to her sides.

"Locke!" She exclaimed, whispering loudly. "You scared me half to death!"

Locke, still nervous that he had nearly stabbed his wife, grinned innocently and shrugged. "Heh…old habits die hard, I guess…"

Celes held for a moment, but then smiled pleasantly. Abruptly, the ex-general came forward and embraced her husband. Locke paled, and struggled to look calm and happy as well. At the same time…he struggled to maneuver his hands away from Celes' enclosing arms so that she wouldn't realize his weapon was out. In the end, he managed to finally put his own arms around Celes, and held the knife out to make sure she wouldn't feel it. They held a moment, before Celes began to break off. Moving like lightning, Locke quickly twisted his arms back behind his back before she could back off enough to see he was holding the dagger. Soon they were separated.

Locke was nervous a moment longer, but then saw Celes' condition. She had a lot of makeshift bandages on her body, each of which was bloodstained. Celes also looked the thief over, and saw that he was a bit ragged, torn, and bruised as well.

"Are you alright?" Locke asked his wife in genuine concern…quickly stuffing his blade into his belt behind him. "What happened to you?"

Celes sighed in response to this. "The one called Platno tried to ambush me in a trap. I took care of him, but he got me a few times. But what about you? You look pretty rough yourself."

Locke whistled a bit as he finally was able to pull his hands out from behind him, giving a shrug. "Manzan wasn't nearly the pushover he turned out to be. But he's gone too. That leaves only three other monkey boys between us and Nireevyou." The thief hesitated after saying this, and suddenly turned puzzled. He looked around Celes a moment, and looked up the shaft she had come down. "Hey…where's the others? I thought you went with them."

Celes frowned. "I did…before Platno caught me in the booby trap. After I beat him, the only way to go was down this long corridor…and it led me right here to you. But what about you? Are they up ahead? I thought you'd be following right behind us."

Locke likewise frowned. "That's what I thought. But my fight took a few minutes, and when I went after them, I think my path was redirected to lead me down here. I just ran into you."

After saying this, both Locke and Celes paused, and grew nervous. So…in the end, they were both directed down the same path. Both of their trails didn't lead anywhere but to where they came in, and the only way onward was the way that led them this way. Locke's feelings that this wasn't a trap vanished again. Now, it looked more likely than ever. It appeared both of their opponents had the real intention of leading them down this way if they failed. That wasn't good. They had a feeling that they might be in for it…

Yet before they could suggest anything else, they heard a loud clatter from up ahead.Locke and Celes both turned and looked to the source. Apparently, the corridor they were now facing was a lot like their previous ones. This one too merged up ahead. And now, it was obvious that something else was coming down the other hallway that was in front of them. And it was making a lot more noise than they were. It wasn't just one person this time. Locke turned to Celes, and silently motioned her to the wall. She nodded and pressed herself against it. Locke did the same in front of her, and the two began to creep down.

Celes wasn't as stealthy as Locke, but she still was pretty silent. After all, she was a seasoned warrior. And with their shadows concealed, it looked as if they were able to stay pretty invisible to their enemy. However, they had only managed to close half of the distance to the merging point this time when their targets too went silent.On hearing this, Locke paused a moment, and sweat a little. These ones were being cautious too. Either they had heard them, or they were being careful as they neared the bend in the corner as well. The thief licked his lips, and drew his dagger. Celes drew outRagnarok as well, and the two continued on.

At last, they came to the next merging point. Right at the edge, Locke halted. He once again placed his weapon into a stabbing motion, and looked to Celes. The woman edged up until she was right next to the thief, and then brandished her sword. She gave a nod to Locke as well. The man turned back, looked around the corner a bit longer, and then held up three fingers in front of Celes with his free hand. He counted down from three silently, closing one finger at a time. After the last one, both the husband and wife jumped out to confront their foes.

"Yaa!"

As Locke and Celes jumped out in a battle cry, they saw their opponents jump out as well. A huge fist came out and enclosed Celes' throat, putting claws to her neck, while she pressed her sword against the owner's chest. Locke put his own blade to the neck of his own opponent, while he gunned up a long, thin drill machine and pressed it against his own torso. The four locked for a moment and did not move…

But then, all four rapidly eased up as Locke and Celes realized they were looking at Sabin and Edgar.

All four looked anxious for a moment, and then immediately recoiled and put their weapons back faster than a jackrabbit on a date. They immediately looked innocent and pleasant to one another, and tried to look as harmless as possible, as if nothing had happened. However, that lasted only a moment. Celes finally exhaled, and looked to them again.

"Looks like you two are alright." She commented.

Locke, meanwhile, gave them a look over, and saw their status. He raised an eyebrow. "Relatively speaking…"

"We ran into some old friends." Edgar explained.

"I wouldn't worry about Anaranda or Chile causing us any more problems." Sabin added.

Celes gestured to herself and Locke. "We took care of Manzan and Platno. That only leaves Ultros and Nireevyou."

Sabin snorted and crossed his arms. "Looks like they were trying to separate us and beat us one by one. So much for their traps."

Locke frowned. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. All of our corridors have been leading us together, trying to direct us to one place. My guess is they still have one trap left for all of us."

The monk wasn't worried, and flexed one of his muscles. "If it's anything like their previous traps, it won't do much good. And now, there are four of us."

"Just in case," Edgar added, reaching up to his headset and pressing a few buttons. "This will tell us if anything is hiding, and how strong it is. Let's keep going."

The others gave a nod to this. Even Locke, who was suspicious, knew that their only way to go was forward from here. Besides, if the best that they could do was Ultros, then they were in trouble. He did fear that what Ultros said was right…that their foe at the end was able to withstand Chupon's sneeze attack… But there was nothing for it. They could only go forward, and try to deal with whatever threat came next. With that in mind, the four turned and made their way further down the hall.

They soon ran into other branches, much like the previous two they had run into. But unlike before, no one came down them. They'd have expected to run into Terra and Tumahab down some of them, but Edgar's device confirmed far in advance that they were nowhere near them long before they reached the bends. As before, the four encountered no resistance, traps, or barriers to their progress. They continued to wind down the path, always entering a larger one as more branches fed into theirs, but never reaching the end. Locke grew nervous more than once, and considered going back up one of these branches to see if they could find another way, or run into Terra and Tumahab. However, he was more confident now that he was with the others, and continued on. Besides, considering their power levels, they were all confident that Terra and Tumahab could handle anything…especially if Terra had indeed managed to use magic somehow on that door…

At last, the corridor reached a rather sharp bend. This one was at a forty-five degree angle, and stuck out from the others. What more, the corridor turned very narrow as they went on. Down here…things were incredibly silent. As they went closer, and began to squeeze into the narrow corridor and turn…they noticed new things. The torches seemed to glow dimmer, though they were in smaller spaces. Their footsteps seemed to echo more quietly. Everything began to grow stiller…as if the energy on the air was dissipating, and all was becoming quiet and lifeless. It seemed to grow a bit cold down here as well. Yet still, they turned the bend.

It was even darker andquieter down this direction. It made the group pause. The light was so dim here, that it barely seemed to extend beyond a few feet from the torches. Still, the group was able to see ahead. And when they did, they saw that they were on the leftmost branch of three other branches, all of which emptied into some central chamber. It was a narrow chamber, only about twenty feet across, and they couldn't see that well into it. However, as they turned this way and hesitated, Edgar's eyes suddenly expanded.

"I'm sensing two signatures up ahead." He whispered. "Both of them are near 5,000."

On hearing that, Celes looked surprised, and turned to him. "5,000? That's strong compared to some of the ones we beat. I thought they said they were their strongest warriors. What are two other strong ones doing down here?"

"Who knows?" Sabin responded, pounding one fist into his other hand. "But there's only one way to find out…"

Locke was nervous about this. Celes was right. Why didn't they refer to these guys earlier? He didn't know…but it was too late to worry now. The four of them pressed themselves against the wall and snuck down, much as Locke had before. They were pretty silent as they did so, barely making any noises above a whisper. Edgar himself took the lead this time, keeping the Debilitator aimed ahead. He sensed no new movement or changes, which was good. They were allowed to come forth very easily. As they neared…they began to hear faint echoes. They couldn't make out what they were exactly, but it seemed as if the two signatures up ahead were…talking. That only made things easier on them, though. They continued to creep forward, until they were at the edge. At once, Edgar halted them, and they all complied.

The king pulled up his drill. Sabin brandished his fangs. Locke and Celes both drew their weapons. Edgar held his hand up to them all, and licked his own lips. For a few moments, they stood and nervously made ready. But then, at once, the king swung his arm down. On doing so, all four jumped out, not screaming this time, and filled the hallway in front of them. They aimed their weapons down in front of them, and prepared for battle.

The two signatures reacted immediately. They were stunned on seeing attackers, but they didn't cry out. Instead, they gaped at the four a moment, and then immediately dropped into their own ready stances. They began to hiss and snarl. These two were monsters. Locke looked them over, and quickly recognized the type. The one on his right was a drake. The thin lizard flapped its thin wings in the air and hissed at the four, stretching out its claws menacingly. The other was worse…a basilisk. These creatures had the lovely habit of turning their victims into stone if they looked right in their eyes. However, the creature had to be trying that on purpose in order to make it work. Now, it darted its head from side to side, showing its teeth, and trying to look menacing as it did so. Looking indirectly at its eyes was safe enough.

The six stared each other down for a moment. Both held their weapons ready, and both prepared to attack the other. The two monsters sneered and snapped at them. In truth, they had no chance. Thequartet was more than a match for the two of them, especially when Edgar and Sabin pulled out their greatest attacks. However, they still pressed in close, guarding one thing. A tremendous set of stone doors, intricately carved and covered with details, stood behind them. They were heavy and formidable, looking too heavy for most people to move. On seeing them, Locke was a bit surprised. They looked a lot like the doors that had sealed away the esper world…at least, in terms of architecture. However, that didn't surprise him nearly as much as when a large, booming, male voice, dark and laced with venom and cruelty, sounded from the other sides of the door.

"Zola…Noonian…what riles you both so?"

Locke was a bit taken aback from this, as were the others. But that was nothing compared to what they felt when the creature on the right, who they thought was previously dumb, spoke back in a female voice.

"The intruders have come, Lord Nireevyou."

There was a brief pause from the other side. But then…a dark chuckle emitted from it. Even blocked…the four, no matter how prideful or strong, felt their blood chill as they heard it. It seemed to seize their hearts and clutch them like ice.

"Well then," The voice added after a moment. "By all means…open the door and let them in, so that I might give our 'guests' a proper welcome…"

Both creatures, the ones named Zola and Noonian, hesitated a moment. But then…both of them stopped being so earnest. Instead, they calmed down, and then grinned wickedly at their opponents. A deep maliciousness burned in their eyes as they realized what was about to happen to them. Immediately, they forgot about fighting. The four stayed in their ready stances, looking to this all with puzzlement, and a bit of unease. Meanwhile, the two monsters turned and grabbed two large rings hanging from the door. Both of them pulled, and soon their tremendous strength made the doors give, and slowly began to swing open.

As the doorway opened and the contents of the interior were revealed, Edgar's machine recognized a new energy signature. Very soon…he began to see the power coming from it…and it made his face turn white in terror.

"Oh god…"

* * *

Bahamut leapt back as one of the colossal Brachiosaurs leaned forward and snapped at him. The moment it failed, he immediately leapt up, swung his leg around, and gave it a powerful roundhouse kick. Its body was flung violently to one side, but the two others rapidly came in to take of the slack. Both dove at once for the esper, who sighed in response, and then quickly dodged inward, going in between them. Both of their jaws snapped at air, but they weren't done. They both shifted their feet and attempted to stomp Bahamut flat as he ran in between them, forcing Bahamut to leapt and dodge as great heavy pillars smashed the ground around him. In the end, however, the esper was too fast. Both of them turned around once they had failed, looking to go after him again.

Bahamut groaned inwardly. _I'm _definitely_ getting too old for this…_

As both dragons turned to try and snap at the esper, Bahamut quickly dropped into a slide and did a kick to one of the feet of the turning creatures. The result managed to knock out its balance under one leg, and with a cry it toppled to the side. Its massive body crashed into the other's as it was just about to reach out and snap at Bahamut, and the collision ripped the creature's head away from his quarry, and smashed it into the rock mountain while the other fell to the ground. However, the third was up again by now, and was stomping forward, stepping both on and around the fallen Brachiosaurs, to attack on its own. It lowered its head and its body as it did so, presumeably to pick up speed. However, Bahamut stood his ground at the ready for it. As it swung its head down to snap at him, he gave it a bone-jarring uppercut to send its long neck flying into the sky. However…the creature kept charging. It passed by Bahamut for a moment, thrown off by the blow…but then it suddenly swung its charging body inward, smashing it full force into the esper. Bahamut realized too late that the creature was smarter than it looked, as he found himself violently flung against the rock wall himself. On connecting, he cracked it from his impact, and he slid down slowly, groaning all the way.

However, once he reached his feet, he quickly leapt back onto them and shook his head. Just in time too. The outer Brachiosaur had recovered, from the two he had knocked over, and was stomping for him with head outstretched. What more, the one that had broadsided him had recovered, snarled, and was turning around to bite at him again. Bahamut grit his teeth as he saw both of them come against him at a near equivalent rate. Quickly, he snapped out and gave the nearest one a jab in the nose, making it snap its head back and snort in irritation. But the other one was too fast. As he turned to confront it, it suddenly opened its mouth wide and brought it down on Bahamut, looking to swallow him whole. The esper paled, but then quickly stretched out his arms and legs as foul, hot breath breathed over him, and rows of teeth enclosed him. He locked his limbs just as the thing shut its mouth. Soon, the creature's eyes widened in puzzlement, as it found its meal keeping its mouth from closing. Quickly, it grew angry. It snapped its long neck up and began to gag and roar, struggling to close.

As for Bahamut, he soon grunted under the strain of keeping himself from being devoured, and winced as he stood in Brachiosaur saliva and smelled horrid rot from its previous meals being blasted up his nose. He also was soon made a bit dizzy as the creature shook him around violently. Yet through it all, he managed to turn his head and look out. He frowned at what he saw. The other two Brachiosaurs had recovered, and were now coming for him. Despite the fact that he was in the mouth of one, both of them opened their own mouths to come in from the side and rip him out again. Bahamut grit his teeth as they approached, groaning again inwardly. But right as the first was about to hit, he suddenly shifted all his weight to one leg, and raised the other. It was a strain, for now he was holding the creature's mouth open with only three limbs, but he got the leg free. As the Brachiosaur neared, he swung his leg out and clipped it across the face, kicking it to the side. The other one approached, but he did it the same way, sending it flying to the other side.

With that done, Bahamut growled, and then kicked out for the jaw connection point of the mouth he was in. He focused his power as he did so, and was satisfied as he heard a crack on connecting with it. Immediately, the thing's mouth went limp, and it roared in pain. Now able to free himself, Bahamut put his other foot down, pushed up once to throw the upper jaw clear, and then leapt out of the thing's mouth to, of all places, the back of one of the stunned Brachiosaurs. He quickly sprawled out and straddled it, and put his arms around its back. He looked back to the one he had injured…and got a bad surprise. The thing's loose jaw hung a moment, but then it merely flipped its head up and forced its jaw shut. A clicking sound resulted…and the thing was normal again. It shook its head once, and then glared at the one who injured it. Bahamut sighed. He forgot…many reptilescould unhook their jaws at will.

As he stared at this…his face suddenly went violent, and he swung a fist behind him. It was just in time…for the other Brachiosaur was up and snapping for him, but instead got a faceful of fist, and was once again smacked into the rock wall. As for the one that reconnected its jaw, it snarled and began to stomp after him as well, extending its neck to attack him. Bahamut quickly shifted his weight to both arms, brought both of his legs up, and then gave a double kick to the monster's head. It cried out as a very powerful blow smacked it so hard it was thrown to the ground, and nearly spun ninety degrees. However, the one he was on was now reaching back and struggling to extrude the snack from its back. Bahamut uttered a sigh in response. Then, he suddenly pushed himself up and landed on his feet. With expert skill, he ran up along the back of the creature, until he reached its neck. Though it was confused by this, and began to twist more violently than before, Bahamut managed to keep his balance as he ran onward, all the way up its long neck and to its head. Finally, the base of the creature's head was within range. Bahamut zeroed in on it, took careful aim at the critical point of its anatomy, and then leapt into the air for it. The thing paused for the briefest second, giving Bahamut all the time he needed, and the esper landed down on the back of his head, giving it a powerful iron palm to the base of the neck as he did so. His blow traveled past the skull, although it dented in the edges, and drove its power right back into the thing's brain.

The head of the Brachiosaur was slammed down on the lower jaw, and blood exploded from the nostrils. It gave one empty groan, before it stumbled on its feet, staggered forward a bit, and then collapsed in a heap onto the stone path. It gurgled once, but then moved no more. Bahamut, on landing, which was big considering the thing's side, leapt off of it and onto the ground, and exhaled a massive sigh.

_One down…_

A bloodcurdling roar behind him interrupted his victory. He turned his head around, and saw that one of them Brachiosaurs was up and charging him from behind, much as the previous one had that checked him. Rather than risking to hit this one, and have the same thing happen, he quickly ducked and rolled beneath it, slipping himself under its legs. The creature stomped by, and glared about in confusion as to what had just happened to it. As for Bahamut, he got a nice breather right under the thing as it raged past. But that was only for a second, for the other one was up again and had spotted him. Not waiting for its relation to pass, it drove its own head down and underneath its legs as it charged. It snapped once at Bahamut, but the esper, seeing it coming, quickly rolled back. Angry, the Brachiosaur raised its massive head and pushed its shoulders forward, flipping the other one over and behind it. It continued to lunge forward, roaring and mad.

As it neared Bahamut, it swung its head down to snap at him again. Bahamut, this time, only ducked back a little, avoiding its intended bite. After that, he reached forward and, to the thing's shock, seized it by two of its massive incisors. Yanking hard, he twisted himself and continued to pull it forward, directing the creature's path to keep going. Powerless to avoid, the mad beast continued to roar and followed after where he led, snapping out to try and hit Bahamut as he did. However, the esper only directed him for a moment before letting him go…allowing the creature to come forward and drive its head right into the stone wall. It was a hard, thunderous blow, shaking the cliff, and bringing more rocks down on the creature. It grunted, and slumped over, stunned momentarily.

Meanwhile, the esper turned and looked to the other. The flip had also stunned it, and it was only now getting to its feet. Gritting his own teeth, Bahamut ran to it as it stood. He leapt, sailed through the air for a moment, and then landed right on the side of the thing's head. He dug in his own claws through the dragon's scales and into the flesh of its scalp, anchoring him there. As blood began to run out and drip into its vision, the creature stood and began to madly prance around, waving its huge head from side to side to try and get Bahamut off. After a moment, however, it simply charged forward down the trail, and began to extend its head over to the rock wall, hoping to scrape Bahamut off once it got enough speed. However, that was what the esper waited for. Holding on tight, he swung his body out, and then brought both legs forward to deliver a strong and powerful blow right to the side of the thing's skull.

The force snapped the thing's head violently the other way, toward the edge of the cliff. And where the head went, the body was turned as well. Bahamut quickly leapt off, as the stunned, staggering, and hopeless to halt creature twisted inexorably toward the edge of the cliff. It already had stepped over the edge with one foot, and on the edge with the other by the time it managed to slow itself down and recover. But it was too late. Its other foot, too heavy, broke the edge of the rock cliff, and down its entire upper body went. It flailed out afterward, struggling to stop itself, but the force of gravity was already too great to overcome. Bellowing in anger, its entire body toppled over the edge, and soon it began to tumble and skip down the huge drop off the side of Mount Zozo, to certain death at the bottom.

Bahamut exhaled a massive blast of air. He wheeled around afterward, and looked to the final Brachiosaur. It too was finally recovering after being knocked senseless. And now, as it stood, and saw the tiny fighter ahead of it, the creature hesitated. It sneered and snarled, but did not roar. It pranced where it was, but didn't advance. The tiny meal had already killed two of its kind. He was a considerable foe indeed. At this point, the monster normally would discharge an Ultima spell to wipe the meal from the face of the earth. But since magic had faded, it knew it no longer had the power. If it had been only a little bit smarter and less savage, it might have turned and ran. But in the end, it merely bellowed another earth-shattering roar, and took off for the esper. Bahamut clenched his own teeth, and then ran down the trail to meet it.

The two titans charged toward each other for a brief moment. But at last, they collided. The Brachiosaur lowered its head and attempted to snap at Bahamut again, to which Bahamut gave an upward kick below its chin. The jaw was laterally fractured on impact, and the head of the beast flew into the sky. Maddened with pain, the thing spun around violently, using the force to its advantage, and struggled to slap Bahamut's head off with the end of its tail. The esper glared at it and waited…until the tail was right next to him. Then, he reached out and seized it with both hands. The creature growled in surprise, for suddenly it was stopped as the tiny opponent had seized it. It sneered, and struggled to break itself free. Bahamut's face turned red, his own teeth grit, but he managed to hold. Grasping it hard, he suddenly turned his body around, bracing the tail over one shoulder, and then gave his own bestial roar…stronger and fiercer than any Brachiosaur. Then…with all the strength his human body could bear…he hoisted the huge dragon off the ground, over his shoulder, and smashed its huge mass into the ground with such an impact that the whole mountaintop trembled and cracked.

The massive monster was on its back after a severe impact, and the force was so strong that it was too stunned to rise. Bahamut let go of its tail, letting it limply fall to the ground. He glared at the thing a moment longer. Then, crying out in another sound of fury, he leapt into the air again. He sailed over its body a brief moment, bringing his legs up into a crouch. The Brachiosaur could only look up weakly, staring at him helplessly. Then, the esper came down, and did one last double kick, right smack dab in the middle of the thing's torso. Each rib was immediately snapped, and the sternum was driven in like a press to crush the creature's lungs and heart flat against its own backside.

The thing spasmed once, and began a cry…but then cut short. Gurgling, its limbs went limp, and its head slumped uselessly to the ground. Bahamut straighted up on its chest, and panted.

It was dead.

The esper panted a few times. That had been a greater workout than he had expected. He almost thought he would have had to turn into his true form to do it. At any rate, he wiped the sweat from his brow, and adjusted his rumpled clothing over his body. Once he was cleaned up in that fashion, he jumped off of the dead Brachiosaur and landed on the stone path. Without any more delays, he ran ahead to the extra-large cave opening that awaited him.

* * *

Terra was able to make her way along better now. She had recovered a bit, thanks to being able to recall a minor healing spell to rebuild some of her injuries. Now, she moved along regularly and kept a hand on Atma Weapon as she made her way down the corridors. She was certain that this way was what led to Nireevyou, as Ultros had no doubt planned to take her down this direction to get to him. And to that end, she had descended the stone tower and found herself in a series of underground rock passageways. They were dimly lit by the same torches as in the stairwell, and they all seemed to be leading in one direction. With that in mind, the half esper headed that way.

As Terra moved on, she kept an eye out for traps or enemies. But she saw nothing. She moved quickly, and so she breathed hard and felt her heart rush. However, she still heard nothing around her either. She seemed to be totally in the clear for now. That was a comfort at first. However…as time went on and she continued to make her way down the halls, it made her nervous. She thought she would have encountered something at this point. That wasn't all. Every branch she ran into fed into the ones that led her onward. Everything was being directed forward. Seeing that, the woman began to fear that it was intended for her to come this way. And she still hadn't seen any sign of Celes, Bahamut, or any of her friends… This didn't bode well. She eventually put her hand on Atma Weapon as she went on, looking for signs of opponents…

At last, the woman saw a sharp turn ahead. She began to approach it eagerly at first…but slowed down after that. There was something not right here. She felt…strange. It felt like there was some sort of numbing effect up ahead…as if life was being cut off just in front of her. As she slowly made her way forward…she began to see it wasn't all in her mind, either. Her footsteps were growing quieter. The torches, identical to the ones before, nevertheless grew dimmer. And she felt strange too…as if her power was somehow being forced inside her. Everything that was cast off…somehow vanished. It made her uneasy. As she kept walking…getting into the sharp turn, she saw the corridor narrow around her. It turned quieter than natural…and cold. Terra felt herself begin to tremble as she went on. But she didn't stop. She stayed at the ready, and turned the sharp corner. Just ahead, it terminated, along with three other paths, into a larger space. Swallowing, and feeling herself begin to sweat, she crept forward and turned the edge.

No one was there. It was a small passageway, a bit wider than the others but still very small. This was illuminated by torches as well. However…other than that, there was nothing. No signs of any other life, and not a sound. At the back of the rock wall, Terra did notice something. The entire back had been made into doors…large, heavy, thick stone doors. They were slightly cracked open as well, just big enough to let an adult human squeeze through. On seeing these…Terra felt strange. Suddenly, something within her burned. A memory was registered. She stared at them for a moment…and then realized why.

These doors…they were made from esper technology, just like the doors to Terratopolis.

This place…it had to be Nireevyou's lair.

The woman trembled a moment, but then forced herself to be calm. She didn't hear anyone else, and that scared her. She would have to go in alone. She tried to remember how strong she was…and who she was fighting for. With that in mind, she ignited Atma Weapon. Soon, the meter-long beam of energy hummed gently in the silence. Even its noise seemed softer…and its glow seemed dimmer. It made the woman nervous. She crept forward slowly, staring at the crack in the doors. She still heard nothing…but she began to see something else. Inside the doors, there was a light. And it wasn't like any artificial light she had seen. It was big and white, glowing stronger than anything else in this hall. In fact…it actually seemed normal and natural compared to everything else, like sunlight. Despite the situation, Terra felt comforted by that…and she longed to get to it and out of the hallway. Tightening her grip, she quickly rushed forward, squeezed through the stone doors, and entered into the room beyond.

The half esper was a bit surprised at what she saw. This room was rather nice. It was tall and dome covered, like the inner sanctum of a church. And like a church, the walls were lined with tall, splendidly colored stained glass windows. But unlike a church, these windows depicted great creatures and events, each one with incredible feats of strength and terrible, earth shaking power. Humans were in some of them, but always they were small, afraid, and panicking. And as Terra had noticed, light streamed in through these windows, natural sunlight. This, however, was only one thing. Curtains were draped across the room, long, brightly colored, and draping over most of the stone walls, making this look like a much more elegant space than the mountain suggested. The place had a thick, rich, intricately-designed carpet spread across the floor. A grand piano was against one wall with a candlebra. An elegant table with pure silver appurtances was set with two chairs in the center of the room, and it was set up for what looked like fresh tea. There were other ornaments, cabinets, and appurtances surrounding the room as well, making it look very tasteful and elegant…the dwelling place of a king even. It wasn't silent in here either. A phonograph was set up on a table against one wall, and it slowly played a symphony. Terra blinked as she looked around this. Was she in the right place? She never expected an esper dwelling to be like this. What more…the strange feeling was gone. Sound was normal in here, as was light and warmth. Now…Terra's unease only stemmed from her fear of what would be lurking in the room…

As if to accent this…Terra suddenly saw a slight shift from beneath one curtain. She saw it out of the corner of her eye, but immediately wheeled her body around to it. She glared coldly at it as cold sweat dripped off of the end of her nose to the ground. She froze for a moment, holding Atma Weapon up and ready to fight. Then…very slowly…she crept up to the curtain.Soon, she was up to its edge. There was no more movement in that time. Not a sound went out. The nervous woman slowly reached over, trembling, and grasped the edge of the curtain. She exhaled slowly...and then pulled it back to reveal what was on the other side.

Immediately, her eyes went wide and her flesh paled.

"Oh god…" She uttered, before she dropped her weapon in terror as well as the curtain, and cupped her hands to her mouth in fear.

The curtain was left to close the nightmarish sight on the other side, and Terra trembled in absolute terror. Her stomach turned with disgust, as she held her hands to her face and backed away from the horrible sight. She couldn't think. She couldn't react. All she could do was see that ghastly sight on the other side burning in her memory.

That was…until she felt herself back up into a cold, hard, cloth covered object that had suddenly materialized behind her.

"…Perhaps you would like to join them?" A dark, insidious, pitiless cold voice slowly spoke behind her.

Terra spun around and cried out in terror. As she turned…she saw him. A tall man now dwarfed her. He was dressed all in blood-red and black, and it was draped over him in the form of long robes and capes. It was elegant, clasped with gold and trimmed with lace, but against such dark colors…and such an equally dark man…they might as well have been death shrouds. A cold presence eminated from the dark man, as he towered over the small woman impressively. His face was as white as snow, and his eyes…burned blood red and full of violence and malice. His hair was thick and black as midnight, draped along his shoulders and behind him. An equally thick mustache was spread across his lower lip, and beneath it his pale lips twisted as he revealed pearl-white teeth, grinning evilly at her. He looked like an ancient vampire…and for all Terra knew he was…for despite as ghastly and gothic as he was…he was also the picture of elegance and even handsomeness. The devil probably looked like this man did.

Terra gaped at him a moment…but only had to feel his horribly strong and evil aura for a brief second before she knew who it was. It was Nireevyou…her target. But now, in light of what she had seen on the other side of that curtain…her rage was doubled. Anger took her over now, and her eyes flashed violence. "You…sadistic…monster…" She slowly seethed at him, letting her rage fill her. Then, with a lunge, she dove for him.

Without a weapon, all Terra could do was punch him. She did so now, mercilessly beating him with both fists. She struck him again and again, trying to knock him down and kill him. But in her anger…she failed to realize that she did little. The man merely smiled at her, and didn't even shift his head as she punched him again and again at his face. Each blow was like an infant striking a brick wall. He endured this with his wicked grin for a few moments. But then, he seemed to grow bored with it, and like a bolt of lightning reached up and slapped Terra with the back of his hand. The force was so strong that her head was wrenched painfully around. Blood flew from her nose and mouth, and her body was flung across the room to smash into a wardrobe on the opposite side. The force was so strong that she broke both doors in, and would have gone all the way through had the clothing not broken her fall. She slumped to the ground afterward, and panted…tired from what she had just done as well as the smack.

"Come now, Terra." The man darkly answered, his voice was hollow and cold as a tomb. "Show me your true power."

The woman panted, and rose to her feet. She glared darkly at the man in front of her, full of rage and anger. She hated him. He was a demented monster. He had ordered the attack on her children…and now this. This…horrible abomination… She had to beat him. She had to kill him. He stood there calmly. Obviously…he would give her the time she needed. Very well…if that was what he wanted, that was what he would get. She had never wanted so badly to vent her full fury.

Terra clenched her hands into fists. She focused her power…and then raised her hands over her head. Immediately, the burning aura exploded around her. Once more her hair grew long, wild, and fierce. A pink energy flame wrapped her flesh, and her face twisted and distorted to become bestial and savage. Her eyes blazed with inner power, and her own strength sky rocketed. Her face twisted into a snarl as the transformation completed. Her eyes shone forth with animal fury. Glaring hatefully at Nireevyou, she reached out a hand to her fallen weapon. Immediately, her power summoned the blade to her, and it shot into her hand in an instant. She ignited it, and immediately the weapon blazed forth with unparalleled glory, growing even longer and deadlier than before.

Nireevyou grinned at all of this. "Yes…"

His grin soon twisted into agony, as Terra raised her hands and let loose an inconceivably powerful lightning attack. Deadly energy shot out from her fingers, and blasted forward to strike Nireevyou in the chest. The power ripped him off of his feet and threw him across the room, smashing him into his own furniture. The power was so great he bounced off and fell to the ground, his body smoldering, and his clothes on his chest burning. He cried out in pain as he did so. The force was so strong…that he only slowly managed to get back up to his feet. And when he did and looked out…he gaped to see Terra already on him.

Atma Weapon swung three times, slicing open his chest, his belly, and his face. Great burning gashes spilled across them, but the heat was so hot that it catorized the wounds, keeping them from bleeding or spilling out anything else. With that, Terra tossed aside the weapon for the moment, and drove her clawed fist into Nireevyou's throat. The esper's eyes widened, and he gagged horribly as blood exploded from his mouth. That wasn't all. Terra next drove her fist into his stomach, and followed up with an uppercut deep into the solar plexus. All of Nireevyou's wind went rushing out of his body as he collapsed to the ground, losing his strength as well. He barely manage to collapse on all fours…before he coughed and vomited up blood and who knew what else.

Terra, snarling, reached down and seized Nireevyou's head with both hands. She crushed as she pulled him up…digging her talons into his skin to send blood spilling down his face, pressing until she heard his skull bones begin to crack, and frying his brain cells with the heat pouring off of her body. She raised him up until she looked him right in the face, glaring at him furiously. Then, snarling, she flung him by his head across the room, smashing him into another opposing wall. Right after throwing him, she generated another ball of fire and threw it at him, so that he exploded into a ball of flame before he reached the opposite side of the room. He crashed into his things, and once again collapsed to the ground in a heap. Crying out in misery, and now aflame, he rolled on the ground, stripping himself as he did so, in a desperate attempt to extinguish his body.

He had ripped off his outer robes and put out his burning hair when Terra was on him again. She reached down and seized him by the neck, ripping him to his feet. After that, she shifted her grasp to his throat, throttled him, and then twisted him around and smashed him against a wall. He cried out in pain again, as Terra held up her other hand and extended her claws, making them each blades. With that, she turned back to Nireevyou, still clutching his throat to keep him from screaming, and began to stab him. Again and again, her claws flashed over his body, driving themselves deep into his torso again and again at speeds so fast they became a blur. Blood was ripped from his body, and soon his torso was a bleeding, torn mess as blood fountained out from the insides. Nireevyou gasped, but couldn't breathe. Once his chest was a mass of blood and wounds, Terra balled her bloody hand into a fist and began to smash him in the side of the face. Burnt skin was ripped from his skull, and blood and matter flew from it as she bashed him mercilessly in the side of his head. The bones grinded under her hands. The face swelled and was distorted by her pounding. Again and again she bashed him, until half of his face became an unrecognizeable swollen mass. She punched one last time at that, knocking out three teeth, and then at last released the deformed, beaten hulk and let him fall to the ground.

Terra snarled like a lioness, and backed off from Nireevyou. He struggled to breathe now, his windpipe crushed and his lungs torn. He swallowed in a pool of his own blood, barely able to move. He lay there for a few moments, his deformed, crushed face marinating against the floor, moaning and groaning against the ground as he continued to bleed. Terra continued to stare at him savagely, struggling to restrain the primal instinct of ripping him apart with her teeth and devouring him. Nireevyou continued to gag for a moment longer, his voice hollow and crushed.

"Ter…ra…" He slowly managed to utter after a moment, nearly gasping…and without any sound for his vocal cords were crushed. A bloody hand slowly quivered and reached up to her. "Ter…ra…" He groaned again, and weakly looked up to her with the one eye he still had left.

The half esper looked and glared down at him. Her face was cold and merciless, and she sneered at him as he lay there. He was as good as dead, and all within seconds. But she looked to him now, waiting to see what he would say. He continued to tremble and wallow for a moment, extending his hand out to her, broken and bleeding to death…

Then, at once, his mouth closed, he stopped trembling, and he became perfectly normal. With a spring in his step, he rolled up, flipped once, and then was on his feet.

Terra's anger vanished. Her feline mouth opened and hung in shockas she stared at him. Meanwhile, Nireevyou reached up to his collar and gave it a quick snap to straighten it. As he did…the holes in his clothing mended themselves. Not only them…but the wounds beneath. Each one sealed up, both externally and internally. The burns vanished and were regenerated with fresh fibers. Nireevyou cracked his neck, letting the vertebrae move back into the proper positions and fuse together again. His face shifted as the swelling began to lower, and popped back out into place as it had been before. The lacerations healed all over it, and his skin became pale and flawless again. The smoldering smell vanished, the smoke cleared, and all of his burns smoothed out to being fresh again. Within moments…there wasn't a mark on him…and he grinned darkly at Terra.

"…Is that the best you can do?" He simply asked.

Terra stared in stunned terror. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't believe it. In the end, on instinct…she grit her teeth again, and swung her fist at the man again.

This time…he calmly extended his own palm and grabbed it. Again, like punching rock…Terra found herself powerless to move. She looked to her hand and gaped. She clenched her teeth afterward, and tried to push it…but it was no use. She couldn't move it at all…or pull it back. She turned back to the man and gaped again…but then suddenly gasped.

He had changed.

The thing was growing larger now. It was distorting and twisting. It was growing new appendages and enlarging in size. Not only that…but the hand that held her now grew larger…much larger. Claws began to come from it. The old flesh ripped off and revealed the new. The man began to breathe…and as he did his voice grew deep and powerful, terrible like the voice of doom. He became larger and larger, and as he did the light in the room went dim. His massive bulk filled everything, and he blotted out the light from the windows. What was left grew so faint that the room became dark…and nightmarish. Cold air came from the creature and blew over her, and his one hand became a massive claw enclosing her own.

Terra's savagery vanished. Now…she stared at the thing's massive face in terror.

Suddenly, the woman cried out, as Nireevyou tightened his fist and crushed. Immediately, four bones snapped as he broke each one of her knuckles. Terra bellowed in agony, and reached over to try and grab his hand off. However, moving so fast she didn't even see him shift weight, a blow came from the man and struck her in the stomach. Immediately, she collapsed in half. Her eyes bulged, and her tongue hung out of her mouth as an eruption of blood was knocked out of it. Roaring inhumanly, Nireevyou seized her by the hair roughly, ripping some out in the process, and raised her to her feet. Moments later, her face was nearly smashed in as a horrible force struck her. Again, her body went flying to the wall, but this time it went through it. The rock was smashed around her as her body flew into it and embedded, and a rockslide fell down on her esper form as she found herself partially entombed in the rock.

She wasn't trapped long. The horror seized her by the ankle and ripped her out again. Roaring like a demon, he twisted her around and smashed her into the opposing wall. She cried out in agony. The thing snapped back and smashed her back into the other after that, then swung around and began to bash her against the floor again and again like a toy. It smashed more of its furniture as it continued to beat her, feeling her bones break in his grasp, crushing her ankle bone, rattling her brain, and continuing to pound her until she stopped screaming. Then…he shoved her face first into the ground…and began to beat the back of her head. He continued to smash again and again against it, until a steady stream of blood came out of her nose and mouth and filled the hole her face was stuck in, threatening to choke her on her own fluid.

At that, he ripped her back out of the hole. She was limp now, totally unconscious from the merciless beating. She maintained her esper form, but couldn't even move. The demonic beast towered over her a moment, grunting and snarling at her, looking at her bloody, ruined face. Then…giving a slight snort…one of its claws very slowly reached out to her…and gently stroked her wild hair.

"That's enough for now." A thunderous, bestial voice sounded. "We want you to look somewhat well for Bahamut, don't we?"

The claw stroked Terra's hair one more time…before slipping down and pulling off the jeweled band that was attached to it.

* * *

Bahamuttightened for battle. With no one left to delude, he freely went forward once he reached the next area. As before, this was a wide chasm with bridges stretched across it, and pillars leading from the bottom of the abyss to Bahamut's level. But the esper wasn't wasting time with traps anymore. Using his superhuman strength, he leapt from the entrance to the nearest flat pillar. It was twenty feet away, but it was nothing for him. After that, he leapt from here to the next nearest pillar, this one thirty feet away. He continued to hop forward, clearing the chasm quickly, and not giving any time for opposition to arrive. It seemed he wouldn't have to, however, as nothing came out of the side caves in this area.

The esper began to prime himself for transformation. As he did, he focused on a side entrance far in the distance, the largest and most prominent by far. That was it. Soon, he'd be face to face with Nireevyou, and put an end to this once and for all. He hoped the others were alright, or could hold on a bit longer. Once the head was lopped off, the rest of the body would die. He just needed to finish their master. His passions surged, and his battle instincts began to take over. He hopped forward a few steps more before launching himself on a very long leap, sailing about fifty feet before he landed right on the stone walkway that was in front of the cave entrance. Immediately after doing so, the esper barreled in, and readied himself for a fight.

However, on entering…he stopped. There was another cave entrance just ahead of him, and this one let sunlight pour in from the outside. There were also openings in the ceiling, letting more light flow in to the chamber. But this place itself was nothing more than a small cave room. There was nothing here. Bahamut saw a rotten, old desk that had been sitting there for some time…but nothing else. There were no signs of recent life or anything. On seeing this, Bahamut's anger vanished. It turned to puzzlement. That wasn't all either. He suddenly realized…he didn't sense any great powers here. Not here, or anywhere near here. The place was empty.

Confused, Bahamut turned to the cave exit. He trotted up to it, but no longer ran. Once he reached it, he dipped his head outside. Nothing. He was near the peak of Mt. Zozo now. There was a bit of a grass in the area, but then just a cliff leading down into an oblivion drop. There was nothing here. No signs of life. No signs of habitation at all. This place was deserted, not even guarded.

The esper blinked in disbelief. He slowly brought his head back in, and looked to the ground with a confused expression. Where was he? Did their leader leave? Did he fly before Bahamut could reach him? Somehow, he doubted it. People like this were too arrogant to fly the coop, especially after all that Bahamut had done. Well, in reality, he supposed it was what the others had done too. They too killed quite a few, and he bet that they probably had met with the others top warriors after they had gotten separated…

At the thought of that, however…Bahamut froze. His blood ran cold as he realized something horrible.

_Edgar and Sabin fell in that pit to the ground._

_Locke got away from us with that one monster._

_Celes was led to a pit that went into the bottom of the mountain._

_Terra broke off to go after her._

_And now…I'm up here all by myself, with nothing…_

_…It was a decoy. They were trying to separate us the whole time._

Bahamut thought of this a moment, and then cursed and swore. He swung his fist angrily into the wall, punching a hole through the stone. How could he have been so careless? One by one, they had broken off from the main group on the way up here. One by one, they had all been shipped off to their various areas. As he had continued to go higher and higher…everyone else was being led lower and lower. Well, except for Locke…but he was sure that the path had changed in some way to distract him into coming down instead of up. This whole time, Bahamut had thought that he would be at the top of the peak. But he had little to base that knowledge off of. Even the warriors hadn't said he would be there. And Bahamut had to admit…he couldn't sense anything here. He couldn't detect any sign of him. And he hadn't since he had come. But Nireevyou was an esper. He should have detected him, especially with his new abilities, from a hundred miles away. The only explanation was that he was blocking his own signature…and leading Bahamut on a wild goose chase.

The esper began to realize it now. While he had been tangling with these monsters, trying to get to the top where there was nothing awaiting him, the others had been drawn off one at a time to their separate fates. And all of them were led down…as far away from the peak as possible…as far away from Bahamut as possible. It now made sense. Nireevyou wasn't hiding at the top of the mountain…he was hiding below it. His lair was at the lowest level of the mountain. And one by one…he had brought the others to him…to face him personally…

Bahamut's flesh turned pale at the thought.

_Terra…_

In a blinding flash, Bahamut whirled around and shot back into the previous room. The moment he was in, he immediately jumped into the chasm. As he did, and sank into the deep blackness, he prayed that his fiancée was alright…and that he wasn't too late…

* * *

_To be continued..._


	27. The Wrong Translation

It only took Bahamut about a minute to get there.

On reaching the bottom of the chasm, he quickly found another entrance that went deeper down yet. It was a circular staircase, dimly lit by torchlight. He quickly descended this, nearly flying down it as fast as he was moving. Once at the bottom, he found a stone hallway that was lit in a similar fashion. He flew down this as well, thinking only of Terra as he went. There could have been opposition, but it was fortunate for the enemy that there wasn't. The esper would have ripped anything he saw in half. He thought only of Terra, and heaven help anything that stood between him and her.

The man continued to fly down the hall, ignoring all the branches, and making for the end as fast as he could. He knew it all led to one spot…Nireevyou. There was little doubt now that they had all gone to him, and he was sure he would come the same way. At last, he did reach an end. Straight ahead of him, the hallway narrowed. The lights were dimmer here, and sound seemed to fade. But Bahamut was not scared or unnerved by this. He recognized it as esper technology. It was a dampening field effect. It was constructed for the purpose of blocking energy signals. He realized now why he hadn't sensed Nireevyou. He was hiding down here all along. Otherwise, he would have found him long ago. He barreled down this thin hallway in a flash, and emerged into the chamber beyond.

Here, Bahamut hesitated a moment. He looked a bit ahead to what now stood before him. This hallway was the darkest, coldest, and quietest…but, most of all, there was a door ahead. It was huge and made of stone, but it was also interlaced with esper designs. These were no mere decorations for the door. They were special runes that actually functioned as the dampener. They served to block out the signature of whatever was through this door. Yet that too wasn't all. As Bahamut hesitated and looked to the door, he realized there was writing on it…and writing in the native language of the espers. He looked over it and read for a moment.

_The Great Hall of Lord N…_

_…Wait a moment._

Bahamut froze as he looked at that last word. He read over it once…twice…and again. He was still, and trembled a moment. That word…it wasn't spelled as he thought it was. Until now, he had thought that Nireevyou's name was spelled longer…but it wasn't. At last, he saw the correct spelling of the name…and realized he had been wrong all along. The pronunciation of the name had confused him.

And as Bahamut looked at it…an icy fear grasped his heart.

_It's…not possible…_

The esper stood and stared there, now at last feeling the cold silence of the chamber. It made him tremble and filled him with dread. This was impossible…yet he couldn't deny what he saw. Perhaps it was only a coincidence. Perhaps it was someone who took the name… There was only one way to find out, however. In the end, he swallowed and steadied himself. He looked to the door up ahead, and frowned darkly. Immediately, he stomped forward toward it. As he did, he shot out both hands, and with a massive push placed both on the door, and used his tremendous strength to fling both open.

Bright sunlight spilled from elegant stain glass windows inside. Bahamut, luckily, got his power from the sun, and was not blinded. Instead, his eyes widened, as he saw the images on the windows before him. They were arranged in a large, dome-shaped room, like an inner vestibule of a chapel. And they depicted great events… The first showed the birth of the espers with Crusader. The next was the triumph over Griever. The one after was the founding of Terratopolis. And the last was none other than Bahamut's clash with Wyvern. All of them were in bright colors and vivid hues, depicting in all the glory the myth of the history of espers. It was astonishing to behold…a great tribute. Each esper looked vibrant and free as they moved about and acted in these windows. The rest of the walls were covered with royal curtains, hanging down and covering most of the stone. Below that, the rest of the room was elegant and filled with lovely items, befitting someone of great royalty. What attracted Bahamut the most was a phonograph against the wall, playing a simple symphony. That…and what was in the center of the room.

There, an elegant hickory table, smoothed and finished to perfection, and covered with great details, stood. It was covered with elegant silver appurtances, all for tea. There was a plate of various cakes and crumpets, and a kettle was steaming near a cup. There was one empty chair, near to all this. However, there was also a decanter made of glass sitting on the table. This one was filled with a bright red, thick liquid, unlike any alcohol Bahamut had ever seen. It also filled a glass…which rested in the hand of a tall, dark man sitting in the other chair. He had been in mid-sip when Bahamut burst in. But when he did, he rapidly lowered the glass against the table.

He was dressed in blood red and black robes and elegant clothing, covering him all the way up to a gold trim collar around his neck. His hair was thick and black, and he bore a great thick mustache as well. His features were strong and tall, but his skin was pale as snow, and his eyes burned a blood red as well. However, as Bahamut entered, he didn't look cold. Instead, he formed a look of mock surprise, and threw up his hands.

"Oh! Dash it all!" He cried out in mock regret. "The police have come! They got me! Very well…I surrender. Take me away, officer."

Bahamut glared at him in wide-eyed surprise. His hands fell limply to his sides. He didn't even notice as the basilisk and drake that had been waiting on the other side of the door came out and shut the great stone doors behind him. His mouth hung down as he glared at him…unable to believe it. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be possible. In the end…_he_ was the other esper.

"…Wyvern…"

The man smiled and held up a finger to this. "Ah, ah… Don't spill the beans, brother of mine. I've been using the title Lord Nrevyw for some time now." He hesitated at that, seeing Bahamut stare blankly at him. In the end, he snorted and leaned back, folding his hands in front of him. "Oh…don't tell me you're surprised, big Bahamut…or should I say…" He hesitated here, and snorted as if he thought the idea was funny. "…Tumahab."

Bahamut didn't react. He blinked and stared at him. "You…it…it can't be you…" He slowly remarked. "You were dead… I abandoned your body on the Lunarian moon…"

Wyvern merely smiled and chuckled in response to that. "Wow…are you way behind the times, big brother." He snorted in response. He slowly shook his head at him. "It's obvious you've missed more than a ton of information. Not only that…but you were rude enough to keep me waiting ten long months for you. Why Bahamut…I didn't know you could be so unpunctual. I always thought you were so proper."

The esper blinked. He still couldn't believe it. "You… You were Nireevyou…Nrevyw…the whole time… You…"

Wyvern frowned and looked rather amiable at this, and leaned back and beckoned Bahamut in. "Oh, come on now!" He interrupted brightly. "Don't be a stranger! You've come so far, killed so many of my pets… Sit down! Take a load off! Let me get you something to drink! It's just about tea time, as it were. And I think you'll find these cakes to be most agreeable. We have lots to discuss, after all. The world…the War of the Magi…why I'm not a rotten corpse…why _you're_ not a rotten corpse…"

Here…Wyvern dipped into his pocket for a moment. What he emerged from made Bahamut's stomach sink, and filled his mind with terror.

"Your little fiancée, Terra…" He remarked, as he twirled around Terra's head clasp on one of his fingers.

Bahamut stared blankly. Cold sweat poured from his brow. His heart raced. A horrible fear went into his heart. However…this lasted only a moment. Soon, the coldness was evaporated by growing heat as his anger and rage began to rise.

"…What have you done to her?" He spoke though clenched teeth…as his eyes began to turn serpentine.

"She's still alive, if that's what you want to know." Wyvern casually replied. "But there will be plenty of time to get to her later. Have a seat. No doubt, you'd like to know why I'm still alive… To tell you the truth, the story is so long I don't care to go that much into detail about it. But I'll give you the short version…the 'nitty-gritty' so-to-speak. Those are the things you're more interested in. And then, I'll-"

Bahamut, teeth clenched, took a single step toward Wyvern, obviously ready to lunge at him…

At this, Wyvern's merriment vanished, and instantly turned into a dark look as his voice turned cold and sinister.

"Sit your ass down right now or she dies."

Bahamut froze again at that. He didn't dare show anymore emotion…but he didn't dare refuse him either. Inside, he cursed and fumed at Wyvern. He had her. He should have stayed with her. He should have followed her after Celes. But he overestimated her abilities…and he never expected Wyvern to be the esper they were trailing. If he had been…he would have had Terra hide in a hole on the other side of Gaia before he would have let her anywhere near him. And now…not only was her life in danger, Bahamut realized Wyvern had him. He realized he was in his power…and that was a very unhealthy place to be in. He clenched his teeth for a moment. But in the end…he had no choice.

Stiffly moving…struggling not to snap or exhale a breath attack at Wyvern…he slowly moved forward to the chair at the table. He slowly rounded it, stood above it for a moment, then swallowed as he slowly lowered his body into the seat. Once there, he licked his lips a moment, glaring at Wyvern…and then leaned back.

Wyvern smiled at this, becoming casual again. "Much better." He simply said, raising his own glass up to his lips and drinking again. "Help yourself." He added, gesturing to the things. "Mi casa es tu casa. The chocolate bundt is my personal favorite…"

"How are you still alive?" Bahamut coldly cut off.

Wyvern snorted at that, taking another sip. "Right to the point, as always, big brother. You always were." He simply answered. He set the glass down again after that, and then calmly leaned back and folded his hands in front of himself.

"Like I said before, I won't bother you with the details. There's a lot more to this story than you realize, but I'll keep it simple. The long and short of the matter is after the fall of our race, the beginning of the War of the Magi, the espers went a bit crazy. No leaders…humans snatching us up left and right…invading Terratopolis… There was utter chaos. We went from being the gods to being the slaves, and we were hunted relentlessly all around the face of Gaia. However…at that time…my two lovely assistants, Zola and Noonian, ever faithful to their lord and master, managed to find this…"

With that, Wyvern reached up and dipped into the collar of his shirt. Moments later, he pulled out something that was on a chain around his neck. It didn't look like much. It appeared to be a perfect glass prism, perhaps even crystal. It had been cracked before, Bahamut could tell, and broken into four pieces. But those had been fused again, and it was again whole.

"Behold…the Crystal Stone." Wyvern announced, presenting the device. "It was Leviathan's greatest creation. He intended it to make an amalgamation of an esper…but it turned out to have a lovely other effect too. You see…over a period of hundreds of years, this stone absorbs solar power in addition to spiritual power. The closer it is to the sun, and the more intense the heat, the faster it absorbs it. It stores that power over the years, concentrating a greater and greater threshold of power. Once it becomes fully charged, it possesses enough energy from the sun to actually force one's spirit out of the Lifestream and back into their body…and then gives that body life again."

Wyvern paused here, frowned a bit, and shrugged. "Of course…it's not perfect. The body has to be completely fixed up and ready to live…so it doesn't work for old age. And it takes centuries to fully charge it. However…it did work. At the onset of the worst War of the Magi, good ol' Noonian and Zola managed to recover my magicite. Now, magicite, as you know, is our entire essence distilled. Because of that, even though my body wasn't present, all the critical components were there. It just needed life. Hence, this technique, as you might imagine, works best for espers. And as a result, they brought me back from the dead…bigger and stronger than ever before.

"Now, of course, I had a monumental task ahead of me. I had to rebuild everything we had lost. However…I knew I was fighting an uphill battle. The other espers were sealing themselves away in Terratopolis, and the humans turned Gaia into a wasteland. I was alone and abandoned in this world. For centuries, I struggled to rebuild our power. But there were precious few espers left that were willing to aid me, and most of the world was in shambles. I was forced to do little more than wait for a thousand years to pass as this world put itself back together before I could start finding the resources I needed to rebuild our kingdom, and to find a way to get in touch with the others on the opposite side of Terratopolis.

"But, in the end, you know how that worked out. The humans turned our world into a wasteland again, and this time killed almost all of our brethren.The base I was building was destroyed when the world was torn up, and everything was flung into chaos in the wake of the human called Kefka. Yet, again, as luck would have it, about a year later he was overthrown.Monsters descended from espers roamed the world in huge droves. Governments of humans were shattered. At last…I had the perfect time to rebuild our empire. I had the forces to realign, and the call for order in the time of chaos. At long last…I saw my chance to retake this world from the humans that had so abused us, and to at last get revenge for their genocide of our race.

"But that too was a problem. Gathering all these disparate peoples into one great kingdom…forging a new nation…rebuilding an order…leading our people into final victory against our long-time human oppressors… Such a task was no thing that a single esper could hope to do, even one as mighty as myself. I needed help. And I needed help from someone who I knew was strong, intelligent, prudent, and had a knack for leadership and doing the right thing. And to that end…" Wyvern trailed here, sipping again from his drink, but focusing his eyes on Bahamut as he did.

"Well…that's where you come in."

Bahamut, who had been stoic until now, felt his eyes enlarge.Was Wyvern saying what he thought he was saying? But that couldn't be true. Wyvern hated him so much…was filled with such psychotic anger toward him. Could he have actually brought himself to do this? It didn't seem true…

Wyvern smiled and waved his hand. "Yes…I know what you're thinking. We've had our…'differences'."

Bahamut, on hearing that, lost his surprise. Instead, he glared darkly at his brother. "You've tried to kill me twice now. I'd say that's a pretty big difference."

Wyvern smiled at that again, and shook his finger. "Oh no, big brother…I _did_ kill you, remember?" He simply responded. "But yes…to be blunt, therein was the root of our problem. I couldn't stand you. I hated you. But at the same time…I had enough foresight to know that there was no one better suited for the job of managing and ruling a world than you. You were always smart, quick-witted, and very strong too. Out of all of the other espers in the world…despite how much there had been between us, I knew full well that there was no one else I could get for this job. And so…I decided to bite the bullet, bury the hatchet, swallow my pride…whatever you want to call it…and did the unthinkable. In case you have any doubts now, Bahamut…yes." Here, he looked up to him, and leveled a smile at him as he raised his glass to sip again.

"It was indeed I who ordered you brought back to life with the recharged Crystal Stone."

Bahamut showed nothing in response. But inside…he was filled with unbelief. It didn't seem possible, and after their last encounters Bahamut had thought Wyvern would die before he would do such a thing. Lastly…it made Bahamut feel sick to his stomach. So…that was why he lived again. In the end, it was because of his twin. His mortal enemy was the reason that he was sitting in this chair, breathing and listening to Wyvern's casual tirade. He'd still be dead…if not for him.

Wyvern drained the last of his glass, and then sat it back down. "By the way," He casually continued. With that, he tossed the Crystal Stone over to the esper. Bahamut didn't show his surprise, although he was a bit, but reached out and snatched it from the air. "You can take it, if you like. It won't do any good for almost another thousand years, however. And it only works on preserved bodies or magicite. There's little of either floating around out there."

Bahamut looked to the object a moment…Leviathan's final masterpiece. After staring for a short while…he lowered it to his coat and tucked it in the pocket.

Wyvern reached for the decanter to refill his glass at this point. "Bahamut," He announced, in a somewhat bright tone. "After all this time, I've decided to let bygones be bygones and to put an end to our rivalry. After all…in the end, I did prove myself to be the stronger esper. And, in a line of thinking I'm sure you would agree with, there are too few of our kind left in this world to waste time bickering. After all…we two are the only survivors of our race." Wyvern finished filling his glass, and set it down after that. At this, his face turned a bit darker, and he leaned in closer on the table.

"Although…" He spoke up again, holding a finger up in a gesture of a point being made. His voice continued to grow quieter and lower as he spoke. "There is one thing that still annoys me. And that has to do with your half of this story.

"I go to considerable effort in preserving your magicite…recharging the stone…finding a suitable area for revival…bringing you back from the dead with this new body…and all because, I firmly believe, that in the end you, as you so often told me, will do what's best for your kingdom. The whole 'kingly'-thing-to-do motif. And to that end, I thought you would be more than happy to come and see me, and discuss how we are supposed to go about reclaiming our broken world from our human oppressors. I even send little Khan out to you, knowing that you like him as your former servant.

"And what do I find?" Wyvern suddenly challenged, pausing long enough to drink again from his glass. "My envoys…murdered. Your friend…slaughtered…and by a person I can only assume to be you. And you? You're gone. I spend considerable resources and time searching for you for close to a year…and guess what I find out?" Wyvern looked up to him and glared somewhat angrily at his twin. "…You've wasted all of your new talents I worked so hard to give you…becoming some sickening human babysitter…and you're sleeping with a half-human."

Bahamut raised an eyebrow at that. "How did you-"

Wyvern sighed and waved his hand at him. "Oh, come off it, Bahamut. I can smell as well as you can, and these humans don't bathe regularly. I could still smell you all over the woman when she came in here." Wyvern took another sip, looking a bit more disgusted this time. "I never suspected…not in a million years…that you, the great champion of espers…the great sacrificial king…would have stooped himself so low. The woman I could forgive…conceivably. She was half human and so I wanted her dead as much as anyone else. However, she was also half esper, so technically I should have given her a berth. And out of all the sickening bipedal creatures on the world, I could have conceivably tolerated you with that one. After all, I know how much you love humans, and as far as you mating, I supposed that would be as good as I could get. But those damn children…that stupid shack of a ghost town…

"Frankly, I didn't believe it. I didn't think that my brother, of all people, would have turned around so readily to plant a kiss on the ass of the race that had conducted genocide on his own people. I wouldn't expect that of Ogopogo…much less you. In fact…I killed the messenger." He leaned his head up at this and glared at Bahamut. "You hear that, Bahamut? I killed him. I killed him, screaming at him the whole way…that how dare he feed me this pathetic, stupid lie. But then I sent Zola and Noonian out…and I trusted them. I still couldn't believe it, but I trusted them. By the way," Wyvern took another drink here, looking even more disgusted with it than the last one. "You have a funny way of treating your old friends. I've been providing for Zola and Noonian since I came back to life. All you could do wasdestroy your servant, and then turn around and become the garbage boy for the people who hunted him for a thousand years. Are you absolutely sure that, between us two, _you_ aren't the crazy one?"

Bahamut silently glared back. He said nothing and offered no confirmation or denial of what had happened, presented no defense. He merely sat there. As he did, Wyvern frowned at his glass, and unceremoniously tossed the contents to one side on the floor. Before it hit the ground, it burst into flame and evaporated, avoiding a carpet stain. He then turned to the area behind Bahamut, and gestured. "Zola…would you be so kind as to get me a fresh bottle? This is already rotten."

The basilisk gave a nod, and then turned and began to creep over to a certain area of the room. In front of one of the curtains, a liquor cabinet was stationed. However, the most prominent thing about it was that, in addition to all of the glasses and normal bottles, there was also what looked like a tapper for beer. Zola took up another glass decanter and set it under the tapper as he approached, and then pulled the lever. Thick red liquid soon began to fill it. Wyvern smiled and looked to Bahamut.

"These things rot so quickly, but they're only good fresh."

"What are you drinking?" Bahamut asked, his tone cold and flat.

Wyvern hesitated a moment at that, and then merely let out a chuckle. "Oh…just a little beverage of mine that I've taken up recently. Once you get past the unusual flavoring, it kind of grows on you." Here, he motioned to his servant. "Zola…show Bahamut what I'm drinking."

By now, the decanter was almost full. The basilisk nodded, and then removed the glass vial and put a stopper in it. As he did, Wyvern himself rose from his chair, and began to calmly walk over to the bar area. Zola crept over to the side of the curtain, and seized it with his front claws. With one quick swipe, he pulled the entire curtain over to one side, revealing what was on the other.

Bahamut's face turned white as the grotesque sight beyond.

There were the others.

They looked roundly beaten now. There was no doubt that they had encountered Wyvern…and had failed to defeat him. But now…painful bolts had been screwed into their wrists, attaching shackles to their bodies. They hung from these shackles by chains that led from the ceiling, making them look like macabre puppets. That, however, wasn't the worse. No less than two dozen long, sharp needles were jabbed into each of the bodies at their vital points. These needles were attached to thin tubes that all ran down…right into the tapper. Blood was being tapped from their bodies like sap from a maple tree.

Wyvern walked closer to this…while Bahamut rose from his chair and stared in stunned horror as the nightmarish sight. He couldn't tell if they were still alive…or had been drained dry already by this device. As for Wyvern, he came to a halt in front of it. "Well…humanity siphoned the life out of our race to satiate their thirsts…and I always thought turnabout was fair play." He turned to Bahamut at this. "Would you care for some?"

Bahamut didn't hear. All he saw now was the person hanging in the center, already looking pale and nearly lifeless, and back in human form.

"Terra…" He echoed aloud, staring at her horribly strung up body.

Wyvern, on hearing this, raised an eyebrow. "What? You want her down?"

Bahamut stared on for a moment. His lip quivered, and his mind was wracked with terror. But that gave way to fear, as he saw her hanging there…dying right before his eyes. It struck the feelings he now had in his heart, and felt like icy daggers jabbing it. Soon after…his rage swelled again. His hands clenched into fists, and his face turned red as his eyes turned serpentine again.

_"Let her go!"_

Wyvern, however, wasn't at all disturbed by that. "As you wish." He simply responded. With that, he waved a hand over Terra. Immediately, his own telekinesis went to work on her bonds. Each needle seemed to erupt from her flesh, making her moan and twist from where she hung. After that, each nut slowly unturned itself, releasing her from her shackles. As she began to loosen and fall, Wyvern calmly walked over to her. When she was released, she only fell a foot or so before Wyvern reached out and seized her by the back of the neck. "Consider her a welcome-back gift." Wyvern merely said, before turning around and tossing her at Bahamut rather roughly.

The esper immediately reacted. Not waiting for her to come, he shot into the air with his hovering ability, and gently caught Terra as she flew into his arms. He quickly took her back to the ground. Once there, while supporting her gently, Bahamut stripped off his outer coat and wrapped her bleeding, injured body in it. After that, he continued to hold her close. He pressed her to his chest, and placed his own head down on hers. He struggled to suppress tears from rolling from his eyes.

Luckily…she was weak, but far from dead. After a moment of gentle breathing, she slowly opened her eyes. She still looked in pain, but she managed to look up to Bahamut. She stared at him a brief moment.

"I'm…sorry… I should have waited…"

"No, don't be sorry." Bahamut reassured her. "Don't talk. Stay still."

"He…did this…to my friends…"

"Shh…it's alright. I'm here now."

Terra stared on at him…and weakly smiled. Bahamut managed to smile back…and leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. He pressed her closer as he did so. He continued to hold her for a few moments, unable to do anything else. His heart was aching at how horribly injured she had been…what had happened to her. But he also felt joy that she was still alive.

Wyvern watched this for a moment, and then raised an eyebrow. "You know…I could provide her with a bed, if you like. Or a medic. Noonian isn't the best in the world, but-"

_"Don't you touch her!"_

Wyvern was cut off as Bahamut, face rippling with anger, looked up and glared at him. For the briefest moment…he thought that some of his brother's madness had faded. But that was no longer. Even if it hadn't…now, he was far more enraged at Wyvern than his brother had ever been toward him. Bahamut sneered at him, growling in his animal voice. But then, he turned his head back over to the others. He looked at them a moment, and then waved his own hand. Immediately, the telekinesis removed their own binds and needles, and send them falling to the ground as well.

Wyvern frowned a bit at that. "I never said anything about them, Bahamut." He told him. "These ones are intruders, and I'm afraid they'll have to be punished most harshly. However…like I said before, I'm willing to be lenient with the half esper. She can stay here if she likes. You can go ahead and make a bride or concubine or whatever you want out of her… I did want to kill her, but, what the hey…a compromise might do us good. And she is one of the only females left around that have our blood in them."

Bahamut breathed deeply, continuing to glare at Wyvern. He looked back down to Terra. She had closed her eyes now, struggling to conserve her strength and endure the pain from her body. He continued to hold her protectively, thinking all the while of what Wyvern might try.

Wyvern gave a shrug. "And I believe that brings us to the present, Big B. I think you'll find this deal to be pretty agreeable. After all…it was the way things were meant to be. Our world was destroyed…but now we can reclaim it. This world is a fresh canvas just waiting to be painted. And we…the two great sons of the Planet…we're just the ones to do it. We were always the greatest of our kind…it is our destiny to rule this Planet together. I am willing to step back, at long last, brother of mine…and have you correct that mistake you made thousands of years ago. Once again…I am casting in my vote for the two of us to rule the Planet. And now…the only other voter who is around is you.

"So, what do you say, big brother? Partners at last? Comrades in arms? Joint owners of this vast planetoid? The two of us together…just as we were meant to be? What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Bahamut glared at Wyvern a moment longer. He said nothing. To tell the truth…he considered this. The fact was that their race was doomed. They had only two espers left, and they were in this room…along with all other individuals that still had esper blood in them. Their great race was now reduced to the occupants here. This might indeed be his only chance. And now…Wyvern was willing to actually start over, it seemed. Much as he disliked Bahamut, this might be the only chance to have a truce between them. He doubted he could trust the esper…but so long as there was a kingdom to rebuild, he supposed he could. And he did believe himself the stronger one, after all, following their last battle…

However, that was all Bahamut considered it before turning his head to the area behind the tapper, where the moaning, barely-living bodies of the four humans lay.

"…And what about humanity?"

Wyvern frowned at this. "Oh, come off it, Bahamut!" He nearly shouted. "Their time is over! They had their chance! They were screwing up the face of this world long before we got here. And you know, just as well as I do, that our people…not even the two of us…will ever be safe as long as they're around. They committed genocide…a horrible sin for anyone. They deserve to be punished. And who better than the true children of the Planet to carry it out? This is their end. We were appointed to be their successors years ago. It's time you made a decision, Bahamut. You and I both know full well know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we can't live together. So which race are you going to back as the ones who deserve this world? Theirs or ours?"

Bahamut hesitated there. To tell the truth…that was a good question. And unfortunately…Wyvern made some good points…points that Bahamut had neglected until now. These were things he hadn't thought of during his time with Terra, because he was so happy with her…because nothing could go wrong.

But what sort of world would there be for him or his children? In generations to come…assuming he stayed here, had his happy little life, lived out his days with Terra…then what? In the future, there would be more espers…issuing from him now. And they would be espers, considering Terra's esper half. Perhaps they would breed with each other as well, becoming more and more esper-like with time. Immortal…powerful…but most of all, sought by humanity. As Wyvern spoke…he did realize what would happen in the future…even his peaceful future with Terra. The cycle that had been broken…the calamities that had been repeating themselves twice now…they would happen again.

As long as there was power…there would be people who desired it…wanted it for their own. Maybe not people like Terra or her friends…but they would be there. They would continue to reach for it. Espers…their very natures…their essences…they represented power. Bahamut couldn't deny that. Ever since Palad had seen the power that he wielded…humanity had wanted that strength for itself. First they aspired to be esper-like. Then they came to them for training. And now…they were harvesting them. A thousand years ago they harvested them as tools of war, using them as weapons. A thousand years later…they sucked the very life out of them and added it to their own. What horror would await the next thousand years?

Bahamut didn't know…but he knew what was inevitable. So long as there were espers…humans would want them. He was right. They weren't gods and subjects anymore. They were one race trying to exploit the other. They had for generations now…and they would do so again when they became stronger. The power of espers would always be an attraction to them…always something they wanted. And once they were mighty again, they would want it again. They would always want it. So long as espers were there…they would forever crave their strength and what they could do for them.

The esper didn't want to admit this…but it was true. The world was not full of small communities like Mobliz. It was full of scared, frightened, shallow people too…and each one of them wanted power to feel secure. The espers would always represent it. They were myths again now…but once word of them came back into the world…they would be craved again, just as they were by this generation and the generation years ago. Bahamut's idea of a peaceful world…one in which he lived among humans…it wouldn't happen. It couldn't. One day…he would be hunted, as would all of his offspring. Wyvern realized that. He better than anyone. He had seen it happen already. When that day came…the world would again be put to waste, until another foolish generation arose.

If this had been all there was to the matter, then he might have sided with Wyvern even now. After all…why shouldn't these people die? They had screwed up so many times… The espers had come after them. Shouldn't they be the rulers? Didn't they, more than anyone, deserve their revenge? And didn't the humans deserve to die?

However…there was more to the matter. Bahamut knew a small group of humans, huddled in a small corner of the wilderness struggling to survive. And he was crazy about them. He loved them. He felt more personal with them than almost any other esper he had ever met. They made him feel so hopeful and joyful for the future…they made him remember what it was to truly live. And he knew there had to be more. But even if there wasn't any more than them…it didn't matter. These people…these few people…they meant everything to him. Long ago, he risked his life for the sake of having one human grow up in peace. And now…for the sake of these children…for the sake of them growing up free and safe…he would pardon the rest of the contemptable race. They deserved a chance in this new world. And if humanity of the future could be more like them…then the world still had a chance.

He had already resigned himself to the fate of his race…and he had fallen in love anew with humanity. If there could only be one survivor…and if the race to come was going to be led by the man in front of him, then he knew he could make only one choice.

Slowly, Bahamut rose from the ground, still holding Terra. However, as she rose, Bahamut looked down to her. His face was expressionless and cool, but he sent her a mental message.

_Terra…use your power to heal yourself and your friends._

The woman blinked for a moment at him. But then, she gave a nod. As Bahamut turned his back on Wyvern and began to walk away from him, the woman closed her eyes and focused. A new aura arose. White streams of light, like small fairies, danced out of her hands, did a circle in the air, and then rested on them again, scattering white sparks behind them. After doing so…Terra's body began to glow with green light, as a new aura enveloped her. Bahamut continued to carry her as she did this. Her lighter wounds began to close. Her blood was replenished in a small amount. She felt much stronger. By the time the healing was over, she had no trouble holding her eyes all the way open and looking to Bahamut. He was now on the edge of the room…with Zola and Noonian.

He turned up to them as he bent down to gently rest Terra on the floor. His eyes glared at them fiercely.

_Lay a finger on her…and I'll incinerate you from the feet up._

The two servants recoiled at that. Much as they feared Wyvern…Bahamut was not someone to defy. They would obey him. They shrank and gulped against the wall. After doing this, Bahamut began to lean up again. Feeling strong once more, Terra leaned up, but continued to hold his coat around her body.

To this, Bahamut looked to her coldly.

_Whatever happens…don't get in my way._ He commanded, in a voice so powerful and strong it made Terra hesitate. _If it looks like I'm going to lose…run away, as fast and as far as you can._

Terra's mouth hung open. She was about to protest…but Bahamut wouldn't let her. Immediately, he rose to his feet, and turned back around to face Wyvern. As for Terra, she continued to stare at him a moment longer, blinking and eager. A longing was in her face, but Bahamut's commanding words continued to resonate through her body. She swallowed. In the end, she could do nothing else but throw off Bahamut's coat, and then get to her feet to run to the others.

As she did this, Bahamut glared as hard as rock into Wyvern's eyes.

"…No."

Wyvern's own semi-casual look evaporated. A frown began to replace it. Slowly, he bowed his head, and let out a slow sigh. He took a few calm steps forward, walking up to the central table.

"You know…Bahamut…" His tone rapidly rising in volume, and violence. "Sometimes you can really _piss me OFF!"_

Wyvern ended this by sweeping his hand at his table. Immediately, it was broken into shrapnel, and the dishes and food were thrown violently everywhere, splattering against the walls and curtains that surrounded the area. The room thundered with Wyvern's bellow, and the air seemed to grow darker and colder. Now, the esper was mad. He turned and glared at Bahamut's own cold, stoic face, and he sneered as he did so.

_He's starting to look like the Wyvern I know now…_

"I don't get you!" Wyvern snapped at him. "After four thousand years…I still have no idea who you are or why you do the crap you do! Every time I think I have you pegged, you turn around and do something more dumbass than before! First you screw me over for your own power…then you screw over your own kind for these damn murderers! I mean…what the hell is wrong with you! Why did I ever think you were so smart when you can be such a retarded imbecile! They are the _enemy_! All I want is to make the world safe for _us_! Our race! Remember that? That thing you claimed to serve so well?"

"Our race is dead, Wyvern." Bahamut simply answered. "There's nothing left for me to serve anymore."

"Our race will live, if you'll stop being such a fool!" Wyvern angrily retorted. "I don't believe this! What do you owe them? Huh? Nothing! Not a damn thing! Look at me!" He sneered, leaning in close to Bahamut and pointing to his chest. "Look at me! _I'm_ the one you owe! Me! The brother you hated for so long! I kept your magicite! I brought you back to life! I worked so hard to save our race! I even bent over backward to try and make amends between us…even letting you keep that damn bastard woman as a bride! And this is how you thank me! By throwing in your lot with a bunch of gutless, heartless murderers? People who looked at Starlet and Leviathan and saw only the power they could give them? And you call _me_ the traitor?"

"There is more to the human race than just violence and lusts." Bahamut continued. "There is compassion and kindness…the ability to remake this world into a thing more beautiful and wondrous than before. That was what I always believed in, ever since the day I met Palad. The people who want a world of peace, just like us, deserve a chance to live."

Wyvern grit his teeth at Bahamut. "You and I both know, Bahamut…this world will _never_ be at peace so long as our two races exist. And if you don't know…then _I_ do. I've seen the feeble attempts of this world to keep order, and all it did was repeat history in the end."

"Then perhaps the best thing to do is to finish what humanity started." Bahamut darkly answered.

To this, his twin brother actually recoiled, and showed surprise.

"We're both relics, Wyvern." Bahamut went on, shrugging. "Neither of us should even be here. We died, along with the rest of our race. Our age is dead. It's been dead. And it won't come back. All both of us have been doing until now is cheating it. You're right…we can't live together. But we also can't get back what was lost. No matter what we did, the world would never be the way it used to be. No matter how many mountains we tunnel out, there won't be another Terratopolis. No matter how many bastard children we have, there will never be a gathering of espers again. And in the end…humanity would come at us again, repeating history, like you said."

"Then they must die!" Wyvern insisted, turning violent again. "Rub them out! Make a world peaceful for us to live in!"

"It doesn't make sense for us to kill all of another race, just to satisfy the desires of two people who are living on borrowed time." Bahamut answered. "Whether you like it or not, Wyvern…this world is theirs now. It's no longer ours. And there are too many innocent lives out there who deserve a chance. I cannot…and I _will_ not…take that away from them. It is the destiny of the old generation to give the world to the new. Our time is over. This is the only duty I have left."

Terra had made it to her friends, and had just begun to heal them. But now…she turned and looked back to Bahamut. She heard his talk…and she stared at it blankly. Her mouth still hung open, and she wondered if he meant all of that. As for Bahamut, he continued to glare darkly at Wyvern. He was irresolute again. He would not bend…not leave the world to die at the hands of this creature before him. Wyvern stared back…fuming. His white face was red, and his chest rose and fell as he glared darkly at Bahamut, nearly snorting all the while. His own fists clenched…as claws came out of them.

"Well…it looks like this is what it comes down to again, Bahamut." Wyvern darkly uttered.

Bahamut stared back at him coldly. "…It seems so."

"…Strong as you are…I received the same powers you did in rebirth. You haven't a prayer."

"We shall see."

The two brothers glared at each other for a few moments longer. Both of their eyes began to turn serpentine. Their teeth began to grow sharper. Their ancient grudge was again revived as they glared at one another with murderous intent.

"I always knew it would one day come down to this, Bahamut…" Wyvern stated after a while. "Not you and me…but me and humanity. And that's what this is. It's a day of destiny. Is the world going to belong to the murderers and thieves…or to our race…after today? I always knew it would be me standing on the side of espers, in the end. But I never thought, even in my darkest dreams, despite all that we had been through…that you would be the one standingup formankind."

Bahamut glared back without change.

"…You thought wrong."

With that…both espers began to transform.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	28. Duel of the Fates

_Beep…beep…_

"…What the hell…?"

Edgar groaned and opened his eyes. He felt like the sole of someone's shoe…as well as pretty dizzy and sick. However, as near as he could tell, that was still better than he had been feeling a few moments ago…although he couldn't really remember what had happened then. He actually felt strong enough to lift himself up…as he was face flat on the ground at the moment. Grunting a bit, coming to his senses, he turned his head in front of him and put his hands beneath…and began to push up.

At that time…Edgar suddenly realized that the ground was shaking beneath him…and it was getting more rough with time. What more, there appeared to be a wind blowing around him. This confused him. Where was he? Was he outside now? The last thing he remembered was seeing that great dark man in the room…and that his Debilitator clocked him at nearly 36,000. He had paused to gasp in fear…and then nothing. He had to assume whoever it was had bashed him roundly. The wind continued to pull at him as he rose, and he turned his head out to see the source.

Edgar failed to notice the others slowly getting up around him. They, like him, were covered with small injuries and torn clothing. They were all gaping in shock ahead of them too…just as he shortly was. It had been his twin that had said the phrase a moment ago. However, it had been Edgar's head alone that had heard the beeping. And now, he turned his full attention to what had alerted it, and gasped.

Two humanoids were in the center of the room. However…they were changing. Their bodies were growing longer. Ridges were growing out of their backs. Their clothing was tearing and falling away as scales began to poke from their flesh and cover them. Their faces were distorting, turning into some terrible expression. Edgar had no idea who they were, or what was going on between them…but he did sense their energy as they changed. His Debilitator was going nuts, shooting up dramatically as they continued to get stronger and stronger.

The ground shook and cracked beneath him. Unseen to the others, the ones called Zola and Noonian cried out in fear, and then quickly evacuated the room as fast as they could. A wind began to whip fiercely inside, like a tornado, generated by the energy pouring off the two creatures. It tossed up the surrounding furniture, swept it around, and then smashed it into bits against the walls. The two powers continued to grow as this happened, as the two creatures grew larger and more terrible. They began to snort and sneer, the air rippling around them from the size of their auras. Yet as they continued to change, Edgar noticed that they looked similar… Both had long foils for wings, which stretched up and scraped the ceiling. Both were dragon-like in appearance, with a curved crest hanging behind their foreheads, and both had long whip-like tails. However, while one was a bright red flaming color, the other was an icy blue. Yet despite the connotations between these colors, the one with the red color glared sternly and passionately at its foe, while the blue one's eyes flashed violence and rage.

What shocked Edgar the most was when his Debilitator stopped running. The result was two shockingly huge powers. He couldn't tell which one belonged to which at first, but one was much stronger. The readings were a stunning, unbelievable 235,650 and 358,980. That couldn't be true… If that was the case, these two beasts could have obliterated Kefka and his tower alone. The readings couldn't be right… And yet, he had a hard time denying it, as with every breath and heartbeat he felt the energy of these two beings come over him. They glared and snarled for a moment longer, staring at each other with murderous intent.

Then, suddenly, both vanished. Edgar gaped, as did the others. They looked wildly around the room…but saw nothing. The only thing they did detect was a faint whistling on the air. From time to time, they thought they saw a blur in their vision. Yet the two were gone…

Suddenly, however, a massive crater punched itself into one of the walls. All of the curtains, the furnishings, and everything else were compressed and then fractured as a huge indentation was punched into the wall. The others looked to this in shock, wondering how it happened…before it happened again at another point in the room. This time, the impact dented a frame from a stain glass window in, and shattered the glass in its wake. It happened again shortly after, pounding in the ceiling, and letting rocks rain down on whatever was below, smashing more of the furnishings. It continued soon after at mild intervals, creating a thunderclap with each sound. Edgar was dumbfounded. What was going on?

"They're…colliding…"

Edgar at last looked away from the sight, and turned to the others. Terra was there. She must have joined them somehow. But now, she was transfixed on what was going on around her. Edgar blinked at this. Colliding? Did that mean that the two creatures, every time they ran into each other, the force was so great it punched this into the walls? But how could she see them?

Abruptly, however, Edgar was snapped out of that and turned back to the room.A massive quaking sound came forth as a crater much larger and deeper was pounded into one of the walls. But it continued to go back, shoving out a huge tunnel into the rock, as the impact of some force shoved forward and continued to tear into the mountain. At that, Edgar gaped, for as the tunnel was shoved back fifty feet he finally _saw_ them. The blue one was against the tunnel, being thrown back violently into it. Not only that…but the red one was now hovering in the center of the room, his fist still poised from where it had punched with the last strike.

The crater making suddenly ceased. Edgar watched, and saw the horrible blue creature sneer and peel itself off of the crater it had made. It glared at Bahamut darkly…and then vanished. Moments later, the red did as well. Edgar blinked for the briefest second, wondering where they went…when above them, the largest eruption happened yet. To their shock, the rock was suddenly dented in as if an invisible volcanic flow of magma had surged up around them and smashed forth. But it was faster and stronger this time. It kept blasting up, shoving it farther and farther. In less than a second, it was over a thousand feet above them, and still going. Edgar looked up, seeing faint rocks and pebbles raining down on the edges, as the blast continued to be pushed deeper and deeper.

At last, far above them…Mt. Zozo _did_ erupt. A torrent of rocks and dust, shining high in the sky for miles, blasted out of the ground as all of the tons of rocks the two combatants had piled on each other coming through the mountain were cast to the heavens. House sized boulders flew into the sky. A cloud of dust rose past the clouds and blotted out the sun. Rockslides fell down the edges of the mountain in the wake.

And far below, deep in the heart of the mountain, the five people left behind gaped up as the massive tunnel leading to a distant, clear spot far ahead.

At last, Edgar could take no more, and turned down to Terra.

"What's going on?"

* * *

Bahamut and Wyvern performed their deadly dance again. After blasting out of the mountain, they continued to encircle each other, letting their air foils take them higher and higher into the sky. Their claws and feet lashed out at each other again and again, as they struggled to smash into each other. Both attacked with absolute hatred and passion…for both believed that their world had to survive at the end of this. 

Both continued to match the other's speed as their blows danced around each other, and as they went higher and higher into the sky. Their speed was so fast by now that it was likely that only the two of them could see what was occurring. To everyone else in the world, the most they could catch was a blur. They smelled each other, heard them grunting, felt their sweat as it flew from their bodies. But, at last, the two of them collided again. Both of them came at each other full force, and with matching hooks crossed each other over their faces.

A thunderclap emerged, and both combatants went flying back down to the ground again, as both recoiled in stunned shock from the power of the hits. Bahamut felt pain radiate through his own face. He didn't think it was possible for anything to hurt him in this body…but he was reminded of the unfortunate fact that Wyvern was just as strong as him. Neither of them were expecting the power in the other's blow, and both fell down past the dust clouds back over the mountains. But after that, they recovered, and both rose and glared at each other. Immediately, they both took off and attacked again.

Another thunderclap and a shockwave this time, as both of them kicked each other in the face as one. Like speeding bolts, they shot away from each other just as quickly, letting the ricochet distance them from each other again. But they had recovered this time, and quickly wheeled around and faced each other once more. Again they shot at each other, and again they exchanged a blow. Their even sizes once again were their downfall, and the two rocketed away from each other again with the sound of another thunderclap. Again they recovered, and again they repeated this cycle. Again they flew away from one another in result.

The two tried it a fourth time. Bahamut launched himself forward as fast as he could, ready to duck under Wyvern's blow this time and give him an uppercut. The two deadly foes sailed at each other for a few brief moments…until at last it was time to act. But before Bahamut could duck under and attack…the esper realized too late that Wyvern was faster. He didn't even have time to cause his muscles to move when Wyvern's tail swung out and slapped him across the face.

The blow was painful and jarring, and another thunderclap arose. But this time, Wyvern stayed in the center while Bahamut went flying to the ground at an angle. At first, he seemed to be a simple, lifeless missile. But as he drew closer, he was able to put his head up again. As he neared the mountaintops, he spun around and flailed out his arms as he dropped to one knee. He landed a moment later, glaring out at his enemy, and slid to a halt without nearly the impact that Wyvern had intended.

Yet Bahamut didn't stay there long. He quickly leapt back up to his feet and swung his head back…just in time to miss Wyvern as he reappeared and aimed a sweeping tail for his head again. Bahamut quickly swung back, aiming a punch for his head. Wyvern rose his own arms to intercept the block, and then launched a double kick at Bahamut's exposed torso. But the esper coldly and sternly moved, shifting his arms down and blocking both of those as well. He dipped forward and swung his tail at Wyvern next. Wyvern ducked this, but as he was coming up, Bahamut followed up with a double sweeping leg kick to the head. Wyvern was surprised at this, and unable to duck, but he did raise his own arms and block two more hits, before swinging out his arm in a hook. Bahamut ducked this quickly, and raised up his head to attempt a punch to Wyvern's throat. However, the esper blocked this, and this time swung the arm down and held it. With Bahamut thus immobilized, he raised his other arm to punch him in the face. But as he did…Bahamut was bringing his own arm up again, and the two fists raked each other so hard that they drew blood before hitting the opposing one's face.

Again, a clap rang out, and once more the two foes went flying. This blow was the most stunning one yet, blasting a huge crater into the mountain where they stood. Wyvern went flying into the air, while Bahamut went raking against the ground, digging up a huge trench in his wake.

However, Bahamut also realized this was slowing him down. He saw that they were too evenly matched to attack each other head on. If he was going to win, he needed to get him while he was stunned. Summoning his new strength to bear, Bahamut flipped himself up and came to his feet. Immediately, he tore off like a bolt of lightning, aiming for the flailing body of Wyvern in midair. He pushed all of his new speed into it, wanting to make him hurt…

When, suddenly, Bahamut froze. One moment, Wyvern was flying away…and the next he was hovering right in front of him with a dark look. Bahamut's new reflexes helped him to halt a mere two feet in front of him, and then pause and glare coldly at him. However…inside, he was shocked. He hadn't expected Wyvern to not only recover that quickly, but outstrip him in speed just as easily. Now, both of them hovered over the same volcanic crater they had made Mt. Zozo into. Neither of them moved, but just simply glared at each other.

Wyvern was the one who smiled. "You know…Bahamut…in the end, I am sort of glad it ended out this way. Fighting you is the only real challenge I get anymore. But you have to know it's not possible to win. I've got everything you have."

Bahamut glared back at him a moment longer at that, before cracking his own smile.

"Perhaps…but I'm still holding back quite a bit."

Wyvern didn't look the slightest bit perturbed.

"So?" He simply replied. "You think I'm not?"

Bahamut struggled to keep his smile from faltering. The fact of the matter was that he hadn't expected Wyvern to be keeping up with him so well at this level. He knew the whole time, full well, that he had many more reserves stored inside him. Until now…he thought that Wyvern was using more of his own. But now, a frightening possibility entered his mind. What if he was wrong? What if Wyvern himself was still barely using any of his own power? After all…before they were reborn, Wyvern had been the stronger. And now…Wyvern had more experience with his body.

"…Then let's not play around any longer." Bahamut finally stated. "Let's put everything on the table right now."

Wyvern gave a nod. "Gladly. I've warmed up enough now."

With that, both espers clenched their hands into fists and glared at each other again. As they did…Bahamut and Wyvern alike finally tapped into the deep reserves inside them. At long last…they brought their full powers out and up to bear, and filled their respective bodies with everything they had inside…

* * *

Terra stared at the two hulks, marveling at how much their power surpassed their own. None of them were in the same league anymore. Even in her esper form, Terra was nothing more than a bug to both of them. However…she was also scared. She feared greatly the foe that Bahamut had to fight…and she feared what was going to happen soon. She hated being forced to sit here and do nothing… 

Yet as she stared, she and the others soon gained another shock. Abruptly…the ground began to quake again. And this time it was much more violent. The people cried out and looked to the ground, as they were violently heaved up and down. Everywhere began to fracture, and rock pillars came out and sank back in. They struggled to balance themselves as another gale force wind blew past them. It was hot now, and they felt blasts of genuine burning air rip past them. Some of their shreds of clothing were torn off of their bodies, and soon they had to grit their teeth and throw themselves to the ground to avoid being blown away. The air grew dark again. Only now…the torches went so dim that they blotted out all together. The sun seemed to go down, and their breath began to mist as they struggled to hold on. And yet, the cold air was continuously punctured by boiling hot blasts from above. The group stared up in shock at all of this, Terra most of all.

She knew what was happening now. They were getting even stronger.

"This is impossible!" Edgar cried from his position on the ground, struggling to be heard over the wind. "They've already left behind all my estimates of what is physical possible for strength…and they're still rising! They're shooting past 500,000!"

The others continued to push themselves to the ground, looking up above them. Far overhead, under the darkening clouds and swirling skies, the two creatures continued to grow stronger.

"Past 800,000!"

Terra continued to stare up at them, trying to focus on their strengths…trying to tell which one was stronger. But it was useless. She couldn't sense a thing through this power. There was too much of it to tell the two apart.

"Past 1,000,000!" Edgar cried in shock. "Past 1,200,000-"

And that was all that Edgar could look at, because at that moment, his already overheated machine exploded. He cried out and wheeled his head back as a part of the critical components finally overheated and broke. He grit his teeth a moment, but then risked raising a hand to yank the burning machine off of his head. In truth, it was amazing that it had lasted that long. It was only good for up to 100,000. However, neither figure gave any sign of stopping at that point. They both continued to push higher and higher, their powers growing ever stronger. Indeed…they had transcended the levels that were physically possible for Gaia…for neither was of Gaia any longer. The power of the sun's energy now flowed throughout them…and its power only made them grow in strength…

* * *

Bahamut felt his muscles struggle to rip his skin. The scales were pulled out almost to the point of having spaces in between. His eyes began to ache as it seemed they were threatening to bulge out of his skull. His bones felt like they were being crushed by the power of his own growing mass. He soon realized that a Gaia-based body was not meant to handle this level of power. This was going to be rough, he realized as he blazed forth in more energy. Both of them would be ripping their bodies apart just fighting each other in these forms…

The air around Bahamut grew bright and shining. He felt warm…even to the point of hot…all over him. The air seemed charged with vibrance and power. As he continued to summon…snaps of electricity began to encircle him. They soon became continuous, seeming to eminate from his body as he kept powering. Opposite him…Wyvern too showed many physical signs of strength gathering. His body too enlarged and bulged, and he grit his teeth and struggled to contain the power coming through him. The world grew black around him, dimming and fading… An icy chill radiated around his body. This only made sense to Bahamut. He was powered by light…Wyvern by darkness. In their new forms, they radiated their respective element more than ever.

Bahamut's neck bulged as he struggled to put more in. He had to have every last bit of power inside him. Much as this would hurt…his body had to be at maximum. He would threaten to tear open his skin with every blow, and this much power was almost too much for him to handle. But he had no choice. He had to be stronger than Wyvern…he had to win. He continued to push more and more power into it, flaring in more strength and blazing his dazzling aura. However…at last…he realized he had no more. As much as he struggled, there was nothing left to give. At this point, Bahamut ceased. His power was already so great that he felt that the world was mere putty in his hands… Even he had little comprehension for the amount of strength he had inside him, only now vented.

However…strong as he now was…he began to grow fearful.

Wyvern wasn't finished.

The dark esper hissed and struggled…and more power came. Where Bahamut had slowed down long before he had maximized…Wyvern was still steadily rising. His own strength continued to pour forth, making his teeth grit, his gums warp, and his body enlarge even more. Soon…he began to grow bigger than Bahamut. His own dark aura washed over Bahamut's light one…and was swallowed up. Bahamut began to feel cold as the air around him grew dark and lifeless. The esper's eyes widened at this.Already, he could sense he was stronger than him…and yet he continued to push. He widened the distance between themselves as more and more might came forward. His reserves seemed limitless, and he poured all of them out as he snarled.

Bahamut began to sweat. He struggled not to back away from the monster before him. His mind was now very afraid. He hadn't expected this. He didn't know Wyvern had so much power in him…and yet still came forth with more. It totally dominated Bahamut's. Immediately…it became clear to him that he couldn't win in terms of strength, and that brought terror to his heart. Wyvern had to have been working the past thousand years. He had been building his strength in that time…making his natural advantage a natural superiority. At last, he began to slow down…well above Bahamut's threshold. He panted and struggled, but he too bottomed out. He halted his powering at last…

…And Bahamut could sense he was about 50 percent stronger than him.

The esper struggled not to show his terror as the dark esper looked up to him and grinned. He had never expected that Wyvern would be so strong. He had been so confident in his own superior power…he hadn't realized that Wyvern was much greater. He didn't think anything could be. Ripped as he was…totally maxed out in terms of inconceivable strength…his brother was mightier. No wonder he had been so calm before…not wanting to prove himself again… He had no reason to fear Bahamut. Not like this…

The evil esper turned and looked up to Bahamut…his bulging eyes filled with malice as he grinned.

"…This is it for you, big brother."

_DOOM_

Bahamut didn't see it coming. He simply felt what appeared to be a mountain dropped against the side of his face, and felt his head snapped violently to one side as his face turned to jelly. Brain-numbing agony rippled through his head…but it was coupled with terrible strains all over his face and neck. Being struck in this maxed out form hurt twice as much as normal. And now…he was ripped out of the sky and sent hurtling to the ground. There was no recovery this time. No chance to right himself. The speed with which he struck the ground barely left him time to snap out of his daze. When he hit…it was like a meteorite striking the earth. An explosion of dust went around him as he smashed deep into the ground, blasting a massive crater in his wake.

Dust and rocks rained around Bahamut as his head swam. He slowly shook it, dizzy as he lay in the crater Wyvern had knocked him into. He barely had time to realize what was going on…before Wyvern was on top of him again. Now…he drove both of his feet down as he leapt out of the sky and pounded Bahamut in the stomach. Bahamut snapped his head up and gagged, spitting out blood…and hoping his organs weren't going with it. His entire body was thrown into agony from his tightened features being struck, and already, this early in the fight…he felt two of his ribs snap. His strength vanished. His body felt like water. Suddenly, Wyvern snapped down on his weakened form, and seized him by the neck. He dug his talons in, drawing blood, and making Bahamut cry as he leapt off of him and brought him to his feet. He twisted his body around at that, aimed him at the nearest peak, grinned at him wickedly, and then punched him in his already tender stomach. A blast of blood flowed from Bahamut's mouth as he was flung violently across the mountain chain. His body smashed right through one of the peaks as he did, causing a huge rockslide and earth shattering quake as the massive mountaintop was stripped of its support…and came crashing down like judgment day. As for Bahamut, he crashed into another peak soon after, and by then lost enough momentum to slowly slide down it. He moaned, and sat there a moment.

Bahamut gasped raggedly, feeling horrible all over. More trouble. He hadn't expected Wyvern to be able to beat him up so badly with just a few strikes. Staggering a bit, and knowing at least something inside him was bleeding, he came to his feet again. He inhaled sharply and spat, and then forced himself to get ready, pushing away the dazzling in his mind. As he looked forward, to his displeasure, Wyvern was already coming forward again. The hulking monster was taking his time now, and slowly lowered himself in front of the twin. He was breathing a bit hard now, and covered with sweat.

This, however, piqued Bahamut's curiosity.

_Looks like I was right… His power is incredible…but it takes a lot out of him to use. I can say the same for me, though. It's just like with Griever. He was strong…but he burned himself out quickly in his last form._

_That gives me an idea…_

_Of course…with my own body strained to its limit, I'll run out quickly too. If that's the case, it won't do any good… However…if our bodies are essentially the same…if the only difference is that he has more power than me…then perhaps he will wear his out faster than me. It's a long shot…and soon I'll be in even more agony. But it's the only chance I have against him now…_

With that in mind, Bahamut gave a shrug. If he was going to tear himself apart, he might as well do it himself rather than let Wyvern have the pleasure. And so, he took a moment to focus his strength…and then lunged at Wyvern as fast as he could.

Bahamut sailed throught he air and aimed a hook at Wyvern's face. The esper was faster, unfortunately, and quickly reached up to block it. But he hadn't the confident look on his face when he did it. The move was too painful for him to smile about. What more…Bahamut felt burning agony throughout his own arm just from having Wyvern's wrist block his own. The esper was shocked. He had no idea just fighting would hurt so much… But he pushed through it. Quickly, he hooked up with his other fist, which Wyvern also blocked, and then turned to his side to aim two quick kicks…one at the torso and the other at the face. The torso kick was blocked, but the facial one hit true, snapping Wyvern's head back for a moment. It was a weak blow, much lighter than the ones Wyvern had given him, though it did inflict pain and injury. But it made the beast mad. He swung his own massive fist at Bahamut, meaning to take his head off. The esper quickly dodged, and answered back with two painful hits, both to himself and Wyvern, in the stomach. Wyvern grit his teeth and brought up his knee to counter this, but Bahamut swung both of his arms down and stopped it. He quickly snapped one back up, and gave Wyvern a slapping chop to the neck, causing the creature to wince and wheel backward. The esper followed it up by summoning more power, and giving Wyvern a pain of truly painful crosses to his face, snapping his head one way, then the other.

Wyvern, sneering at this, snapped his head back, opened his mouth, and discharged a Pyron. The blast shot forth in a blur and impacted all at once on Bahamut's own forehead, making his brain blaze with fire and agony. He yelled as he was ripped off of his feet and into the sky. Wyvern quickly launched and took off after him. Balling his hands into fists and meaning to hit him again. But with all of this power, their bodies were awkward and at a loss for speed. Bahamut wrenched his own head forward, saw Wyvern coming, and quickly used his airfoils to break him off just as Wyvern came over him and drove his foot down on where his head had been. As for Bahamut, he shot back, and then came back at Wyvern with his foot extended. The dark esper sneered, and crossed his arms to block the blow. Wyvern then swept himself forward in a circle, swinging his tail out to whip Bahamut out of the sky. Bahamut snapped back, just missing getting clawed by the end, and swung his tail back in response. Wyvern dodged this as well…and then turned his body into a missile to shoot forward and drive his own head into Bahamut's face. Both of them cried out from the collision that resulted, but Bahamut got the worse. Yet somehow, he managed to cup both of his hands into fists and bring them swinging down on the back of Wyvern's skull. His brother cried, and went flying back to the Planet.

Bahamut heaved, but then pitched and went after him, meaning to deliver more pain on landing. For a moment, Wyvern sprawled and looked helpless, sailing to the ground. Yet just before impact…he suddenly swung around, righted himself, and exhaled a Pyrin against the approaching rocks. The force tore him away from impact, and send him flying to the side. Bahamut's eyes bulged as he found himself shooting to now blank ground, smoldering and flaming from the Pyrin blast. However, he never hit. Wyvern used the power to throw himself into a rock pile, launch off of it, and then come back with his foot extended. A solid blow soon smashed into Bahamut's face, sending him flying across the mountain range again.

Wyvern now pitched around and followed after his brother. Bahamut was now limp, and he seemed another easy target. In instants, Wyvern was on him, and reared back his hands to deliver his own double punch. But as he did, Bahamut came back to life. The esper reared up while still soaring, seized Wyvern by the tail, and, to the shock of the dark esper, flung him around in circles, using the momentum from the very blow he had received to do it. In the end, Bahamut tossed him with the speed of a thunderbolt. Wyvern vanished into a blur before his body caused an eruption in another mountain peak, just as it was smashed into it with inconceivable force.

Bahamut slowed down, panting all the while, and turned to the cloud of dust and rocks that were blown up by his latest strike. He glared into them…waiting for Wyvern to emerge and to counter once he did. He struggled to focus his senses on his power, trying to see where he could come from next…

"…Confusing a Pyron blast for me, Bahamut?"

The esper's eyes widened. He turned his head skyward, just in time to see Wyvern dive down and drive his foot heavily into Bahamut's throat. The esper gagged as some of his neck "ribs" cracked, and he coughed out more blood. Yet inside, he cursed himself. Wyvern must have changed his path before impact, and then blasted a Pyron into the mountain to fool him into thinking it was a collision. And because their powers were too great to track accurately, he hadn't even seen him coming. That didn't matter now, however. Wyvern swept down on him again. He seized him by his crest, swung his head down on his knee, causing another eruption of blood, and then proceeded to twirl his own brother in an incredibly fast circle before flinging _him_ into a mountain.

Moments later, another great rock eruption went out as the world shook. The sky rumbled overhead as it continued to blacken from the powers Wyvern was wielding. Boulders rained down from the sky, and dust rose up to blot out more of the sun. The terrible echo went through the range, and all else was silent.

Yet deep inside the rubble, Bahamut still lived…although he was growing in more pain all the time. Even breathing was starting to hurt now, and the rest of his body felt like it was on fire. That said nothing of the bloody wounds, the broken bones, or anything else that had happened to him. He spat out yet another wad of blood as he groaned. Unfortunately, from where he was, he couldn't see how Wyvern was doing. But guessing from how he was fighting, he realized that one of them was still on top. This wasn't working. He had to think of something better…

_What about breath attacks?_ Bahamut wondered to himself. _Here, in the middle of the day, I can probably summon more energy into mine than he can… But I still have no guarantee it will work. Besides…to really get a good blast, I need to get above the cloud cover and fire down on him. I can't risk that. If I fire at Gaia…there's no telling what I'll do to it. At this level, I could wipe out half of the life on the Planet. I've got to try something else…_

Bahamut looked around the rubble surrounding him. He bet that Wyvern was just ahead. He was probably searching for him. But it didn't matter. The two of them were so strong, that neither of them could be pinpointed now…

On thinking that, however, Bahamut got an idea.

This was crazy…but he wondered if it might work. Wyvern was too wise to everything else now. He had never tried anything like this before…but he might be able to do it. Quickly, Bahamut went to work. While lying there, he began to summon his power to himself. It hurt now. Even breath attacks made his body burn and ache. But he continued to summon. His flesh began to quiver, and his body trembled…but he focused. Soon, he managed to go beyond the level of Pyrin…and then Pyron. He didn't go all the way to his Omniapex…but he continued to increase his force, bringing himself all the way up to a Megapyrin.

Once there, Bahamut held for a moment. His breath attack was fully charged. Now came the tricky part. Struggling to hold this power in his weakened body, Bahamut slowly pushed the rocks up and off of him. He was still under tons of dirt and rubble, but this sufficed for now… He just had to keep Wyvern from seeing him. He continued to push up until he was standing. The force was getting unbearable by then. His body was burning. Yet somehow…he managed to summon more strength into him as he did so. He had to have all his power…and try to control this. Bahamut stretched out his strained senses, struggling to get the best fix on Wyvern he could…and hoping that his own sensory ability was good enough to at least aim somewhat in the right direction. With that done…he held a bit longer…but then fired.

Immediately, the rocks and debris were obliterated around Bahamut as his deadly Megapyrin erupted from his mouth and shot toward the enemy. He fired it off as fast as he could in one giant blast, wanting to get it all out immediately. He burned his throat and stretched his mouth in the process…but it worked. Once it was gone, Bahamut did something normally crazy… As the Megapyrin was still leaving the mountain, he shot forward with all the speed he could bear. Luckily, his powerful body was more than fast enough. Within less than a second after firing…Bahamut had torn through the rest of the mountain rubble and gotten in front of his breath attack. Now, he plowed through the rest of the rock and thundered forward, straight for Wyvern.

His brother saw him coming, and sneered at him. However, he focused only on him. He only had time to focus on him, fast as he was going. He reared back his fist, and got ready to swing down on top of Bahamut to knock him from the sky. Yet just as Bahamut was about to get in range…the esper suddenly pitched down and dove for the earth. Wyvern turned down and looked to him in puzzlement at this…before he suddenly realized a massive glow was behind him. Turning to shock, he looked up…and stared as the huge wave of energy suddenly shot into him…and exploded.

A sound of agony rang out as a gigantic fireball ripped through the sky. Smoke and shockwaves joined the dust as a fiery eruption went through the dark esper. The dark clouds overhead were blasted away, and sunlight poured down behind them as the monster was rattled by the power of the blast. Yet it finally died. And when it did, Wyvern's sizzling body was left hovering in mid-air, covered with pain and anguish. His face was a mixture of agony and insane anger. He grit his teeth in fury as his own face smoldered from the burn, and he wheeled his head down to his brother…

Just in time to get another powerful blow. Bahamut had gone to the ground…but only to launch himself off of it again, and sail back up for Wyvern with both fists outstretched. Now, the monster was hit underneath the chin with such tremendous power that the mountains fractured beneath them, and teeth flew out from Wyvern's mouth. Not finished, Bahamut pitched himself up again, past his stunned brother, and then drove both feet down into his stomach. He put as much pressure as he dared behind this one, hitting him with so much force that there was no way Wyvern could fool him this time. He collapsed around Bahamut's blow, and was flung to the ground again. This time, he did connect with a mountain. As he landed, the peak shattered around him, and a series of eruptions went down the mountain as the power plowed Wyvern deep into the center of it. Another huge cloud of dust sailed into the sky.

Bahamut slowly lowered himself to the ground. He had to…flying was taking too much energy. He was dizzy now, and getting sick. His body was feeling limp and flaccid. He was struggling with everything he had to beat Wyvern. Any one of these hits would have killed him years ago. But now…Bahamut was running out of energy. He had overdone it with the Megapyrin trick…

Slowly…the ground began to rumble, cutting off Bahamut's line of thinking. The esper froze. He was still gasping, and his body was covered with sweat, but he began to look around for signs of what was causing this. Yet the ground continued to shake…and grew more unstable. Rock upheaved all over the ground, and huge pillars began to be cast up. Peaks began to shatter and slide. Bahamut's heart began to race. He frantically looked around, trying to see what was causing this…wondering what could be…

Bahamut was again cut off, as the enraged, smoking, bleeding body of Wyvern came up from the ground and gave Bahamut the biggest uppercut of his life to his lower jaw. Immediately, Bahamut felt it break in two places, and teeth flew from his mouth. Wyvern, still insane with anger, shot past him, went over his body, and then brought down an axe kick on his head. The central crest of Bahamut's brow was snapped off as he was sent flying once more to the ground. But he never reached it. Just as he was about to smash into the rocks, the maddened Wyvern spun around behind him, landed first, and drove both of his fists up into Bahamut's back. Both of his scapulas snapped, as did other ribs, as he drove his fists into them. Bahamut arched back and yelled in anguish.

Wyvern seized him by the throat at this, and flung him back against the ground. The impact was hard, and Bahamut cried out in misery before he lay against it. Wyvern enraged face lowered over him, eyes blazing with anger, and blasted out heat and violence. Bahamut groaned and looked up weakly.

_"I gave you this body, you ungrateful bastard!"_ He bellowed. _"Now watch me take it away!"_

Wyvern then shot down and seized Bahamut's arm. As he did, he placed his own meaty foot claw against his body, and braced him. Then, Wyvern gnashed his teeth together, ignoring the amount of agony this put him through, and roared like a bloody beast. With that, he yanked against Bahamut's arm as hard as he could. Bahamut screamed in anguish, as he felt his shoulder instantly dislocated. But that wasn't all. Wyvern continued to yank. With feverish, violent looks he ripped against Bahamut, pulling harder and harder as he did so… Bahamut thrashed about in mad anguish, unable to take the horrible pain as he pulled against him… Yet he kept going, glaring down in hate at Bahamut…until the sound of sinews and tendons ripping resulted. Bahamut screamed louder, a horrible, heaven rendering noise…and Wyvern cried out as well one more time as he gave a giant rip.

In an eruption of blood and flesh, Bahamut's arm was ripped clean out of his body. Blood fountained below him, and he thrashed about in agony. Wyvern fumed about like a demon. He flung the bloody appendage aside, and glared down at his pained brother. Crying out in anger at him…he drove his fist down onto his chest, cracking more ribs in the process and knocking the wind out of him. It cut off his screaming, but made him gag blood in the process. Bahamut's eyes filled with tears of pain as he thrashed about on the ground, gagging and coughing. As he did…Wyvern tore the ground to pieces under his feet as he went over to his opposite leg… Mercilessly, and drinking in Bahamut's pain as he did so…the monster reached over and seized the appendage, placed his foot against the esper…and did the same. Bahamut struggled to keep enough pride not to beg Wyvern to stop…as his leg was ripped out as well. His femoral artery spilled out blood.

Bahamut gagged and began to vomit. He struggled not to throw up or shake uncontrollably. Wyvern finally did it… He was literally ripping him limb from limb. The pain was mind-numbing. It was only because his body was soon overloaded with anguish and stopped sending him pain messages that Bahamut didn't go mad from the agony. He clenched his teeth shut and began to crack them…trying not to go into shock. He glared up at Wyvern…his eyes filled with anger and pain.

Wyvern wasn't much better now. His face was dripping with blood. His own torso sported some cracked ribs. His flesh was cracking open, and blood leaked out over him. His bones were covered with bruises, and almost every muscle in his body was pulled or ripped. This was the price of trying to push so much power through this body. He was soaked with sweat, and he gasped raggedly. However, he also stood victorious over Bahamut…the bleeding, semi-corpse of an esper at his feet. And that made him madly smile in triumph.

"You see it again now, Bahamut…after all these years…" He gasped. "I'm still the strongest. I will always be stronger…and you'll be the one who ends up dead in the end. But this is too little, Bahamut. It's much too little. It's not enough for me to rip you apart anymore…not when I know I can do it so easily… You always made it a point of ruining me…frustrating every attempt of mine to succeed. Now…I'm going to do the same. I'm going to kill each and every one of those brats you love…right in front of _her_. Then I'll kill all her friends. And finally…after I've had her give _me_ some progeny…I'm going to kill her. I'm going to rip her apart just like I've ripped you apart."

Bahamut's jaw clenched…but his pain went away. Instead, he glared darkly at Wyvern. As he heard this mocking voice, his anger swelled. Each word that Wyvern said about this made him ache inside, just as he had with Terra not long ago. But as he kept hearing it…it also began to drive him…drove him with passion and anger unlike that of any base, self-serving individual. It was one of a person who had something else to live for…and in spite of his agony…it made him live and glare at Wyvern. The thought of his brother…his twisted, evil sibling…doing this to his family…doing it to his wife…

His remaining fist clenched so hard…blood began to dribble from it as he dug his nails into his own skin.

Wyvern continued to smile and pant as he glared menacingly over him. "You're going back to Hell, Bahamut…but I'll send you lots of company this time. But I'm going to cut you one last break… You aren't going to bleed to death here, like _she_ will… I'm going to blow you away along with her first set of friends."

Bahamut was livid with rage…no longer quivering with pain but with fury. But somehow…he managed to have enough logic, as well as control over his mind-numbing pain, to speak through clenched teeth.

"And your faithful servants? Zola? Noonian? The ones who brought _you_ back?"

Wyvern panted for a moment longer, and then shrugged.

"…They served their purpose."

With that, Wyvern took off into the sky. Using his incredible speed, he soon lifted himself far above Bahamut, and positioned his body directly overhead. He halted there, and stretched out his arms to glory in the waste he had created. It had blotted out the sun while giving him darkness to fuel his own attack. Now…his power was maximized, and Bahamut's was drained. Letting out an insane laugh, he turned his head down and aimed for him.

Bahamut swallowed. There was only one thing left to do now…counter his blast with his own improved Omniapex. However…he realized it was futile. In all this darkness, and with his already stronger power, Wyvern had the greater strength. Even if he contained the blast to himself…Wyvern would live, and would go on to kill his family…his wife… But the esper couldn't give up. He had to do this. For their sakes…for the sake of every innocent child…he had to try. Immediately, he closed his eyes and focused.

Bahamut detected changes immediately. His wings stretched out again…but unlike before, he didn't simply gather sunlight. Instead, he felt his energy stretch out around him. It seemed as if small tendrils actually were snaking out from him…spreading away from his wings, and moving out far greater than where his normal body would rest to gain sunlight. If he would have opened his eyes, he would have seen this was so. Dark bolts of energy indeed were reaching out around him…filling the area and spreading farther away. They flickered about like energy waves, like bolts of electricity snaking around. He didn't know what this meant…but he kept it going.

Wyvern was doing much the same thing. In fact, as he flexed in the air, threw out his wings, and clenched his fists and teeth…black bolts began to snake out from him as well. They too spread into the immediate area, and divided as they went to and fro. They sparked like electricity as well, and were also a deep black. They seemed just as dark as Bahamut's. However, both of these bolts had a different purpose in mind behind their use, similar as these attacks began.

At last, both of them ceased spreading out their energies. Once they were there, they held and cracked for a moment. Then…they began to work. Because they were black, Bahamut's bolts readily absorbed all light in the area. And as soon as they absorbed it, it began to slowly trickle down into his wings. It was a slow process…but it was very efficient. Soon, Bahamut began to feel himself filling with higher quality, more purified solar energy than he ever did under his Sol-Pyrin. It felt good…continuing to slowly grow with time, and filling him up with more power than any breath attack of his ever managed. He relished this and let it grow…

Wyvern's own attack did something different. Now that the tendrils were out, they too absorbed light. But they didn't channel it. They simply absorbed it all, so that a great black shadow surrounded Wyvern, flooding him with pitch-black darkness. It was easy in the dark, overcast area to soon be bathed in it, and soon he became invisible in the blackness. Once he was, his tendrils too began to draw discharged particle energy into him. And it too was high quality. But because he was filled with so much darkness…his energy swelled much quicker and faster. While Bahamut felt a trickle, Wyvern felt a steady flow of power roll into him. Soon, his power was surging much larger and faster than Bahamut's, and it only grew more so.

Bahamut seemed to notice this. Sweating, he struggled to make his tendrils absorb faster. But it was no use. Now that Wyvern drew more darkness around himself, there was barely any light left to gather period. The already slow trickle slowed down even more. Bahamut clenched his teeth. He stretched out his senses more powerfully, struggling to make himself absorb faster. Yet still…it was useless. There wasn't the power. The darkness around him grew every second. Wyvern was doing too much to frustrate his efforts. Soon, he'd have all the power he could get. As for Wyvern, he only continued to drink up more, gorging himself on it. He grinned wickedly down on Bahamut, relishing over his victory.

The esper began to panic. He had to have more… At this rate, his attack wouldn't even stop Wyvern's. He'd be destroyed and so would everyone else. But there was no more. The inevitable fear began to fall into his heart. This was it. This was all he could do. He had failed, in the end. Despite all his tries…everything he wished for Terra and his family…he couldn't save them. Wyvern was too much for him in the end…

Wyvern began to laugh at him, purposely drawing in more power to totally obliterate Bahamut and make him spend his last moments in terror. Bahamut looked up and continued to pant, staring desperately at him. But as he looked at the mad creature…something suddenly caught his eye.

A blip was suddenly right above the two warriors, soaring higher than Wyvern. Bahamut's face turned to puzzlement at this. Wyvern, on seeing this, frowned, and then turned to see what Bahamut saw. Both espers soon looked up…and saw that now, a third had joined them.

Blazing with pink energy, Terra's fierce face glared down on both of them…but especially on Wyvern. She stared at him for the briefest moment longer…before a fiery glow enveloped her. Her aura blazed forth as she summoned out her magical power. And once it faded, she pitched in the sky, and shot across it. As she did, an arcane word was blasted…and immediately a great wall of flame erupted behind her, spanning a line a half mile across in the sky. But it didn't stop there. As Terra flew, the fire suddenly roared, and the sound of an inferno from the sun itself blazed across the clouds. Rushing heat, shooting forth in a maelstrom, ripped a tremendous red swath throughout the heavens, painting behind Terra for a full mile as she blazed across.

Immediately, Wvyern felt his power diminish as fire pierced his dark world. At the same time, Bahamut felt more energy begin to flow into his own. The light from the fires was absorbed into his own growing attack. It was little compared to Wyvern's own growing force…but it wasn't all. For as the fire and smoke passed…it revealed something else. The power of the flaming rush had somehow blown away the dark clouds. As the smoke cleared…pure, unfiltered sunlight began to shoot down in rays through the fading clouds. Each one pierced Wyvern's dark energy, cutting off more of the flow to him…while being gobbled up by Bahamut and fed to his own attack. Wyvern gaped in shock. He sneered and roared in anger, but it was too late. The smoke continued to clear…and soon a giant patch of pure sunlight was pouring down. Soon, the roles were reversed. Now, Wyvern's power shrank to a mere trickle shy of drying up, and glorious energy began to feed into Bahamut. The tendrils pulled back, and shot into the sky, drinking up as much sun as they can. A continuous flow began to fill Bahamut, and soon his wings began to glow and shimmer radiantly as sun energy filled them.

Terra stopped flying here, and hovered in the air. She turned his feline face back down to the ground, and looked to Bahamut with a smile.

Wyvern sneered at her, blazing with violent anger. _"Damn you!"_ He screamed. He struggled to move enough to blast her into nothingness…but it was no use. He had charged too much. He couldn't fight her without breaking off the attack…and at this stage, with Bahamut's own power growing…that would be suicide. Sneering, Wyvern turned and looked back down to Bahamut in anger. But he no longer looked to his brother. He softly smiled as he looked up to Terra.

"Blow him away, Bahamut." She simply responded.

Bahamut smiled back…and then turned his full attention to Wyvern.

The esper looked to Bahamut and sneered. Immediately, he opened his mouth. As he did, great rays began to stream into a space in front of his mouth, seeming to sink into oblivion. The energy in his wings was soon discharged, formed into these rays as they collected. Each one was black, and turned their air icy as they streamed inward. And as he continued…a sphere, black and void of any light or life, began to form in front of his open mouth.

Seeing this, Bahamut reacted as well. Immediately, he opened his own mouth, and soon rays of burning, glorious light discharged from his wings and began to gather as well. The sky seemed to break as a ringing sound came from around his body. His own head quivered, for the force was so strong he soon had to use what strength his ravaged body had left to maintain it. And it only made him shake more violently as the power continued to flow into it. Soon, both titans were forming their own deadly attacks, putting their own power as well as that they gathered into it.

Bahamut glared ahead at Wyvern through it all. This was it. Until now…he had never been able to contest Wyvern's energy attacks. He had lost hands down every time. But no longer. This time…he had to win. He had to end this once and for all…not just for his life, but the lives of all those still left on this world who wanted peace. For the sake of the future…he had to destroy him.

At last, straining so hard blood leaked from his eyes, Wyvern's insane face screamed.

_"SANG-PYRIN!"_

At the exact same time, Bahamut cried out as well.

_"GIGA-PYRIN!"_

Both of them released.

There was no shooting to one another this time. The attacks were too focused and powerful. Instead…a massive beam of energy, as large as their bodies, erupted from the mouths of both creatures and met immediately. The world turned both black and white, as the power rippled and clashed together. A shockwave ripped out from their impact, sending a deadly wave to flatten the mountain below them…pressing it into dust. Rocks flew up in their wake, as the clash of energy became one giant orb of death. Everything was destroyed that came near it, and the world continued to fracture and twist. Through it all…Bahamut's golden beam of light clashed with Wyvern's silver. Both of them…straining so hard that blood was forced from their skin, continued to push and glare at one another.

The two beams burned with deadly power…pushing one way, another, and then back again. The sphere in between them buckled and swirled, casting out one wave that turned the world to ice…and then another that lit it aflame. The clouds overhead were blown away. The dust was whipped up into the collision in the center. Still…their two forces continued to battle endlessly. Bahamut dug his nails deeper into his palm. His remaining foot claw scraped the ground. His neck was shoved against the earth…and a crater began to slowly be made by his body. His throat was on fire…his very lungs began to burn from the heat of his weapon.

Wyvern strained from every orifice, grunting and moaning as he struggled to keep pushing. His body continued to bulge. His skin ripped. His bones began to break. Yet he pushed madder and stronger. He had to win. He had proven himself the best…the king. He couldn't lose to his brother now…not when he was the greatest! He wouldn't! His brother was nothing to him! He had proven that! He had established himself as king…and he had to keep that! For his future! For the glory of all espers!

But in the end…Wyvern wasn't fighting for all espers. In the end, he was fighting for himself. Despite all of his words of altruism and revolution…in the end, he still craved his glory. He wanted a world in his image. That was the only empire he desired. He wanted to rule over all life…and he had seen the way to get it. And because of that…the only strength he had in the end was from himself.

But not Bahamut. The former king was not fighting for just himself now…but for the lives of the people who he had grown to love. The strange feeling he had felt inside him surged now with strength that betrayed his feeble body…with force that nothing physical in this world or any other world or universe can maintain. The power of love for another creature…unconditional love. Such a thing was something Bahamut let fuel him now…and something that Wyvern could never understand. He had forgotten about it years ago…but Bahamut had remembered…and now it surged in him full force, and pushed him beyond the limits that any mere physical thing could place on him.

Bahamut inhaled one last time…and then screamed…sounding out the passion and love he felt for Duane, Katarin, Athena, Ai, Yu, Essner, Marcus, Seras…and most of all Terra. When he did…as impossible as it seemed…his beam suddenly doubled in thickness. Now…it swallowed up the clashing energies, and filled the world with glorious golden light. The silver beam was soon swallowed up…and the great energy headed straight for Wyvern. The creature, stunned…unbelieving…shocked at how, for all its superiority…it was still losing, gaped in disbelief. But he could do nothing to stop it…as the great wave came to him and shattered his Sang-pyrin into nothingness.

_"IMPOSSI-"_

Before Wyvern could finish, the air in his lungs turned to fire as he was engulfed in the Giga-pyrin. His body was ripped out of the sky, and carried straight up. In the center of that burning beam, Wyvern struggled to cry out in anguish and confusion…unable to believe how his brother, his far inferior…had actually beat him. No draw this time. No confusion. No getting lucky. His strength had outclassed him. His lungs were seared out. The eyes in his head popped and vaporized. His scales were blown off of his body as his wings were turned to ash. The flesh began to peel off of his bones…but if there was anything worse no one on Gaia saw it. The true misery awaited him as the beam bore him off into the upper ionosphere…and beyond it into the cold depths of space…where no light or energy awaited him, but only pressure waiting to finish ravaging his already half-destroyed body. And as the beam finished burning out his lungs…dying down at last…Wyvern found himself flying into a deep, cold, lifeless void…where there was no air left for him to give his final breath.

Far below, on the planet called Gaia, Bahamut struggled to breathe against the ground. He could only inhale now. Exhaling hurt too much. His own flesh burned from his own attack, and his wounds had been burned closed. But somehow…he managed to stare up into the glorious morning sun. All other clouds had been wiped a thousand miles away, and now only blue skies greeted him. And as far as his enhanced eyes could see, and as far as his senses could reach…he felt nothing.

Wyvern's power had vanished.

Bahamut won.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	29. Foundation

This installment is a really short one. It's basically a segway into the next section.

* * *

Celes, Locke, Sabin, and Edgar slowly drug themselves up over the edge of the first crater Bahamut and Wyvern had made. By this point, most of their clothing was in tatters, and they were covered with dust. One by one, theyemerged and helped the others get up once they did. Locke slowly rose to his feet, and shook himself wildly, tossing out all of the dust that covered him and his body. Celes panted and looked to him, before placing her hand on his shoulder. Locke turned around, and the two hugged shortly after, grateful to be alive. Edgar himself dragged his body a bit on the ground, for he was still weighed down with his multitude of tools. As for Sabin, he alone managed to stand up and give a good look to the area.

It was silent now. The wind whistled and whipped by, but other than that there was nothing. Not a single other living thing sounded for miles. They had fled in terror. Wyvern's great army that had previously filled the fortress, now fled in terror in the wake of the battle. They dispersed into the wild, leaving behind their army and thoughts for revenge. Now, they would live out the rest of their days scattered, divided, and leaderless…until they too passed with time as the greater espers had.

The mountain chain had nearly been obliterated. In the wake of the clash between Bahamut and Wyvern, almost everything had been put to waste. The mountains themselves were broken into fragments, and stone and slabs rained down from them and filled the numerous craters dotting the landscape. All seemed lifeless and barren as the winds howled.

And yet…somehow…a small head poked from one of the holes near one of the peaks. It was soon joined by another, much thinner. It was the head of a certain basilisk and a certain drake. Both of them looked around the area, marveling at the damage that had been done. Yes…at great personal risk, they had sat and watched the events unfold on this world…saw the terrible battle be waged. They saw the final moment where the flares collided, and how Wyvern, their lord and master, had finally perished.

Zola looked about and up to the sky. Somewhere, orbiting the world, Wyvern's body was floating in darkness and cold. Perhaps…just perhaps…he could use the old esper arts to draw his body back to the world. In time…he could maneuver to pilfer the Crystal Stone from Bahamut's safekeeping. He could preserve the body…wait the generations it took for the stone to regenerate…and then revive Wyvern again, just as he had revived him centuries ago.

However…Zola still remembered that last thing that Wyvern had said about him and Noonian…the ones to whom he would forever owe his rule and reign to…the faithful servants that had delivered him from death, nursed his body back to health, and set up to rule this world.

_They served their purpose._

At that thought, Zola snorted at the blue sky overhead.

"Goodbye…my _good_ master." He sardonically uttered, and then simply turned and went back into the hole. Noonian looked up after the sky for a moment, but then turned and descended as well. None living in the present generation ever saw them again.

One spot on the field remained. Bahamut kept his eyes closed, and struggled to breathe as he lie there, just a fragment of what he had been. His muscles had eased down again, but that didn't erase the broken bones or the horrible injuries to his limbs. He was out of energy now. He lacked what he needed to regenerate. His body was left in this horrible state. Even if he could heal…he couldn't regrow limbs like his arm and leg. They were gone.

A pink being slowly descended to the ground at his side. Once it touched down, the glow immediately faded, and the figure transformed. As her aura died, Terra was revealed on the other side of it. Human again, she now stared at Bahamut in horror. Her eyes filled with fear. Up there, brimming with power, she had not noticed how weak he was. But now, she saw his horrible state…and saw that, without the sun channeling energy into him…he was weak and horribly injured. Perhaps he was even more than injured. He was so still. She was dressed in her own rags…but also Bahamut's coat. Quickly, she rushed up to the side of the massive fallen creature, looking at it with as much fear and longing as she would his human form.

The woman was soon at the side of his neck. She dropped to her knees next to him, and reached over and seized his remaining claw. She held this firmly, and lifted it despite its great size and mass, holding it against her cheek. When Bahamut felt that…his toothless, bleeding mouth smiled. She still felt wonderful to the touch. And in this body…he could feel all of her details. It was a wonderful sensation to him. It made him feel warmer than the glorious sun itself. Slowly, he turned his crestless head over to Terra, looking at her.

"You…don't fear me…like this?" He slowly asked her, nearly whispering.

Terra managed a smile at that, as tears began to fall from her eyes. She shook her head at him. "You're the most beautiful creature alive."

Bahamut snorted quietly in reply to that. "Liar." He whispered back. "You know full well…you're the most beautiful. I'm glad…I saw you in action…in that form. You were poetry in motion…"

Terra's smile began to fade. She licked her lips nervously, and held Bahamut's claw over her mouth as another set of tears rolled from her eyes. "Not like you…nothing like you."

"Oh…but you are…" Bahamut softly answered, still smiling. "I told you…you're the most wonderful person I ever met. Inside…and outside… I love that about you… I love it more than anything…in the whole wide world…"

The half esper sniffled, and managed to smile again. Her hands clutched his claw tighter.

Bahamut softly blinked, and continued to stare at her with his gentle smile. He was silent for a few moments. He just wanted to drink her in. This sight…this woman…this was his prize. This was his victory…that she and the kids would live in peace for the rest of their lives.

"Terra…" He slowly whispered to her. "I'm afraid…I'm going to prove to Athena…to be a liar…"

Terra heard this…and remembered Bahamut's promise. On hearing that, her heart ran cold. Tears began to run from her eyes again, and she rubbed her face against his claw as she shook his head. "No…no…" She began to cry. "Please, no…"

Bahamut still smiled, and softly shook his head. "I'm done for, Terra…" He slowly answered, as if he was explaining something simple to a child. "That attack…it burned out anything I have left."

"No!" Terra suddenly exclaimed, her voice choked off with a sob. The woman threw herself across the creature's neck, burying her head into it. Tears began to splash out onto him, soaking into his neck wounds. Bahamut slowly exhaled, and closed his eyes. His heart began to tighten. His throat felt stiff. He couldn't bear to see her cry. But he had to. He had to do this. He forced himself to smile…as tears ran down his own cheeks. He was not sad he was dying. He had been there once. He was sad…that he had to see her be sad. He never wanted Terra to be sad again.

Though his muscles were shot and torn…somehow he willed himself to raise his great red claw and place it over Terra's body, extending his warm grasp over her in a comforting touch. Terra sobbed again, and held onto him tightly…as if she could press her own life into his and make him live. Bahamut opened his eyes again, and looked once more out to the sky…and that glorious sun.

"Please…" He whispered. "Please Terra…don't grieve. You…you and your family…you're safe now. They'll live in peace from now on… They won't have to live in a world of fear…"

"You're part of my family too!" Terra cried out in misery. "You're a part of my life! You're a part of me!"

Bahamut stopped again, letting Terra cry against him once more. He slowly breathed. That light…it was so beautiful…

"All I ever wanted…all I had in my new life… I will rest…knowing it is safe. I wanted to know you'd have a life…that you all would. I wanted to make sure you were safe. If you live…that is all I need…"

"But…I need you." Terra quivered from against him.

"No…no, you don't…" Bahamut slowly answered. "You…you are strong… You're so strong… You have so much…so much to give to the world…to everyone… Your family…they love you enough for me…for a hundred of me… You have such a wonderful life, Terra… I would have traded a hundred of my years in Terratopolis…to spend one day…one hour…with you and the children… You…I envy you…that you'll be going back…seeing them all growing up… They'll fill you with so much joy…you won't need me. I'm flattered…that I could have added anything…to your happiness…"

Terra continued to quiver and shake. She clutched Bahamut harder, burying her face against him. She knew the truth…but she couldn't believe it. She couldn't let him go. She loved him too much. Their life…their wonderful life together…it couldn't end so soon. Not like this…

"Promise me…Terra…" Bahamut slowly spoke up again.

Terra sniffled, but nodded against him. "Anything…anything in the world…"

"Three things… One…take the Crystal Stone…in my coat pocket… Place it somewhere in the light. One day…you may need it…"

Terra swallowed, and nodded again.

"Two…tell the kids to be good…and to obey your rules…even if they want to do something nice...for you…"

Terra smiled and managed a choked chuckle at that, before nodding.

Bahamut blinked again. The sun was so beautiful. The light…so warm and inviting…

"Finally…" He whispered, his voice growing fainter. "…Please…please…for me…be happy. I want you so desperately to be happy. Have a wonderful…wonderful life… You deserve it. You deserve every blessed moment of it… All I ever wanted, Terra…since I first starting building you a garden…was for you to be happy… Please be happy now…"

Terra cried again against Bahamut's chest, clutching him tighter. Somehow…Bahamut raised his claw and stroked her hair. Terra continued to sniffle against him…but Bahamut managed to smile as he felt her wonderful touch once again. There was nothing else like it on Gaia, or anywhere else. At last…she managed to raise her head. Her tear-filled eyes looked up to Bahamut…and she managed, very weakly, to smile.

Bahamut looked back, still smiling. "Atta girl…" He gently answered.

The two were silent, staring at each other. Terra managed a laugh, and sniffed again and struggled to wipe the tears from her eyes. Bahamut looked at her again…and cried once more. He would have done it. He would have forsaken all immortality…just to live with her. He would have spent the rest of his days poor, cold, and weak…just to wake every morning with a kiss from her lips, and her warm body rubbing next to his.

"Terra…you have to let me go…"

Terra's smile faded. She sniffled again, and breathed slowly…struggling not to sob again. "Bahamut…"

"Please…" Bahamut whispered back. "Let me go…into the light."

Terra's eyes began to tear again. She quivered and shook, and looked over him. But he just smiled and stared back…his soft eyes giving her one last imploring look. At last…Terra swallowed. Slowly, she managed to give him a nod. She reached up to her eyes and wiped the tears away. She slowly released his neck…but then held again.

Slowly, she leaned herself forward to his bloody face, and leaned over and kissed his giant maw.

"…I love you."

At last…Terra leaned off of him.

When she did, Bahamut, weak as he was…managed to open his mouth wide, and inhale one last great breath. After he did, he leaned up and off the ground, and rose to a sitting position. It was horribly painful…but he couldn't feel the pain anymore. He felt only light…and he saw only light…waiting for him in the sky. He turned to Terra one last time, and stared at her. She sat up as well, and looked to him. She forced herself not to cry…to be happy and smile at him as he stare at her. Bahamut smiled as well, and gave her a wink.

Sometimes…the best way to say what you felt is without words.

He turned his head to the sky, and unfurled his airfoils. He gave them one thought…and they complied. Even when strength was gone…they could act without energy as their master commanded. Slowly, the foils carried him off of the ground and into the sky, and bore him away up into the heavens above. The esper looked up above him, and smiled as he saw the light. The sun…the glorious, eternal sun…reaching out to touch him. The light up ahead…so pleasant and soft… He was glad now…that his body could bear him up into it…that he would get there in the end of all things. Seeing this…seeing that he would be there eventually…he closed his eyes again…and let his body rest as he descended into a deep, dark sleep…for even there, he could dream about the light that he drew ever nearer too.

Terra didn't cry. She forced herself not to, as she saw him go up. He became a black dot in the sky, as his brother had. But he kept going as well. He was going to be with his brother…but more importantly, with the light. The wings continued to bear him up and up…for even in death, he knew his body could not stay. One day…it would be a threat to the future. And so he left for the light…leaving everything else behind. He continued to shrink, growing fainter and fainter…before he finally sank into the blue and the light of the sun. Terra stared up at him until the very last.

Then…as he friends came up to her, to see if she was alright…she pitched her body forward and wept.

* * *

She returned in spring. And on the first day back, she planted the seed. The children heard the news… Though some were still too young to understand. Sadly, Bahamut would never know that Athena's sight recovered somewhat. But it no longer mattered to him, not where he was.

By the next spring, when the next harvest was made, the town was well. Duane and Katarin were on their second child…and Marcus, excelling in writing, had collected the lore together, all the stories he had heard from their friend Tumahab. While Terra took Katarin across the growing canal that was now forming between their peninsula and the mainland, as Bahamut had warned, he was showing off his book to the people in their village. Contained was all he remembered of Bahamut's stories, transcribed into one passage.

Here, in this volume, the chronicles of Great Bahamut, Lord of All Dragons, Lord Leviathan, Master of the Seas, and the great four Da-Chao, Shiva, Ifrit, Ramuh, and Titan, were contained…and would be reprinted again and again as the world around them changed throughout history.

Here…on this year…did a sign be erected by Duane, covered with crude paint lettering, announcing the new name of this city as the cherry tree broke forth from the earth…

Wutai.

* * *

_To be continued..._

Some of you are probably upset at me for killing Bahamut again. To this I say...I never actually wrote him dying, did I:)

You may also be wondering why Bahamut left Gaia. His body could have at least stayed behind, after all. However, the reason I had him leave, which might not have been clear in the text, was because he has realized at this point that humans and espers can never coexist. He knew that one day his body might be used by humanity to start what they did with the rest of his race again. He didn't want humanity to even have a piece of him behind to do that.

ADVENT CHILDREN SPOILER ALERT:

Well, I finally sat down and watched FFVII: Advent Children. And as feared, it does throw a bit of a wrench into my current plans for The Servant. I personally had thought Rufus was dead at the end of FFVII, and even if he lived I wouldn't have thought he would have changed his stripes. Furthermore, I don't think anyone in the country thought that Tseng had survived FFVII either. Lastly, I'll probably have to write in larger parts for Marlene and add Densel. (Cloud doesn't strike me as the adopting type, though...)

I've heard some concerns about Sin. I'm not worried. First of all, materia itself is supposed to be collected spiritual energy. Therefore, in this story, when someone summons a monster using materia, I treat it more as creating a temporary "after-image" of their spiritual signature rather than actually bringing them out. That will explain how both Bahamut and Neo Bahamut can be summoned, and also why summons disappear right after doing their thing. As for Sin, well...Kadaj and his boys weren't actually using materia so much as absorbing it into themselves and then sort of twisting it, in my opinion. So I consider Sin to be a warped version of trying to summon one of Bahamut's other forms.

See you later.


	30. Fossil

_Five Hundred Years Later

* * *

_

The annoying sound of the wall alarm blared out loud. In response, the tired woman in bed rolled over on her thin, nearly threadbare sheets, reached over to her nighttable top, and pressed a button. The alarm immediately cut off. Instead, a pleasant female voice, yet with a metallic ring, went out.

_"Good morning, Dr. Shinza. The time is now 0100 DA. Please wake up."_

The woman moaned in response to this, and turned again on the bed. She was still too tired. It didn't help that the lights in her room turned on, immediately adjusting themselves to the correct frequency and color range of broad daylight. She didn't want to get up. The female voice repeated its message after a pause, and continued to do so thereafter. The woman threw herself down face first on her pillow, and reached out to seize the sides of it with both hands and shove it up to her ears.

However, she had little time to relax or adjust. Suddenly, a hiss went out as the door to her room slid open. As it did, a young male, looking similar to her in build, stepped in the doorway and called out to the interior.

"Rise and shine, professor." The young man called in, in a playful voice. "Detek is making Goebentoo omelettes."

The woman groaned from her bed. "His Goebentoo omelettes are horrible…" She moaned back in response, making the young man snicker. However, she gave a pause after that, and then turned with a confused look to the male. Her eyes were closed, but her brow was furrowed in confusion and a bit of unease. "How did you open this door? I thought I locked it…"

"I know." The male answered with a grin. "I hacked it. It was Detek's idea. He was sick of waiting for you until 0600 DA."

The woman muttered. "Sarap…can you remind me again why I let you be my lab intern?"

The male shrugged. "I have a cute face?"

"Door close and lock. Change combination."

Immediately, the door slid shut again, sealing off the woman from the annoyance. She groaned again, but then rose from her bed at last. She sat up at first, but quickly turned her legs over the side and rose to her feet. Stretching, the woman ran her head behind her long, loose hair and raised her arms to the sky. Once she had done that, she slumped them to her sides, and with a long sigh turned and began to walk toward the bathroom.

Shinza was an attractive young woman. That was probably what had attracted people like Detek and Sarap to being her interns, rather than their interest in Biological Out-of-Place-Artifact research. It had been obvious from the day that she set foot in C'Kardendell University that she attracted the stares of other members of her species…and even some of the non-members of her species. After all, her race was known as personifying standards of beauty for numerous other races. Shinza had little interest in any of that. Her life was devoted to her work. She had just struggled to ignore the gawking and staring as she went about settling into her position at the university. From then on in, she simply sighed and accepted expressionlessly the endless love letters, Bonding Day gifts, and other displays of affection that tetered narrowly on the brink of sexual harassment.

Shinza was, like the other members of her species, defined best as humanoid, or a bipedal organism with legs longer than forearms, and a rather well-developed cranium. Like other humanoids, she was also hairless except for on her scalp, and her skin was normally a light beige, although it was somewhat whiter than normal species. Her home planet received little ultraviolet radiation, and her skin had little need for excessive melatonin. Her body was thinner than most humanoids also, as was the rest of her species, although to one of average build, she merely appeared to be very thin rather than skeletal. Also, like all of her species, she inhaled air through special gill slits along her neck, and exhaled through her main oral opening, which was also used for speaking and eating. These gills allowed her race to survive in the toxic clouds that sometimes arose and encircled her planet from the highly volatile magma interior, but they breathed clean air just as well, and they, in truth, preferred it. Her hair was light blue, which was an attractant. All of her species had hues of blue for hair, but very few had light shades like her. She had also been one of the 17 of people on her world who happened to have the trait for mismatched eyes. One was green and the other blue. Lastly, there were her ears. All of her species had extra long ears with pointed pinnas. However…hers were a precious inch longer, which, to most members of her race, was a mark of extreme beauty. It had gotten so bad at school some times, the woman had wanted to have surgery to crop them.

Shinza slowly went about her daily routine…washing up, showering, adjusting her long blue hair, and then getting dressed for her daily activities. All members of her species dressed simply, but she even more so. Her body was already too much of a natural attractant, and she wanted to give the distinct impression that she was not available by dressing as drab and unicolor as possible. She did so by wearing the basic uniform of a professor for C'Kardenell. She even supplemented it with the ancient ocular tool her world had long since abandoned: glasses. Most people like her would have had corrective lens surgery years ago, where biosythentic lenses would be inserted in place of her birth lenses. However, she stuck with the glasses for now. They made her that much less attractive in the eyes of fellow members of her species, so they were a plus.

Shinza paused in front of the mirror to inspect herself once done. She inhaled deeply once, but then turned and walked to her door. At the keypad at the entrance, her new code was already posted for her perusal. She quickly entered it, making a note of it as she did so, and then passed out from her room to the rest of the ship.

C'Kardenell had only a medium budget for research vessels, but this was one of the better ones. Shinza emerged from one door that was adjacent to two others, one for her and one for her two assistants. She walked forward and made her way to a short staircase, which led up to the rest of "A" deck. It was simple up here, but nice. The kitchen, which was made in a "theater in the round" style, rested at the top of these stairs, along with the dining area. This was perched on top of a raised platform that hovered above several other staircases leading down to the various areas of A deck. One of the staircases, naturally, led to the sleeping quarters, where Shinza now exited. Another led to the recreational computer, while the one across from it led to the aerobic area. Shinza made a mental note to go there later. She really needed to do some more exercise. Stretching in front of the kitchen and dining area, going down another staircase, was the living area. Here, there were a few benches and recliners to rest on, but most important was the ship's air filtration system. Their technology was to the point of removing filters. Now, instead, the filter was a great green tree that rose right out of A deck, surrounded by grass and flowers of various kinds. This was a good addition on the part of her people. It provided clean air, filtered carbon dioxide, and, most of all, it gave a nice little piece of home for deep space travelers to take with them.

The entire interior of A deck was made of gleaming silver metal, with the possible exceptions of the tools and appurtances lying around. However, A deck, being the highest deck in the research vessel, was also exposed to the most. All of the deck was enclosed in a giant circular area, and half of the walls weren't walls at all, but windows to the outside of space. Currently, the stars went flying by as the ship blazed through the galaxy, and it offered an impressive view. However…to Shinza, who had already been in space four months, it was more of the same, and uninteresting.

The ship had other decks too, of course. B deck was where most of the research equipment was kept, as well as the main computer, specimen tanks, analyzing equipment, and everything else they needed. C deck, below that, was the maintenance and engineering deck. There was no need to go down there. None of the three member crew were engineers, but it didn't matter. Automated engineering robots ran around down there, taking care of any possible dangers and making the ship run smoothly morning, noon, and night. Finally, there was D deck. Shinza hadn't even seen that one since she boarded the vessel at the departure from C'Kardenell. That was the docking bay and tractor beam control room.

As Shinza reached the top of the stairs, she saw her two assistants already there. Sarap was at the table, and gave a nod to her, while Detek was coming forward with a skillet, filled with purple egg-like material. Shinza frowned at it as she saw it. Not at the color…for Goebeetoo eggs, at least fresh ones, were purple. It was because Detek could make a Bloosberry Pie tasteless, and could burn a Negtack. She only ruefully sat down in her seat at the table.

"We have any Primova Coffee brewing yet?" Shinza asked as she sat down…hoping to stave off the taste of the eggs with a bit of bitter taste.

"It's brewing." Detek responded, as he came over to her and shoveled some eggs onto her plate. As he did, he looked up to her, and flashed a smile. A faux debonair look went over him. "You're looking good this morning, professor." He spoke in a somewhat flattering tone.

Shinza turned to him disdainfully at that. Detek kept his smile, knowing that he was getting under her skin by saying that. That was why he did it. Until now, however...he hadn't gotten the hint that she really, truly, didn't like him doing that. Sarap snickered a little from where he sat, and called up to him. "Well…wait a bit longer, Detek. She hasn't had any of your cooking this morning yet."

Detek wheeled around to the young man at that and pouted, making a sarcastic gesture of "hardy-har-har" as he walked over to him… and making sure to serve him up twice as much as anyone else. "Yeah, yeah…laugh it up. I didn't see you jumping at the chance to do the cooking this morning." He snorted back at the fellow assistant.

"Yeah, well…I was feeling a little suicidal since last night. So I figured what the hey. Save me the trouble." Sarap answered simply with a shrug. In response, Detek frowned even more at him, and then gave him a rap on the head with his spatual. Sarap grinned and began to snicker again, covering his head and crying out in mock alarm. Detek formed a fake pout and jabbed at him menacingly moments later, poking him in his chest, and forcing him to unshield his head to smack him away. On seeing the two young men fool around with each other, Shinza couldn't help but smile and shake her head at them. She grinned a bit and lowered her head.

"Boys, boys…what am I going to do with you?"

The two snickered, smacked each other around a bit longer, and then turned back to their own breakfasts to eat what they could stomach.

Shinza's first research project that had received a grant from the University involved the two year mission she now found herself engaged in. It was involved mostly in her major and specialty, being Biological OPAs. A basic Out of Place Artifact was a strange and wondrous item indeed…almost like things out of legends. Ever since her race had begun to explore the universe, they had run into other races that had technologies similar to theirs, either at higher or lower levels, but always based on the same scientific principals of physics. To that end, lesser developed worlds, and even ones that were on the same level, held little in terms of technological interest or achievement for their own people. However…once in a while…on some dismal, otherwise backwoods world…people would find strange things. Mysterious sources of limitless power…dimensional warping devices…a new form of energy…these were the OPAs. These strange and wondrous devices, among otherwise undeveloped people, shocked and amazed the people of Shinza's race. Whenever one was found, it quite literally reworked the physics textbooks.

Still, they were very rare…and more than 99 percent of the time, they were fakes. People usually had to rely on stories of local natives when pursuing these objects, and when they found them, more often than not the natives were actually observing normal phenomenon and had been deluded by misunderstanding it. However…for the few exceptional cases…they were the true marvels of the universe. And for those who sought these and found them…it was the biggest equivalent of adventuring left in the rapidly understood universe.

Shinza just happened to be one of these people. She loved the idea of potentially discovering an OPA. Not for the certain fame, groundbreaking research, and endless supply of grants it would ensure…though they were nice bonuses. She was simply entranced by the idea of making a groundbreaking discovery…of being the first person in her race to discover a great mystery of the universe. To find something totally and completely new… It felt like more than science to her. It felt almost like a quest…or some epic adventure to find something wondrous for her planet to behold…

Shinza was limited in her searching for OVAs, however. She was interesting Biological ones, in essence, strange and unique creatures. Although her people knew they were not alone in the universe, it had been discovered, centuries ago, that almost all known creatures they had encountered seemed to share the same genetic code. This was an interesting, and unexpected, finding, and it didn't seem to make logical sense as to why this would be so. To the chemists and physicists, their explanation was simply that, based on the electronegativies in the elements of the universe, and their own unique identities, that the elements used in proteins and amino acids were optimizing the best elements. But considering the range of potential amino acids in the universe…that didn't bode well with others. Some proposed a more radical theory…that all life had begun on a single planetoid in the universe, and that when some catastrophic phenomenon, a sun going nova, a meteor strike, etc., destroyed this planet, bacteria with DNA was scattered throughout the universe…and on landing on other worlds that could sustain it, became the basis for life there. This would have repeated itself every time a planet met a similar end. It was an interesting theory to say the least…but it was also fantastic. What proof was there of this?

In part, that was what Shinza was trying to discover. Her field of OVAs was based on finding strange, new formulas of life…strange and interesting lifeforms that came from planets that confounded the current codes, and were marvelous new examples of creatures unknown of. This field was a very small subsection of the main OVA research "circle", but it was important. Finding one of these things almost ensured a Selirian Prize in Biology, not to mention opened a whole new section in the universe's phylogeny.

Only two, up to date, had been discovered…but they were astonishing. The first was discovered and Clack'dmar III. That was the site of the universe's only multicellular chemo-respiratory organism. The second, and far more fascinating to the world of science, was located in the Colorian Nebula. There, fifty years ago, a research vessel had found a single celled organism that utilized matter/anti-matter reactions for energy. This drove biologists on Shinza's homeworld wild. It began a new theory…that life did not in fact originate on planetoids, but perhaps in the previously-thought-lifeless depths of space.

Shinza hoped to further or discredit that theory on this voyage. Her grant for this research journey had been to spend two years cycling past some of the greater and more chaotic energy nebulas in the known universe. When flying past them, and observing the random chunks of matter that were occasionally spewed out by the star-forming clusters, she would analyze the contents for nucleic acid materials or other signs of life. Hopefully…she hoped to find another one of these matter/anti-matter organisms…or a creature that was a step down from them and more toward a bacterium in the traditional sense of the word. Currently, she was on her sixth month in space. They had finished inspecting three nebulas thus far…all without success. Now, the ship was en route through a dead zone in space toward the next highest-energy cluster, and Shinza was hopeful that something would be discovered once they reached there.

Even now, she trembled with excitement at the thought of adding another member to the Kingdom "Neutrala"…

The three had barely managed to choke down half of their overcooked breakfast, however, when suddenly Sarap poked his head up. Shinza noticed this, and looked up as well, as did Detec. As they did, they soon realized Sarap was looking outside to the windows. They did as well…and noticed that the stars had suddenly stopped shooting by. Now, they merely sat there. Though they had felt nothing due to special stablizers, they knew what this meant.

Sarap frowned. "Man…what now?"

Shinza sighed, and put down her fork. It was a bad breakfast anyway. "I dunno…probably another meteor in our path. You know how the computer gets confused when we tell it to scan pieces of matter." Rolling her eyes a bit, Shinza looked up to the ceiling. "Computer, why have we stopped?"

"An unidentified mass is bearing ahead at approximately 140 kilometers, Dr. Shinza." The voice from the bedroom calmly responded.

Sarap frowened again and groaned. "If it's a meteor, just project a parabolic course already, computer. I told you that yesterday…"

"Negative." The female metallic voice answered. "Conflicts prior orders. Object is over 90 percenthydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon."

On hearing this, the three froze. Shinza's eyes widened a bit. Immediately, they forgot about their irritation at having been interrupted. The professor recognized this… That was one of the conditions that she told the computer to halt on…because it was the composition of almost all known life forms. The woman looked to the others at that, and they looked back. Were they really hearing this?

Shinza turned back up the ceiling. "Computer…run a secondary check to confirm results."

"Secondary check processed. Results confirmed to 99.9999986 percent certainty."

Detec blinked again as he gaped at the ceiling. "…You're not just fooling with us, are you, computer?"

That was a stupid question. Shinza already knew that the computer couldn't lie, and artifical intelligence had not yet been able to, or needed to, create computers with senses of humor. Yet she was tempted to ask the same question herself. She dared not expect it. Now…her heart began to race with anticipation and excitement. Wanting to sleep in and breakfast were the furthest things from her mind now…and she thought only of this. It could still be a meteor…it wasn't unheard of for them to have this strange composition… But…what if it wasn't?

If it wasn't…Shinza, again, dared not hope. It was too much. But she couldn't help but feel her heart begin to race as she listened to the computer.

"Computer…" She finally said, struggling not to call out eagerly. "Run the quaternity scan on the object."

There was silence for a moment. As it happened, Sarap and Detec leaned in close. Sarap actually began to smile, and let out a breathless chuckle of disbelief. Detec's jaw wouldn't shut as he looked up. They could hardly believe it. Was it really happening? After all the failed voyages, all the lost causes, after six months of nothing when scouting nebulas…were they actually finding something out here in deep space?

"Quarternity scan completed." The computer finally said. "Over 70 percent of molecules analyzed conform to previously known protein structures. 53 percent of those also conform to molecular structures. Does not conform to any previously known protein composition."

"Oh my god…" Detec exhaled out loud, gaping at the ceiling in shock. "I don't believe it…"

The others were the same. Shinza suddenly felt weak, and despite herself she began to breathe hard. She started to feel dizzy, and put a hand to her chest. She couldn't believe it. They had found something. A real something. Out here in the depths of uncharted space, blank and empty…where one could look for millions of years and not find anything…they had found something. A life form. Dead by now… It could even be some unfortunate crew member that had been blown out of a ship in some war eons ago before Shinza or her people existed, and the vacuum of space kept his or her body preserved in that time. But even then…it was a great discovery, monumental to history if nothing else. It could even be a particle of fossilized bacteria. She didn't care. This was it…a discovery. Some scientists in her field went through life without anything like this…and she had it. She felt her hopes surge again. There was still a chance it might not be anything…and she was almost too scared to find out. She didn't want to risk it being a let down…some flutter or even an air-lock dumped body of her own race…merciless as that sounded. She pressed for more information.

"Computer…" Her near trembling voice sounded. "Is the object unicellular or colonial?"

"Error. Neither term applies to object under review."

Shinza's eyes bulged. She turned and looked to the others. They looked back nervously as well, Sarap beginning to grin wildly. Shinza slowly turned back to the computer again.

"…Mass?"

"Object is estimated at a minimum of 400 kg."

All three gaped. That much? That big of a life form? And it wasn't colonial? That meant only one thing…it was a single organism. A single…big…multicellular organism. And on hearing this, Shinza's excitement grew nearly uncontrollable. No sentient creature in the known universe had a dry weight (for that is what it would be in space) of that high… Which meant it had to be either of an unknown race that had been in a ship accident, or…

A totally new creature.

Shinza couldn't hold anymore. Without a word, she rose from the table, knocking over her chair as she did so. Not caring, she bolted for the turbolift. Detec and Sarap hesitated only for a moment, before they too leapt up and bolted after her at top speed. Sarap whistled as they did.

"Whoo-hoo! Selirian Prize!"

* * *

Shinza would have given anything in the world at that moment for a way to get onto B deck quicker. Fast as the turbolift was, it seemed to take an eternity for it to get down to the next lower level. The doors didn't slide open fast enough for her. She squeezed out of them the moment they cracked, pressing her thin body through and running into the lab.

The main computer console, in the center of the room, awaited her. This console had not only everything she needed to work all of the data analysis, communication, and statistical testing programs, but it also had various apparati attached to it on either side of the main set of controls that functioned in specimen isolation, suspension, fragmentation, culturing, and every other scientific process Shinza could need. It was to this console that the professor ran. She didn't even both turning the chair around as she reached it. She simply leapt over the back and into the chair. It was a bit painful like this, but she endured it.

The rest of the room was filled with lab equipment. All the chemicals, specimen containers, hoses, microscopes, spectral analyzers, digitizers, measurement instruments, and other computers were gathered around her. It was arranged in neat shape at the moment. None of the equipment had needed to be used yet, and so everything was still arranged. Each section had its own rows, and several rows were built into either sides. There were counters in between each section, giving plenty of room to get things out and place them down for observation and experimentation. Everything was spotless and white, ready for the first analysis of anything that her voyage managed to find. Now, it looked as if they would finally have a chance to be used.

Both of her students were very well accomplished in their majors. Sarap was a major in organic chemistry/biology, specializing in the structure of proteins and their function. He went to a computer of his own at one of the side consoles, switching it on at once. As for Detec, he was a microbiology major. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to help nearly as much, it seemed. But he did know more about general anatomy than any of them, and he couldwork the programs that scanned it. Shinza had intended to find unicellular organisms on this voyage, to which he could have helped better in. Now, it looked as if they were turning up a macro-organism…or at least, she hoped she was.

As soon as Shinza sat down, three different screens on her console flared to life, immediately firing up. However, she ignored all of these. Her attention was all focused ahead. In front of her console, a wide open space stretched. This space was the configurable part of the lab. For now, it was blank, but depending on what they needed it for it would adapt itself. It could create an artificial environment for a specimen, provide a testing center for exposures to light and electromagnetism, or just provide a large area for all researchers to examine something at once. Numerous curved lines and fissures were in the floor of this part, accenting that it could easily transform and produce more technology for these purposes. However, that didn't interest Shinza either. She looked beyond it to the wall on the far side.

There were no windows in the lab…but there was a very impressive view screen, reproducing images of what the ship saw from outside. For right now, it showed only what was directly in front of the craft, which was nothing but empty space. Yet once Shinza had sat down, and once her two assistants were at work at their own consoles, she quickly called out again.

"Computer…put the object on screen in the lab."

The image blipped once, changing to a different view of the space surrounding the ship. However…far in the distance…drifting through the endless void…they saw it. They couldn't make out much at first, however. Not from the default distance. They saw some faint object, a small blot on the screen of empty space. Seeing as she gained nothing from this, Shinza shook her head.

"Magnify. Frame in 95 percent of the window."

The computer did as it was told. Another blip later…and the object filled the outside view. On seeing it, Shinza's breath caught in her throat. She reached up a hand and cupped her mouth. The other two assistants beamed in awe. The three became totally silent as they beheld this magnificent object that they had encountered.

The body was pale, but had a faint pinkish tint to it. No doubt, in earlier times, it would have been much redder…before space had dried the blood out of its body and froze the cells. That was one good thing about space. It was an excellent preserver…once it blew out all gas-containing pockets of the body. But this thing…this was no bacterium. Their suspicions were right…it was _big_. It must have been close to thirty feet tall when it was entire. Of course…it wasn't now. One arm was missing up to the shoulder, and the other was up to the elbow. The same for the legs, for the most part, with the opposite one missing at the hip, and the other broken off at the knee. The face seemed somewhat serpentine…but much larger. The face was crumpled, and the eyes were empty sockets from where they had long since exploded. It also had fragments around its head from where there had been a larger crest that had broken. It also had two thin flaps of scaly skin behind it, which had broken down until they scarcely reached past the creature's body.

The three were amazed. Although Shinza had before thought that this might be a creature from a different time period preserved, and not a new creature…in effect, this was amazing enough. That had never happened before…just been theorized as being possible. But now…it was here. A new life form.

"Full analysis." She finally called out to her assistants. "Right now."

Detec and Sarap were mesmerized for a moment longer, staring entranced at this new creature. But then, they shook their heads, turned down to their consoles, and went to work. Shinza herself stared at this marvelous specimen for another minute before she snapped out of it and went to her own tasks.

"Full results for protein analysis coming in." Sarap said after a moment. "Most have dehydrated…of course…but those that are left show at least 13 differences between all other known forms of life. Unable to clarify purpose of new proteins…although they seem similar in structure to chlorophyll…"

Shinza raised her head at this, gaping in surprise. "You mean…this creature…could have been photosynthetic?"

"Probably not that." Sarap answered with a bit of an unsure look. "But he seemed to utilize sun energy a lot…"

"Hmm…" Detec announced out loud, looking in puzzlement to his screen. "This is interesting…"

Shinza turned her head immediately to him. "What?"

"The damage sustained to the body seems to date back somewhere around 500 years ago…" Detec slowly responded. "But…I'm totally at a loss of the age of this guy… He doesn't conform to any age pattern I know of."

Sarap frowned a bit on hearing that, and looked back to his own screen. He typed a few keys afterward…and raised his eyebrows a bit at the result. "Well…I'll be damned…"

Shinza wheeled back to the assistant at this. "What?"

"The DNA of this creature…" Sarap slowly responded. His voice was faraway now…confused, and staring at his screen. "It…it hasn't denatured."

Shinza stared at him a moment after that, her look somewhat incredulous. "…Are you sure you're not just reading it at the wrong length? We have no idea how many chromosomes this guy has…"

"No…no…" Shinza answered, still staring in puzzlement at his screen. "The markers are all there…it's just…no loss. He has all his DNA."

"I think he's right, professor." Detec sounded from where he was. "This is strange…really bizarre. All of his cells are somewhat new. He's got DNA reading mechanisms in his cells I've never seen before. Even the ones that matured are replaced…just at a slower rate. And his DNA monomers…it looks like something switches out the old pairs for new ones… The best I can get is a carbon-14 dating on him. Assuming the atmosphere he lived in was a basic Class M planet…then…" A pause, as Detec gaped again.

"What?" The professor asked.

"Then…" Detec slowly answered. "He's…at least 4,000 years old."

Shinza looked around at this in surprise…and growing wonder. None of this made sense. In every organism that she had encountered before, or any biologist for that matter, the bodies weren't built to last. In every cell division, some DNA was lost. Cells that stopped dividing and matured gradually oxidized and died as well. The body eventually ran out. However…certain scientists had been theorizing for years on ways to stop these processes or arrest them in an organism…in effect stopping aging. The result would be an immortal. Yet those scientists had mostly died out now. There was a period of eugenics in Shinza's race's early history, but that had long since faded. Most attempts to try and stop aging ended in utter failure. Those that didn't caused unregulated cell growth…better known as cancer. Nevertheless, some refused to let go of the possibility that in some genetic code somewhere the parts that caused aging were left out or abridged. This was unproven…just a theory now…but it would mean that immortality would exist for some creatures.

And now…Shinza felt her heart begin to race again, as she stared in wide-eyed surprise at the creature. Her hands began to sweat as she trembled with a new excitement. What if…what if her new friend here…actually had done it? What if he actually was from a race of immortals?

The thought was too exciting to bear. Shinza couldn't restrain herself any longer.

"Computer…" She called out. "Recover the specimen and ship it to the lab immediately."

* * *

Thirty minutes later…the three stood in breathless awe as they marveled at their prize.

Of course, they weren't in contact with it. They didn't risk being anywhere near that. The slightest exposure to air could cause the specimen to crumble like dry tissue paper. He had to be properly prepped. When the tractor beam had locked onto the object and brought it in, it hadn't subjected it to the hold. Instead, the thing was put into a miraculous substance that biologists of Shinza's world made frequent use of. It was a sort of instant membrane, creating a sac around the creature that could then be filled with any medium they so desired. The membrane itself could then be modified or adjusted to selectively allow in any chemicals or treatments they might want to subject. For now, they went with a nice, non-turbulant, nonpolar fluid suspension. It was totally irradiated, void of any bacteria or free radicals that could tear up the delicate substance of the creature's fossilized body. However, Shinza had hooked up a slow feed of basic water into the creature, which would be selectively fused with his proteins via specialized nanites. After all…she wanted to see his true protein structure.

Now, they marveled over the great beast. The space in the center of the lab proved its usefulness now. The bottom floor had turned into a modified platform that bore the large sac that now held the specimen. Sensors were snaking out of it and around the creature. Now that it was inside, a much more complete analysis could be made, revealing many more details about it. Shinza could hardly wait. For now…she contained herself by staring breathlessly at the great creature before her. While her assistants rubbed their hands with glee at how promising this would make them as future scientists…Shinza was just fascinated with the creature itself…

She had done it. She had found a wonder of the universe.

"Based on its basic anatomy…" Detec sounded after a few minutes of analysis. "I'd say that it wasn't meant to travel in space. It has far too many organs for a terrestrial existence. Respiratory organs…wings that depend on air currents…"

"That ain't the half of it." Sarap added with a whistle. "The first few rehydrated proteins are checking in. I was right. They are responding to light. It's driving some sort of reaction. Since we brought it in here, the proteins are doing something. They don't have all the substances they need, of course, to finish whatever it is, but it is something. Maybe we should dim the lights, professor?"

Shinza didn't answer. She was too busy staring at it.

Sarap blinked once, and leaned in. "Hello? Professor?"

At last, Shinza shook her head. "Hmm?" She called aloud, turning her head to Sarap. "What? Oh…yes…well… Maybe a bit later. Just make sure it's not causing any free radicals…" She finally replied. Her voice was distant and preoccupied as she said this, only seeming to half care. She trailed off at the end, and turned back to marvel at the creature once more.

Sarap frowned, shook his head, and turned back to his own console.

"Wow…" Detec added after a moment more.

On hearing this, both Sarap and Shinza turned to look to him. "What is it?"

"I'm not the best expert in the world at anatomy…but looking at these data results…" Detec answered as he shook his head at his own screen. "This guy had a rather painful last few moments. A lot of the damage to the fossil right now is due to just wear and tear from being in space. You know…if your hand dries out completely the slightest piece of drifting debris is going to take it off. But as for the limbs that are totally gone…the way the muscle looks it appears as if something _tore_ them out. And his bones have signs of severe trauma too. His lungs are lined with scar tissue. Worst of all…it looks like he was still alive when he went into space…which is when what was left of his lungs hemorrhaged, his eyes blew out…and he was pretty much dead."

Sarap winced uneasily at that. "Ouch. Poor guy…"

However…Shinza suddenly froze at that. On hearing the word "death" mentioned…she suddenly thought of something. So this creature died? Well…that was obvious. Nothing could survive the vacuum of space, after all. Anything of any race she knew of would have been killed almost immediately. Between the pressure, the dryness, and the cold, nothing could live in space. In fact, it was rather stupid to think of something actually living through space.

And yet…Shinza couldn't help but hesitate here. This creature…its proteins were still working. They were turning about when they were exposed to light. Even after all this time…after four hundred years of drifting in the void of darkness and coldness…a little light, just from their ship's lab, a little hydration…and they went to work again as they had before. It was amazing, really…to think that something dead for so long would do that.

And yet…was it?

Certain species of smaller invertebrates could increase the concentration of solute in their body so high that they could actually be frozen for months and then come back to life when thawed out. Seeds sitting in dry, barren sand for thousands of years bloomed readily when put into soil and water. People of her own race, subjected to blistering cold, literally froze to death only to come back to life once wrapped in insulation and placed before a fire. Life and death…under proper conditions…could be strange things. And this creature…this strange creature…whose cells were built not to age and die…who was beginning to work again in a little light…

Abruptly, Shinza got a crazy thought. Had she not been in such a giddy mood, her logic would have told her not to waste a perfectly excellent, acclaim-winning specimen on such a stupid notion. But she was…and a crazy impulse entered her head. Before she even knew what she was doing, she leaned over her console and spoke.

"Computer, search the organism for living tissue."

On hearing this, both Sarap and Detec turned to Shinza in confusion, forgetting their own things. Shinza winced a little, but continued to look up to the organism as she did. Her assistants were muddled. This creature was dead…fossilized. There was nothing left to find on it. It had been drifting in the lifeless depths of space for close to 400 years. It was a rock now. And yet…Shinza couldn't help but stare at the screen and eagerly wait.

After a moment, the computer replied.

"No living tissue detected."

"Professor?" Sarap suddenly called out. "What are you doing?"

Shinza didn't answer. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. She almost felt like smacking her hand in frustration against the table…although there was no possible way she could have expected the creature to still live. It was dead. It was better off firewood by now. There was nothing to hope for, and no reason to hope for anything from it. And yet…the woman still felt crazy. After a moment longer, she suddenly leaned forward and called out to the computer again.

"Prepare an essential nutrient injection. Subject it to ten of the excited protein cells. Report results."

"Professor!" Detec suddenly called out. "You'll ruin the fossil!"

Shinza didn't listen. She leaned forward on the console. She held her hand to her mouth and bit her finger. Her assistants looked to each other, stunned. Was she actually trying what they thought she was? Did she actually think that the rock could still live? They turned back to her, and began to step away from their consoles. Shinza didn't care. She tapped her foot nervously against the ground. Her fingers drummed on the countertop, and she continued to nervously bite her finger. This took a few minutes this time. She eagerly anticipated all the while.

Finally, it did answer.

"Warning. Fossil damage occurring. Subjected cells are now decaying."

Detec sighed and groaned. Sarap threw his arms up in an exaggerated gesture. Both of them wondered how the professor could do something so dumb. Now, they could lose a good part of it to deterioration. However, much to their surprise, Shinza tightened her jaw. Immediately, she leaned in closer, and nearly cried out to the computer.

"Prepare an essential nutrient injection coupled with high energy photons. Inject it into ten of the central cells of the main body. Report results."

"Professor, stop!" Sarap cried out.

"You'll ruin the specimen! We'll lose it!" Detec added.

But Shinza only bit her hand again and drummed her fingers even harder. Her palms began to sweat. Her heart raced again. The two assistants were getting frantic. The finding of the decade…and their professor was going nuts. She was ruining it. They would have nothing left. They only had the slightest amount of data available. But Shinza wouldn't stop. She continued to stare at the screen, and eagerly waited. Slowly…she felt herself start to pray. She didn't know why…she didn't know what about this creature made her so eager…but she had to do this. She felt herself wishing hard, and clenching her hand as she bit down and stared at it.

_Live…live…live…_

"Professor…it's dead!" Sarap finally called out to her. "It's rock! It's a lifeless rock! It's-"

"Infusion successful. Regular cell activities restored."

Sarap's voice caught in his throat. Detec's eyes widened again, and he forgot all about his momentary anger and warnings. Shinza stopped breathing. Her hand fell from her mouth like dead weight. She stared on at the screen before her, and the specimen above her. Her drumming ceased. Her heart seemed to stop. She couldn't believe it. No one in the room believed it. It was crazy…irresponsible…and nearly blew everything they had for nothing. There was no reason it should have worked…no scientific basis to conclude that. It was some stupid dream and fantasy that had been cooked up by a crazy thought that had traveled through Shinza's head…and if it had been wrong she would have ruined her career as well as that of her assistants.

And yet…somehow it had…and the proof was shown as the central screen on Shinza's monitor magnified a nanite image deep within the body of the "lifeless rock". Only here, the image it showed was not lifeless at all. It showed, surrounded by dark, dessicated, dormat fossils of cells…ten vibrant, living cells, getting to work making ATP…and sending out signal chemicals to one another.

The two young men were stunned into silence. Moving without a word, both of them rushed over behind Shinza, and then looked at the screen. Their jaws dropped and did not return as they saw it for their very eyes. Shinza herself couldn't believe it. It was a miracle. It was impossible. And yet…she suddenly realized that she had something far greater than just a fossil or ruin of an ancient creature on hand. She had something far greater…

Slowly, Shinza turned to the young men around her.

"…Let's get him into a new medium. I think…as impossible as it sounds…we can revive him."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	31. It's Alive

Oopsies.

Shinza's mission was supposed to be eight years long, not two years. I forgot to change that in the last chapter...

* * *

"This is crazy. Just reminding you all of that." Sarap announced five hours later. "This is like trying to revitalize a mummy. You know…are either of you considering the fact that this guy looks like a dinosauric carnivore at best? Perhaps he'll be rather ill tempered when, and if, he wakes up?"

"Relax." Detec reassured as he examined his instruments. "His neurons are being flooded with inhibiting neutrotransmitter. He won't have any voluntary muscular control."

Shinza didn't comment on this. Foolish as it was, she wasn't considering the danger that this obviously large and predacious creature represented. She was too marveled at the fact that she was going to bring it back to life…

The creature was still suspended in the membrane sac, but it had changed. Now, an overhead tower had lowered onto it, and no less than a dozen devices had inserted themselves into the sac this point. The medium in which the thing was now floating was nutrient rich and sterile, and prepped with several other compounds. It was what they normally subjected critical condition patients to in hospitals on their world. It was a rather miraculous substance, able to keep dying cells from progressing into scar tissue or apoptosis, and immersing the subject in a medium in which they would not need to eat to obtain nutrients. It would respond to the needs of a living organism instantaneously with changes in pH, temperature, and other essential factors.

This was only one item, however. The creature's organs were shot, even if they could work again. Because of that, stints were inserted into his flesh in his chest region. They were wired up with electrodes and circuitry to keep the muscle in the heart moving, even though most of it was atrifuted scar tissue at this point. A nozzle was fixed over his desiccated mouth, which was already pumping and removing supersaturated oxygen from his body. Special devices were fixed over the end of his eye sockets, covering up the horrible fate that they had endured in the decompression of space. This, in addition to other life support items and interventions, strung the creature up in a bizarre format as it floated in the sac.

However, all preparations were at last completed. Detec finished adjusting his last few instruments, and then turned and began to walk over to join Sarap and Shinza. Both of them were at the console, although Shinza was the one occupying the only seat. Both of them stared earnestly up to the creature. Shinza trembled with excitement again at the thought. Her one crazy gamble had been right. Perhaps…they could somehow awaken this creature using the same methods to the entire organism. She wasn't sure, but that was what had been set up now. The stints injected throughout his torso, as well as the nanites circulating in his tank of fluid, were all moving throughout his cells as they sat here, and by now had to have nearly penetrated the entire organism. Once they were engaged, the small machines would give every cell in the creature's body an injection of nutrients, as well as a potent dose of light energy in the form of energized photons. After that, they would be discarded. They would shut down, and the normal waste processes of a cell would eliminate them like urine or feces…which the tank was also prepared to deal with if, and when, they occurred. Once they "jump started" the cells, the tank's occupant would be bathed in high density ultraviolet light, the kind that they had concluded, by now, that the proteins best acted upon. They would be protected, of course. The membrane surrounding the organism blocked out any harmful radiation effects. The nutrients would begin their feed at that point, and the air compressor would start removing and filtering any carbon dioxide it picked up from the lungs. Last but not least, the stints in the chest cavity would give the creature a powerful defibrillation that would hopefully start up his nodes…assuming they were still intact. In any case, the machine would begin to pump the organism's heart for him if it fell short, although it would only do so if it detected signals attempting to do so on the thing's part. Hopefully, after all that was done…the EKG sensors that now dotted his brain and nervous system would register activity. If so, then the creature would live again.

_Live again…_ Shinza thought. The idea was amazing. Never before had anyone in history attempted this on what was, for all purposes, a fossil. But they were actually going to do it. If they succeeded, then this large organism would snap out of its hibernating stasis and would actually live again. Something this large…coming to life. It excited her more by the second.

The three gathered around the front console. They quivered with anticipation. Nervously, they looked to one another and gave anxious grins. Shinza looked back to her screen. The last few nanites integrated, and the screen announced it. Now, it only offered the chance to commit. Nearby, the EKG and brain activity sensors read totally flat. Shinza tightened her fists once and relaxed, and then turned back to her assistants.

"Ready?"

Detec gave a nod. "Let's do it."

Shinza turned back to the screen. She licked her lips nervously…trembling with excitement. But at last, she spoke the word.

"Computer…initiate the program."

Immediately, the liquid inside the sac fizzled. A cloud of air bubbles was generated, and with a hiss a great flash of light suddenly erupted and bathed the interior of the sac in a soft glow. For a moment, the wired-up creature vanished, as a bright blast of light enveloped it. However, that died down soon enough. It lowered its intensity and diminished to a steady, yet softer, glow around the organism. The bubbles rushed to the top of the fluid, and disintergrated. Moments later, the creature rippled once violently, as the stints delivered a powerful shock to his inner body. After that, they began to softly run.

Shinza and her assistants turned down to the console. A great blip went out once from the shock…but then it went flat. Nevertheless, they hung on. Shinza wrung her hands together and prayed once again, just as she had before. She hoped what she saw wasn't a fluke. She desperately hoped that it would hold. For a few fateful seconds, there was still nothing. The EKG was flat, and showed no activity from the brain or nodes.

But then…very softly…the line began to squiggle. It quickly widened over the next few seconds, and then, with a sudden snap, became the regular curves expected from the heart nodes. Not only that, but the waves for the brain activity began to enlarge, and soon began to become quite distinct. The creature's motor functions were arrested for the most part, but still, the researchers gaped at this in astonishment, and then looked up to the creature itself. Shinza felt enthusiasm begin to surge within her…and great joy began to come across her face.

"Oh my god…" Sarap announced in a breathless whisper.

"It's really happening…" Detec added in much the same way.

"He's alive…" Shinza murmured aloud, staring at the thing. Slowly, a smile began to spread across her face. Her volume grew. "He's alive…he's actually alive! This is the greatest-"

_WHAT ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!_

The joy of the three researchers disappeared as a powerful, monstrous voice ripped through their heads with such force that it flung the two assistants back and to the ground. As for Shinza, she was thrown back in her own chair, and her smile was swallowed up by sudden surprise. The two assistants landed with a heavy thud on the ground. After doing so, however, their faces quickly turned from interest to fear. They scrambled up and looked to the creature before them.

"What…was that?" Sarap suddenly sounded.

"I…I think…it talked to us…" Detec answered, trembling and nervous now.

Shinza blinked at the organism. It hadn't moved at all. Yet that voice…it had been so powerful and strong…it had actually thrown her body with its might. She couldn't deny she had heard it. Even now, she heard it echo through her mind. "But…that's impossible…" She slowly answered. "He has no vocal chords. Even if he did, he couldn't…"

_Where am I!_ The voice suddenly blasted in their minds.

Shinza silenced immediately, and was flung back again. The young men slid back on the ground, staring in terror at the thing. However…it still hadn't moved.

_Why can't I move?_ It continued. _Why can't I open my eyes? What am I floating in? Who are you people! You're not humans… You don't even have the same energy as that from Gaia…_

The three were petrified. They didn't know what to do. They just heard a powerful voice rippling through their minds now. They couldn't deny it again. There was a presence in their heads…and it was talking to them. Shinza quivered and sat where she was. She stared again at the thing. It hadn't moved…it couldn't move… Yet there was little doubt in her mind that it was what was talking to her. But before she could ponder this any longer…she suddenly gasped once, and bent her head forward. She felt…strange. Something was happening. She couldn't tell what…but she continued to lean over and gasp a moment. It was like…something was running through her head. Not something physical…but something none the less. It was running through her mind…looking into what was there…uncovering the emotions she was feeling…opening her recent memories…and eventually pushing its way to somewhere behind her eyes…

Abruptly, the tone went violent.

_My body… What are you doing to my body! Are you trying to dissect me!_

Shinza recoiled in fear again. She found herself suddenly released from whatever came over her, and was free to lean back at this point. However, the voice was growing aggressive now. She was stunned. She wasn't sure what was going on exactly…but she began to understand. This creature…somehow, it was telepathic. Even after immobilizing its body, it was able to reach out and talk to them through their minds. Yet she had little time to worry about being excited for this new finding. As the voice grew angry…she felt herself seized again. Only this time…she felt a physical presence suddenly grabbing her. She looked down in shock at this, but saw nothing. Yet the feeling grew stronger. A grip was tightening on her. Suddenly, she felt her body yanked out of the chair and into mid-air. The assistants gasped, and looked to her as her body suddenly hovered over the console, being held in the air by an invisible force. It became clear at that point to Shinza that this creature was also telekinetic…and now, it was attacking her even without a body.

Detec had seen enough. Both of the young men were terrified now, terrified of the invisible force that was reashing out and attacking them. They stared in growing terror at Shinza. But finally, Detec managed to get enough courage to move. He suddenly sprung up from the ground. In another moment, he would have reached over and pressed the emergency abort button, instantly shutting down the devices that were keeping the creature in the sac alive. It would have killed it instantly.

Yet before he could, Shinza managed to call out to it.

"Please! Stop!" She cried. "We didn't do this to you! Let me explain! Please!"

Detec, struck by the sudden urgency of Shinza's voice, froze. Sarap was already staring at her, but both of them now turned to her and looked in puzzlement. If she could cry out, why didn't she cry for the computer to shut the systems down? Kill the thing now? It had her in its grip, and there was no telling what this monster could do to her… They had to get rid of it now before it did something else.

And yet…after she said this…everything paused for a moment. No more screams of anger. No more telekinetic attacks. No more anything. Just silence and stillness for a moment. The assistants didn't move. They stood there and nervously waited, while Shinza's own wide-eyed, fearful stare looked forward. Her feet dangled above the ground, and her body trembled in growing anxiety.

At last, something did happen. Slowly…Shinza's body was lowered back to the ground. But it wasn't thrown back on the floor or tossed down roughly. It was gently lowered back into the chair which it had been in a moment ago. Shinza slowly came to a rest, and she felt a force loosening on her as the telekinesis released her. She blinked and looked around in confusion at her body after this happened, and then sighed in relief.

_Talk._ The strong voice ordered, although not nearly as aggressive this time. _And as for you two…don't even think about shutting down these systems. I'll be on you before the words leave your mouth._

Both Detec and Sarap leapt back at that. Shinza herself was surprised, and turned and looked to them in shock. As for them, they soon stared at the creature with even more anxiety than before. Detec shrank away a bit from the console himself. The doctor immediately understood. Of course…he was telepathic. That's what he was doing before. He had gone into her mind…saw through her eyes. That was how he knew how he looked like right now. And he knew what they were thinking. Apparently…they were wrong. This creature was dangerous even now. However, she dared not anger it again. She turned back and spoke up as ordered.

"Alright…we didn't do this to you. We found you like this, adrift in space." Shinza began. "We're a research vessel. We were looking for strange lifeforms. We were en route to a nebula to investigate particulate matter that came from it when we encountered you."

There was a pause from the creature. Actually…one couldn't tell if it was thinking or not. It lacked the ability to even form a thoughtful expression. In fact, there was really no telling whether or not the mostly lifeless mound of flesh in the sac was actually the one making all of these noises and forces. He showed no signs of life, for certain.

_Yes…_ The voice finally answered, seeming to be musing over. _Yes…I remember now. Wyvern…he took my limbs… But…I can see my body through your eyes. I am in far worse condition than I was at the end of that battle… _Another pause. The voice seemed to be going off on its own stroll down memory lane at this. _What did I do? How did that end? I remember flying…feeling myself dying… I wanted to go to space, take my body from Gaia… I thought it better if humanity was never able to research my flesh… I remember…being so strong that I actually survived as I broke the world's atmosphere…but then nothing. My wings continued to bear me after I passed out…_

Shinza hesitated a moment. She was calmer now. The voice was in a much less violent tone, and seemed to be growing calm as well. He seemed to remember the bits of damage that had happened to him as well, which helped their case. The assistants were still nervous, but Shinza was relaxing, and managed to speak more easily.

"Your body… I don't know what happened to you, but somehow your body ended up in space. I'm not sure if your people had spacecraft or not…but somehow it did. When it did, the decompression caused internal hemorrhaging throughout your body. It blew your eyes out of your skull. It turned your lungs into wounds. It destroyed most of what was left after whatever damaged you last. Your body dessicated while adrift. Your dead cells began to turn into dried matter. Anything could have snapped them off. That's why your body is so deteriorated."

The creature hesitated at this again. This part, no doubt, was quite a shock to it. It had to take a moment to process this stunning amount of information. Again…Shinza felt a presence in her brain. This time it went right to her eyes. When it did…she, amazingly enough, found herself helping the creature out by looking up and to his body again. She felt a cold ripple at that…from inside her brain. The consciousness there was disturbed. Now…it looked at itself much closer than before, examining itself.

_…I don't believe it._ The voice finally answered. _I should be dead… Look at me… I'm barely even recognizable as a creature… How am I still alive?_

Shinza couldn't help but smile nervously at that. "To tell you the truth…I don't know. Somehow, your body must have had a great deal of potential ATP inside it. As crazy as it sounds…even with all the damage that happened to your body, you didn't die. You slipped into some sort of inactive state. And because you were in space, your body was preserved from rot and pathogens. Even though you were dried out and frozen, being in space didn't kill you…but somehow preserved your body. We thought you were a corpse, initially. We brought you on board to examine you, and we found that you had proteins in your body that reacted to sunlight, only needing that to work. Because of that, we thought that if we rehydrated your proteins…supplied you with nutrients…and gave you high enough intensity light, we could actually reanimate you. We did that just about three minutes ago…and, as you can see, you woke up."

The creature didn't answer this. Shinza didn't detect any change in mood, either. In truth…her species was somewhat "mentally inclined" as well. Her race had evolved that ability in this stage of evolution. However, the ability wasn't nearly as well developed as what she was experiencing now. Her species was somewhat empathic, but nothing more. Still, it seemed to be the same. When it spoke again…the violence was gone. Now, the creature was quiet…and sounded bewildered and confused.

_But…all of these things you've attached to me…_

"You're on heavy life support right now." Shinza responded. "Your heart and lungs are shot. You need machines to operate them for you. The medium you're floating in is nourishing your cells and filtering out wastes. Your eyes are only sockets now, so we covered them to prevent further damage. And you have so little functioning alveoli left that we need to keep you breathing purified oxygen."

In response to this, Shinza received a surprise. The creature paused a moment…but then gave a snort.

_…Hmph…a living corpse…_He slowly muttered. Another brief pause followed that. _Again…death had it out for me…and again I escape him…although not without consequence this time…_

Shinza blinked for a moment at this. She had no idea what it all meant. However, she had totally calmed down at this point. And because of that…she felt somewhat excited. She was actually talking to the strange creature that had been a fossil not five minutes ago. This was amazing… Detec and Sarap, however, didn't seem to share her sentiments. They continued to stay backed off, and looked to him nervously every second. A long pause occurred between the two sides. Shinza licked her lips, but after not hearing anything new from the creature for some time, she spoke up again.

"We theorize…that you've been adrift for at least 500 years. We're amazed. We've never heard of anything able to hibernate in space, much less for this long. The fact that you could be revived is amazing. It means you still had intact cells even after all that time. Frankly…you're one of the most fascinating creatures I've ever-"

_Leave me._

Shinza found herself cut off. Her growing enthusiasm was quenched, and she looked up in puzzlement to the creature at this. As for the assistants, they too looked up in confusion. They leaned in close and stared at the beast after making this statement.

"…Excuse me?"

_I wish to be alone to think. Leave me in peace for a time._

The three researchers continued to look puzzled at this. Shinza finally looked away from the creature, and turned to those behind her. They simply stared back, likewise puzzled. In the end, she turned back to the creature and shook her head. "We…we did have some things we wanted to test first. And, since we can talk like this, I'd like to tell you more-"

_Young lady._ A somewhat stern voice suddenly sounded, a bit annoyed and tired. _I'm sure that this is all very fascinating and wonderful to you. But to me…this is humiliating and depressing. I thought I would die in peace 500 years ago. Now, suddenly I am alive and I am some sort of lab specimen for the fancy of some overly eager college students who are eager to make a name for themselves as winners of some award in Biology that I have very little care for._

Shinza was taken aback by this. Of course…the thing was reading her mind. He was reading all of their minds. He knew their desires…the hopes they had running through their heads when they stared at him. And in truth…Shinza realized…that until she realized this thing was intelligent, she intended on keeping it as a specimen. Tissue cultures…DNA analyzing…metabolic rate tests… She had planned to do this all if they could have made the thing live. After all, shouldn't she try to know all about her specimen? But now that the specimen was talking back to her…and was actually sophisticated…she realized, in tension, that such things no doubt had to make the creature rather mad. No wonder it had accused her of trying to dissect it…when it knew those thoughts in her mind…

"I…I didn't mean…"

_No, you simply didn't think._ The voice curtly cut off. Shinza was surprised at this sharp rebuttle. _You thought that because I wasn't a creature like you that I was just some prize for your laboratory, not a sentient being with thoughts, concerns, and feelings. All you thought about was how my body was going to further your career. I will answer you one question right now… The reason that I was in space when you found me was because I was trying to keep my body from being used by curious, amoral scientists such as yourselves who would have turned my organs into works of art at best or engines of destruction at worst. I now find myself 500 years removed from my world. I have no friends or family left. The only woman I ever loved has long since passed into the Lifestream. And now…I am a barely conscious, mostly eroded piece of flesh floating in a tube to be gawked at by researchers like you for the rest of my remaining years. I am rather upset about all of this. So if you have any decency or respect for me as a sentient being…you will leave me alone to try and begin to accept what has happened to me._

Shinza, where moments ago had been intrigued, and before that scared, and before that joyful…now found herself humbled. She swallowed a little, and bowed her head slightly. The creature was right. She wasn't thinking. How would she feel if she suddenly woke up without arms, legs, or functional organs in a laboratory years after she had died…to be a sight for the eyes of scientists? What if she could read their minds, and they had no concern for how they had brought her back or her state…but thought only of what she could do for their careers? That was a horrible thought…and she realized, in abashed shame, that was exactly what she had done. The creature was right.

The young professor licked her lips once, but then rose from her seat. She didn't say a word to the creature again. She merely turned and looked to her assistants. They had frozen now. They heard everything that the creature had said to Shinza in their own minds. However…they were nervous. They knew the creature was telekinetic. What if he tried something while they were away? What if he had other powers they weren't aware of? They weren't so eager to leave him alone. They looked down to Shinza as she neared them, and hung back. They implored her with their own silent stares to stay.

However, Shinza refused. She continued to back up to them, and spread out her arms silently as she did so, pushing against them to lead them back. The young men frowned. They looked back up to the creature a moment, and then back to their professor. She continued to force them along. At last…they realized they were getting nowhere. Sighing, they turned and allowed themselves to be guided back to the turbolift. Shinza followed right behind them, and stepped in last and shut the door. Moments later, they were on the way to A deck.

The creature was left alone in his sac, wondering, if he still had eyes, if he would be crying now at his own dismal fate…

* * *

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea in the first place…" Sarap asked nervously. "I mean…what if it attacks us again?"

"We should knock it out. Keep it unconscious while we run the tests." Detec suggested. "We could put it into a coma…but we'd have to get close enough to it to do that…"

"I think it's just plain dangerous." Sarap responded. "It'll never let us examine it now…not after that."

Shinza didn't answer any of this. She continued to stare out in space, and thought of their new arrival downstairs. It was later now. They had been up at the table for hours. None of them had said or done anything for a while. The assistants were terrified to act too much in one direction, thinking the creature, though below, would sense them and react. They couldn't even clean up breakfast. But now, it was much later than that. The table was clean, and the three sat at it and pondered these latest events. Sarap nervously exhaled again and again, while Detec wracked his brains for a solution. But none of them said much. They didn't risk saying anything out loud. Shinza herself simply stared out into space, and thought about what was going on…

"We could try and kill it." Sarap suggested after a while.

"In the words of the old fable…but who will bell the maus?" Detec answered. "I don't even like thinking negative things now."

"What if it tries to kill us in our sleep?" Sarap asked. "What if it tries to decompress the atmosphere? It can move stuff with its mind. Who knows what else it can do?"

Detec frowned and let out a sigh. He, for one, still believed this to be a great specimen. He didn't want to blow it on fears. But Sarap's own notions were well founded. What if they couldn't control it? What if it somehow acted against them? What if it became violent again? Both choices represented a threat to them, but especially in the implementation. They were at a loss. At last, Detec turned to Shinza.

"Professor, what do you think?"

Shinza was snapped out of her staring into space, and turned back. "Huh?"

"About the organism. What do we do about it?"

Shinza hesitated for a moment at this. Her mouth hung open and moved, but not sound came out. After a long hesitation, she finally swallowed and gave a shrug. Her mind seemed distant, and she seemed like she wasn't focusing on the conversation…which, in fact, she wasn't. "Oh…well…how about we just let things go for right now. We have an eight year mission, after all. And he doesn't have anywhere else to go."

Detec frowned and sighed again at this. He turned back to Sarap. His fellow assistant looked to the table and nervously drummed his fingers. He had one nail in his mouth and bit it uneasily as he looked down. One of his legs were shaking, showing his anxiety. At last, Detec sighed, and then pushed away from the table. "Fine then. I'm going to bed. It's getting late anyway."

Sarap snapped his head to him at this. "Are you serious?" He asked incredulously. "You actually want to go to sleep with that thing poking around in our brains?"

"Well, we can't stay up forever." Detec answered. "Besides…I don't think it's interested in us right now."

Sarap continued to nervously sit a moment. He was still shaking. However…with an anxious look, he began to rise from the table as well. His own anxiety was taxing his reserves and making him tired. "Yes…but still…"

"Good night, professor." Detec interrupted, looking to Shinza. She had not moved, and had resumed staring out into space once she had said her piece. However, she looked again to Detec at this, although she still was distracted-looking. "You should probably come to bed too. We've had a long day."

Shinza blinked and stared back a moment. But in the end, she gave a nod. "Oh…" She said, in a somewhat distant voice. "Alright…yeah. That's probably a good idea. I'll just have some tea and then I'll turn in."

Detec looked back to her a moment, but in the end gave a nod. He turned and began to move away from the table and back to the rear exit. Sarap hesitated a moment, still looking uneasy. But in the end, he sighed and left as well. The two young men were soon leaving the central kitchen area and descending the short staircase. After that, they soon returned to their rooms, and after two sets of door slides, the deck was silent.

The lights were dimmed now to give the crew a better feeling for night. In truth, time was a bit relative when journeying through space, but the crew kept a 30 hour day, just like on their homeworld. Shinza herself folded her hands and stared out once again. She was alone now, and the area was silent, leaving her completely secluded with her thoughts. She inhaled deeply once, and then exhaled. At length, she did rise from her chair, and went over to the cooking area. With somewhat rehearsed movements, she reached into a half-opened box resting on the counter and produced a small dark disk. She inserted this into a nearby device and pressed a button. In less than three seconds, a steaming cup of tea was dispensed onto a cup below, which Shinza took and sipped. As she did, she leaned her body against the counter…and continued to stare out.

At last, she could take it no longer. Still holding her tea, she turned and walked off of the raised kitchen platform as well. But she didn't make for her room. She went for the turbolift. Once there, she quickly passed through the automatic doors, and inside she requested to go to B deck. The door shut soon after, and her body was soon whisked away down below. Her face continued to stare out with a preoccupied look all the while.

* * *

Seconds later, the doors opened again. Shinza found herself in the darkened lab. Keeping with the "night" motif, the power had dimmed here as well. She could request it to light up, if necessary, but she didn't at the moment. She didn't even notice the dim lights. Instead…she turned all of her attention to the one bright spot in the laboratory…the glowing tank that held the strange creature.

Shinza hesitated here, and quivered. She was nervous. Did the creature sense her? If so, would it be impatient and want her to leave? Would it strike again? She didn't know…but as it turned out, none of these things happened. The creature remained still in his tank, and no sound waves echoed through the woman's brain. The body was motionless as it floated in the medium. However, the life support devices continued to register, signaling that the creature yet lived. Seeing this, Shinza at last moistened her lips…and walked forward into the room.

She was on the console in a moment, but she stopped only to set her tea down. The click of the cup on metal sent an echo through the silent room. Everything was quiet here…and it unnerved her slightly. She was left to anxiously wait for some sign of life from the creature, which would shatter the silence and her nerve in one fell swoop. However, the creature didn't react. It continued to silently float inside of its tube. Shinza stared at it for a long while…before she finally found herself moving. Slowly, she stepped around the console in front of her, and made straight for the tank itself. She did so until the glow of the lights came over her as well, and she stood right next to the massive sac and the creature within. She hesitated again for a moment…before she suddenly lowered herself to the ground and sat. She reached her arms out and wrapped them around her legs as she tucked them in. There, she halted.

The professor stared earnestly at the creature for a few moments. She no longer drifted off into space, but was transfixed on the beast himself. She swallowed again.

"…Hello? Can you hear me?"

_…Yes._

Shinza couldn't help it. She leapt back a little, and felt a ripple of fear travel through her. She hadn't been expecting that strange way of talking. However, she calmed down and leaned in after a moment. "I…I didn't know if you were asleep…"

_Neither did I._ The voice answered, rather calm but not friendly. _I can't very well tell if I am asleep or awake when I can't move any of my body._

The professor hesitated here. "…You should be fine by tomorrow. We gave you a paralyzing agent…just to arrest your movement that could tear out life support…but it will wear off by then. You should be able to move…whatever you can." She finished this last part a bit lamely.

_I see._ The voice replied, again calm and unfriendly.

Shinza clutched in for a moment, and bowed her head slightly.

"I…I want to apologize again…for earlier." She finally managed to say. "You were right…I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry if I insulted you. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you…"

Shinza heard a snort in her mind at this. _I can think of very little that anything could do me for good at this moment._ The voice answered. _But out of possibilities…I do have one that I find myself leaning more and more toward as the hours pass. I might request that you shut off the life support, and let my already dead body rest..._

Shinza sat upright at this, and looked to the beast in surprise. Her eyes widened and she clutched her hands to her chest. "Oh no!" She called out to him, imploring in her voice. "Don't talk like that!"

_Hmph…"talk", you say…_ The voice sardonically replied. _And why not? Look at me. I'm a brain in a useless body. I have nothing left. I don't know where I am, and I don't know anyone else. I have nothing else. I'm not even home. The very place I'm in right now is a mechanism meant for me to cheat death. And you may not know this…but I've already been alive for over 6,000 years. I haven't much left to do…assuming I could do anything in this body…_

"But you can't want to kill yourself." Shinza insisted, pleading with the creature. "You may not be in the best shape…but you're alive. You're talking. You can interact with people. If you give us enough time, we can build prostheses for you to get around with…"

_Do you really care about my quality of life?_ The thing suddenly retorted. _Or are you just worried about losing your precious specimen?_

Shinza was cut off at that. She hesitated a moment, and nervously licked her lips again. Her head bowed, and she trembled slightly. However…it only lasted for a little while. In the end, she inhaled deeply, and raised her head to look at the creature again.

"Alright…I'll be honest." She finally said, her voice becoming firmer and stronger. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in studying you. Right now…there is nothing more on my mind that I would like to do. You are the most unique organism I've ever encountered. Your way of staying alive is different from all other creatures known on record. You could rework the phylogeny of life based on your species alone. And yes…my people would be fascinated by this. Yes, I and my assistants would probably become famous for publishing these results. You are a biologist's dream.

"But I swear to you, I don't want to just make you a specimen in a glass jar. And after this morning…after seeing how you felt about it…I'd never try to put you on display for people to gawk at. Perhaps I would have up until the point we revived you…but now, you're a living, sentient creature. You're intelligent. You deserve the right to life the same as any of us, and to live the way you choose.

"I do want to study you…but I don't care if no one else ever sees you or tests you. My main interest regarding you is knowing more about you. You are so fascinating…so new…so different… I've been thinking about you all day. Already, what we discovered is remarkable. I can only imagine what else I can find out. But mostly…I care about it myself. I'm curious about you. I'm interested in you. I want to satisfy that curiosity, yes…but I don't want to make you a freak. I want to just know about you…everything about you. Even if no one ever saw my results but me, I'd still love to learn about them.

"But that's not all I want to learn about. I mean…you just said you've been alive for at least 6,000 years. That makes you the oldest living thing on record. And you're intelligent. I can hardly begin to comprehend the knowledge you have to have. You have 6,000 years of history of an unknown planet in your mind…a complete data set about another world we've never encountered before. You've experienced mental growth and emotional changes that none of us have ever fathomed would be possible due to short life. You…you're like a living ledger…a history of a world. Everything that you know…it's just as valuable…maybe even more valuable…than what you are. And I want to know about it too. I want to know all about your world and where you come from, and what sort of environment makes creatures like you. You can teach us all so much just by what you are."

The voice didn't answer any of this. It didn't show a response in positive or negative. It merely continued to float motionlessly. Shinza hesitated again, looking to the creature. She nervously stared a moment longer, but then spoke again.

"Can you please just give us some time? A few months…a year…then I'll do whatever you want. There's so much we all want to learn about you. There's so much in terms of history and biology that we can learn…and who knows what else. You won't have to be on display or anything. We're in space on a research voyage. It will be another seven and a half years before we return to civilization. No one will be around you except me and my assistants. No one ever has to see you or gape at you or anything. Please…just give us the chance to examine you…to find out what kind of creature you are. Tell us about yourself. About your world. About everything you know. Share some of your knowledge with us. You are such a great opportunity…you're such a fascinating creature. I've got to have the chance to find out about you…to find out what things you know and what makes you able to live for so long under such stressful conditions." A pause afterward, and then Shinza added more. "It will at least give you something to be left behind…some record of who you are and where you come from, if you really want to die. Just please…give us some time. I can't bear the thought of missing a chance to learn about a creature like you."

Silence reigned after this phrase. Shinza was done. She was nervous about this. The creature, for all purposes, didn't give a care about what she liked or thought. It probably just wanted to get out of its horrible situation. She still prayed that he would give her a chance, however. She didn't care nearly so much about publishing results and getting awards…so long as she just had the chance to learn about this marvelous organism before her…to get some idea of the things it knew. At last…a dark voice answered.

_Normally…I would say no. You see, I can still see into the minds of you and your assistants. Both of them are filled with fear, and yet are desperate to make names for themselves as scientists. They see me…and see an easy way into getting renown, a scientific career, and all the grant money they could ever need. Trust me…if I read your mind and saw the same things…I would use my telekinetic power to rip this stint from my chest and rob you of your "prize" right now._

Shinza trembled at this and swallowed, growing anxious again at the thought that the creature would kill itself. And yet…that only lasted a moment. Afterward…the voice grew lighter.

_However…as I said before, I can see into your mind. And you do seem to be genuine. While your assistants go to bed thinking how they could work around the problem of me being sentient and capable of acting out on them…you came down here to apologize. And I can tell that your desires are true…that your primary interest in me is to satiate your own great wonder and curiosity. If you do want to learn from me, then you want to do so for the sake of knowledge and not for your own glorification._

Another pause went out. Shinza felt a bit more hopeful now, and she eagerly looked to the creature. Did this mean he'd agree? After a moment longer…the voice finally sounded again.

_Very well. I'll give you some time._

Shinza face immediately brightened. "…Really?"

_It's not like I can do much else. And I haven't lived for 6,000 years to easily want to embrace death…yet. Seven and a half years is nothing to me. I'll give that to you. Afterward…I might want to die simply to ensure you don't make me a sideshow freak for the rest of my days. However… _The creature paused here, and grew grim. _I will have conditions._

Shinza hesitated, but then gave a shrug. "Alright then…what do you want?"

_I'm not going to go through this impersonally._ The creature answered. _I wish to know who you are, and likewise I will not submit to any tests being known only by a serial number or "the specimen". I could go into your mind to ask you who you are and what you are. I know enough to know that you are not human. Your energy reading is totally off, not identical to Gaia's in any way. And you seem only humanoid, but not a true human. And so…who are you?_

The woman hesitated again at this. This was a bit unexpected, but in the end she figured it was essential. After a pause, she finally gave a nod. "Well…my name is Dr. Shinza. I'm an Ettecan."

_Alright. My name is Bahamut. I am an esper.

* * *

_

To be continued...


	32. Matters of Faith

Early the next morning, the turbolift doors opened again. The lights were on full strength now, accentuating the "time of day". Shinza readily exited and made her way toward the console at the front of the room. Her assistants were more nervous. They didn't really seem to be all too convinced about what they had heard that morning, when Shinza had told them at breakfast that the specimen, which she no longer called "the creature" or "the fossil", but now Bahamut, had agreed to allow them to research him. It seemed to be a dramatic change of heart from yesterday. They were still of the opinion that this creature was rather violent and disagreeable, and not a complicated creature like themselves…as Shinza was beginning to realize.

The two somewhat crept in, seeming to stay close to the wall and cringing slightly, when they walked in the next day. They kept their eyes on the tank at all times, and braced themselves for some impact or accost. Shinza herself was already at her console, in the chair, and beginning to type away before they reached their own stations. However, what unnerved them the most is that as they drew closer, the head of the beast suddenly raised and aimed itself to them within the sac.

"He can move!" Sarap suddenly sounded. "I thought he was on neurotransmitter blockers…"

"He wanted to be off of them." Shinza answered, causing the blind organism to turn to her next. Her voice was calm and simple. "Because he's doing us this favor, I figured it was the least we could do for him."

_I'm not going to bite you, if that's what you're scared of._ The mental voice boomed inside Sarap's head. _Besides, about all I can do even with movement is wade my nubs of limbs in this fluid and look around a bit. And even then, my neck is still sore. I think my bones need time to knit in it._

By now, Sarap was nervously staring at Bahamut as well as back to Shinza. This return had only made him more unsettled, especially when the creature joined in with talking again. However…at least he wasn't angry-sounding this morning. He seemed a bit irritated with how scared he was, but in the end he was able to down it. He forced himself to straighten up and walk the rest of the way to his console…trying not to look at the great creature in the tank staring at him through its dead eyes. He finally made it to his position, and began to fire up his own devices. Detec made his way to his own spot with some tension, and did the same.

_Alright…_ Bahamut announced in everyone's mind. _What do I do?_

"You don't have to do much of anything." Shinza answered from her spot, looking up from her controls and to the creature. "Just sit or…um…float…or whatever, there, and we'll do the rest. First things first…I'd like to get a tissue culture."

The twisted mouth behind the breath mask frowned. _Get the bad stuff out of the way first, I suppose._

Shinza looked up again. "Computer…obtain a tissue sample from the spec…er, designate Bahamut."

If possible, the creature appeared to roll its head back and groan slightly. He appeared to also be getting ready for the inevitable pain, and imagined great futuristic slicers coming in and cutting off a part of his skin. However, nothing happened. A few moments went by of silence. In the end, Shinza looked back down to her screen and began to type. Detec did the same thing. "And…we're done." She announced.

Now, the creature seemed to look puzzled. _…Excuse me?_

"That's it. We got the culture."

The beast hesitated for a moment, seeming puzzled. _Hmm…that wasn't nearly so bad as I thought it would be. I thought you'd cut off a part of my flesh and stick it in a glass dish._

Shinza snickered at that…as if she honestly thought that was humorous, or a joke. "Maybe if we were medieval barbarians…but that would just be a senseless waste of material. We have nanites now that can excise a good layer of cells and maintain them…even grow them, if we need to. You didn't see it, but it took off a single column of tissue about as wide around as a dot of writing. Besides, even if we did need to take more, we would have put down a layer of synthetic skin as soon as we removed it, sealed all the blood vessels off, and given you a localized injection to prevent pain."

Bahamut appeared intrigued by this. _Impressive…far beyond what we would have had on our world._

Shinza couldn't help but smile and snicker again. "Well…don't feel too bad. If your world was full of creatures like you, I don't think there'd be much need to worry about having all this technology, considering how advanced you are." After that, she turned to the assistants on either side. "Ok, boys. Analyze the protein structure and start running the basic fitness tests on him."

_Do I have to do anything for that?_

"Oh no." Shinza answered, quickly turning back. "Not at all. We already have all of the sensory equipment attached to you via the stints. You just need to sit there and act normally. We may have you breathe a bit harder later or subject you to warm or cold medium for a minute or so, but there's no need for that right now. This is going to be kind of a boring part for the next few hours…"

After saying this, Shinza pressed a few more buttons on her console. She activated a few devices. After pressing them, she looked to the ceiling, and saw a panel slide aside. A lens-bearing device slowly lowered from it and fixed into place. That wasn't all. Sound recording devices began to switch on around the room as well. With all of that done, Shinza turned expectantly back to Bahamut.

"So…how about we get started with the oral part of the research?" She asked. "Talk to us."

The body shrugged in the tank. _About what?_

"Well…anything, for a start." Shinza answered with a shrug of her own. "Like, you said you were an esper. What sort of a creature is an esper?"

The body hesitated a moment. One of its arms moved, for though it was handless it still made the old calculated movement of coming up to scratch the chin. However, on realizing that was impossible…the arm stopped.

_Well…_ Bahamut started after a moment. Then, abruptly, he cut himself off. His tone grew cynical. _I'm afraid you aren't going to get much from me if you're trying to record me. Keep in mind, though I sound clear as day to you three, the rest of the universe doesn't hear so much as a sound._

Shinza's face suddenly painted with recognition, and she frowned and smacked herself in the head. Of course. They were only hearing mental messages from him. With a groan, Shinza pressed a few buttons again. The camera overhead went back into the wall, and the recorders shut off. "We'll have to do something about that soon, if we can… Maybe we could hook up a voice synthesizer." She muttered aloud. With a sigh, she pressed a few more buttons on the computer, adjusting things. After a moment, a new program appeared on the screen, and she hovered her hands over the keyboard. "It's a good thing I took that typist course…we'll have to do it the old fashioned way."

_I also regret to tell you a synthesizer would do little good either._ Bahamut continued. _The truth of the matter is, when you talk to me, I'm hearing nothing other than a confusing chittering of syllables. The only reason you can understand me and I you is because telepathy is a more universal code. In terms of language…I haven't the slightest idea what you are saying, and the same would go for me._

Shinza heard this, and she rolled her eyes and groaned again. She hadn't thought of that, but it made sense. "Darn it…" She sighed.

_That's not all, I'm afraid._ Bahamut went on. _You had better couple recordings of my brain activity with your writing. That may lead people to think that I am actually giving you something to write down. Otherwise…I'm afraid you three could be mistaken for lunatics. As you aren't recording me saying anything to you, it will look a lot like you are talking to a mostly dead piece of tissue in a sac, and then writing down some fantastic delusion._

Shinza groaned and gave a whistle. "Wow…you sure have thought ahead about all this."

_It's a rough habit to break._ Bahamut simply answered.

The professor hesitated a moment, taking in all of these new details, and then went to work again. Fortunately, an active, thinking brain gave out its own signal, compared to one that was of a comatose creature, or of one that was just a basic creature without reasoning ability. Bahamut, however, was obviously a reasoning creature. And fortunately, as Shinza recalibrated the machinery, she noticed that she was recording activity of that kind from him. With that in mind, she sighed again, and turned back to her console once more. Once there, she inhaled deeply, and then looked up to him.

"Alright…shoot."

_Very well. An esper…well, it's kind of a hard question to answer. On my world, we were the most intelligent beings for thousands of years. We were interested in pursuing knowledge about all things. Our high intellects combined with our long lives gave us tremendouswisdom of our world. However…we never did so much need to look to ourselves. _

Shinza began to type this down, but kept her inquisitive mind working. "Really? You never became intrigued by signs of your previous civilizations? Old lore and history?"

To this, Shinza heard a chuckle. _You're looking at our history, young lady. We had no past. We were born from the Planet in our original number. Their were eight of us at the start. We just woke up one day as children…and there we were._

Shinza gave a nod to this and wrote it down. "So…this would be the Creation Narrative for your religion…"

To that, however, Shinza suddenly felt a cold snap go through her mind.

_I have lived through enough of history to see history become myths._ Bahamut's voice suddenly retorted. _What I just said was not a mere fantasy or children's story. I told you the truth. I was there, after all. We did not exist for thousands of years. Then…the Planet itself gave birth to us. The original eight of us. Please show me some courtesy. If you are going to wave off what I tell you as being some fabrication, then I think we might as well stop here before we go any farther._

Shinza was stunned, amazed at the biting retort that Bahamut had made. His voice had grown fierce and serious, and he blazed back at her with conviction. To anyone else…she might have overlooked this as some creature just being devout and faithful to their religion…while secretly trying to find the history behind the myth. However…Bahamut was not anyone else. What he was claiming wasn't something normal. She leaned in.

"Do…do you mean to tell me, that in this stor…er, history…you were one of the original beings yourself?"

_That's what I just said._ Bahamut answered somewhat roughly. _I am immortal. I have been alive since that time._

This was puzzling. Until now, Shinza, and everyone else in the scientific community, discredited most religious stories. All creatures came from other creatures. They denounced any role of any creator playing a part in this, or something new arising. The only things that ever came that were new weren't new at all, but were the products of change for over thousands of years.And yet…Bahamut was now standing here, telling her this… What he said, of course, couldn't be true. It had to be some delusion on his part. He had to not be telling her something. He had to have come from other esper-like creatures, regardless of how long he lived.

"Well…who was your mother and father?"

_Another thing I must warn you about…I _despise_ having to repeat myself. My sole parent was the Planet itself. I had no other mother or father._

Shinza hesitated at this. What was this supposed to mean? He had to have something…

"Um…well…who took care of you when you grew up?"

_I awoke already weaned. One of my older siblings cared for me, and for the rest of us._

Now it started to make more sense to Shinza. In truth…she felt a bit disappointed. It appeared that Bahamut wasn't a natural phenomenon at all…and that made her hopes sink a little. He had to be a genetic creation, some product of engineering from other intelligent ones on his world. It made sense, after all. What creature could naturally have the ability to live so long? Or utilize the sun's energy? Or have such mental ability? Or be able to withstand being in space? That was unfortunate. So much for rewriting phylogenies… But still, he was a marvelous creature to behold. He was well beyond the genetic manipulation their own race was capable of…

_You don't believe me._

Shinza froze. Again, she cursed herself. She forgot that Bahamut could read her mind again. And the voice was curt and cold. Shinza swallowed a moment.

"…I don't want to be insulting, Bahamut." She replied after a moment. "It's just…well…we stopped believing in stories of creation long ago. We find it a little hard to swallow. I don't want to be the one to say this, but…it's more than likely that you came about through more natural means than you think. I mean…I don't want to discredit you or anything. I'm just…I'm just prone to the possibility that it was something that was more likely to have occurred. That's all. This is how my people would normally explain things, you know…in the realm of potential science. It's just a practical way of thinking of things. You can understand that, I'm sure. You're an intelligent creature yourself. You've had to have dealt with creatures that were not as educated or experienced as you. You know how they…well…" Shinza hesitated. She had a fear this would make the creature mad…or would get him to clam up. But she felt she had to say it. She had to explain herself. "…Well…confuse things. They become…fooled. I mean…I can easily see lots of people seeing you from less developed worlds and thinking because of your mental powers that you're some sort of god or diety. And you don't think of yourself that way, do you?"

_Not at all._ Bahamut responded…his voice still dark. _However…I have to say, in the end of all things…that I'm surprised at you, Shinza._

The woman hesitated again at this, and looked to the tank in puzzlement.

_Your interest…in these out of place artifacts…they are all about rewriting the scientific dogma of your world…and yet you so easily snub the first exception to the "rules" that you encounter._

Shinza was stunned at that response. She hadn't expected it…but, just as yesterday…she felt the truth in it strike her to the core. Bahamut was a very inciteful creature, it appeared…much more than she expected. And now, he had pointed out the obviousness of her sudden hypocracy. It didn't change her mind of course. Oh no…she still firmly believed that Bahamut was mistaken…that he had to be made through more natural means than this fantasy he had come to believe in. It didn't make her think less of him either. She just thought he was deceived and deluded. It could happen to anyone. However…she couldn't deny that she was acting a little out of her element in defending her theory. She supposed she should have been a bit more open-minded…

Yet how could she? This was preposterous. A world…a nonliving collection of elements…couldn't give birth to anything. It was simply not possible. Sure…some ecologists on her world tossed about the idea of a "Gaia Hypothesis", that worlds were so interrelated to their biotic and abiotic components on a global scale that worlds might in fact be organisms themselves…but she thought the idea was ridiculous. Worlds were rocks with gaseous or solid-based centers. Nothing more. They couldn't have children or think or do anything else but float in dead, empty space.

At any rate, Bahamut managed to calm himself after a moment, and continued. He didn't stop as he had threatened, fortunately. He went on for the next few hours to describe his other family members and the state of the world on his awakening. This only served to confirm in Shinza's mind that her theory was correct. If they had truly been regular creatures, Bahamut and his children should have looked the same. Some sort of race prior to their existence must have done it. Bahamut kept alluding to an "Old World" that had been around before him…and Shinza formed a theory about it. This last world seemed to have no concept for resource conservation or order, as her own society managed to adopt before they had a breakdown of world order centuries ago. However, at the peak of their technology, they must have tried to engineer Bahamut and the other seven espers that had been mentioned. Somehow…they must have survived the end of all other civilization and were dormant while the world recovered. When they woke up hundreds of years later, they could only assume, as they lacked any parents, that the green, regrown world around them had spawned them. Perhaps this "Ultima Nexus" that they spoke of was a former flying station that used the magnetism of Bahamut's homeworld of Gaia to stay aloft.

Even then, the story was fascinating. Bahamut began to tell stories of strange new climate patterns, plants the likes of which Shinza had never heard of, and countless other great facts about his world. For example…Gaia rotated once every 24 hours. Etteca, on the other hand, rotated once every 10 years. It was only due to the immense amount of geothermal heat that had been produced by Ettaca that life was sustained on the dark side for 5 years at a time. Gaia was much cooler, but with the sun continuously shining around it in small bouts, it managed to stay warm. He also told stories about how the flowers were fertilized by flying insects. Etteca had flowers, but most of the insects that pollinated them were subterranean beetles that went dormant for years at a time. The rest were pollinated through wind and specialized grabbing receptors. Overall, the flowers on Gaia had to be much smaller, but also more efficient.

Shinza's fingers flew constantly with new information over the keyboard for hours as tests were run non-stop. But eventually, she felt herself growing hungry. It was growing time for lunch soon, and that meant a break. She could hardly bear to tear herself away. This was all terribly fascinating to her. Yet in the end, she finally heard Bahamut come to a good point to stop, and broke it off.

"I'm sorry…I'd love to hear more about all of this, but it's getting to be time for lunch. We should probably stop here for now."

A pause from Bahamut's end. _Alright. I take it that I myself do not need to eat, due to being suspended here?_

Shinza shook her head. "No, you don't." She answered. "I guess we'll start again in an hour." After that, she began to push herself up from her chair. Detec and Sarap stopped their own work and began to turn away as well. Yet before any of them could get much farther, Bahamut called out to them again.

_One moment._

Shinza stopped, and looked back to the tank again. "…Yes?"

_If it is just the same to you…I would like something related to your race. I would like to start studying about your species in my free time. I don't have much else to do here._

The professor stopped at that. That was surprising. She had been expecting to learn from the creature…not the other way around. However, seeing how smart he was…she supposed it did make sense. After all, what else could he do? And perhaps he was curious about them as well. Nevertheless…this caught the woman off guard slightly.

"I thought you wouldn't be able to read it?"

_I wouldn't. But if it has enough pictures, I can start forming associations. And I can gain a lot from visual data._

Shinza frowned and shrugged. "Sorry… The onlystuff we have is contained in computer data. And we can't very well get you over here. We'll have to rig up another screen to get it in front of you."

Bahamut hesitated after hearing that. _…Very well._ He answered with some disdain.

Detec and Sarap moved at this, and began to make for the exit. Shinza began to move as well…but hesitated. In the end, she turned back to the console, and the floating organism. After a pause, she shrugged.

"I…think I can put on some music though. It's not much…I don't listen to a lot…but it's something."

The creature hesitated again, but in the end nodded.

_That would be nice.

* * *

_

"I know it's usually customary to wait until these voyages are over to present any findings…but with what we've found I think you'll agree with me when I say I couldn't possibly wait."

"I do… Wholeheartedly."

Shinza was back on A deck. After eating lunch, she had gone down and had her assistants run more tests on Bahamut while she continued to interview him. The amount of knowledge he possessed was amazing, and he continued to make her marvel with more and more. However, earnestly as she wanted to press him for more…eventually he forced her to stop. He remembered that she was supposed to "rig things up" for him, and he eventually halted and reminded her to take time out to do these things. She ruefully complied, and began to work out designs. She much rather would have continued to indulge in the wealth of information that Bahamut was giving her…but she had agreed. And she had to remember she was talking to a sentient creature now, and she had to be respectful to his wants and needs. Therefore, the afternoon wasn't nearly as profitable in terms of lore as the morning had been. But there was quite a bit of information none the less.

Now, Shinza was seated at the front of her room at the computer. She had activated the communications program, and was now sending her message across millions of miles of space toward her home university. She had managed to ring up an old mentor of hers, Dr. Folle, from the university who happened to work late, and also was on the board of commissioners who were reviewing her project. She was most delighted to share the first few nuggets of wisdom she had managed to obtain from her new acquaintance. She beamed with delight as she saw the change on his face on the display before her, where, back on Etteca, he was seated at a console and seeing her in much the same way.

He shook his head after a moment at this. Back on his screen, Shinza was crushed to one side while the data that she transmitted to him ran down the other half. He turned to her after a moment. "I can't believe you've managed to turn all of this up, Shinza. This is fantastic. I mean…it's a pity that the specimen is missing so many body parts and isn't mobile…and that you don't have any population to compare him with. But you'll pretty much make the front page of every other biological field if you can get a complete data set from him. He's beyond the dreams of any genetic engineer. When he wasn't like he was now…the specimen must have been the pinnacle of evolution. What I would give to know where he came from…"

Shinza whistled a bit at that. "You're not alone there. Hopefully, he'll give me enough information in future talks to try and deduce where it was." However, after saying this, Shinza's face fell slightly, and she looked a little nervous.

"And…um…his name is Bahamut." She finally added, a bit lamely…correcting Folle referring to him as the specimen.

"His name can be High Foofy King of Creampuffs for all I care." Dr. Folle answered. "You've got to keep him talking, Shinza. This biological data is already gold…but what he's telling you is worth even more. He's like a living encyclopedia about a world none of us ever knew existed. And if the people there managed to engineer him, there's no telling what else that his world has. Based on what he's telling you, he'll have information of great value to historians…geologists…ecologists…maybe even psychologists. The moment this report gets published, I know they'll want to shrink the head of a moody creature that's been around for 6,000 years."

Shinza looked a bit uneasy at that again. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Well…I'd like to keep that quiet for now." She answered after a pause. "You see…he's not too happy about what's going on with him right now. The worst possible thing we could do to him is treat him like a sideshow freak for our people to gawk at."

Dr. Folle hesitated as well after hearing that. He twisted his face and thought a moment, but in the end gave a nod. "Yeah…I think you're right. For now, just keep everything low key. After all, you have seven and half more years out there with him…although in a month I think you'll have enough data to publish a findings paper. By the end of this year you'll probably be ready to give in your first test experiment data. And after that…there's no telling how much will show up. Already, I'd give my right eye to be on that ship right now."

Shinza couldn't help but grin at this, and made a teasing gesture by putting a hand up to her nose. "Na-na-na-na-na!" She teased in a mock fashion. "I'm here and you're not!" She ended with a raspberry.

Folle grinned and chuckled a bit as well. The two laughed a bit longer after that, but calmed down soon afterward. Folle smoothed himself out and gave her a nod. "Alright…keep up the good work. Send me your results when you think you have enough for a paper. I won't lie to you…people on voyages do normally wait until they return to publish anything…but if there was ever a time to make an exception, I think it's now. Good luck."

Shinza smiled, and gave a nod in response. "Thanks. See you soon, doctor."

Folle gave one more smile and a nod, and then disappeared into a blip as the screen shrank down into blackness and shut off.

* * *

All night, Shinza lay awake trying to think of new things to ask Bahamut the next day. Now that she had gotten an idea of what he knew, the thought of what else she could learn intrigued her. So far, he had only described the hovering land and the things there. Who knew what else there was? Perhaps ruins of the civilization that gave birth to him…or other incredible creatures that at least partially shared his genotype. She was so excited, and kept adding to her massive list of questions, that she couldn't barely shut her eyes or stop quivering with excitement.

She was up two hours early and scrambling to eat as quick as she could the next day. Her sleepy assistants lagged far behind her. They were excited as well, but only so far as the data they were collecting. Most of Shinza's inquires didn't hold as much interest. Besides, it wasn't like the specimen was going anywhere. After having spent a day with him, they were getting much more accustomed to him and at ease, and hence weren't too troubled by potential danger. But Shinza couldn't hold her excitement. She was finished with breakfast long before the assistants even got up to eat. She was then forced to nervously wait for them to finish as well.

At last, they were all done, and they went down to B deck. Shinza practically ran into the turbolift and went down, nearly leaving the others behind. Once they arrived, she dashed out of the front of the device and ran forward to take her previous position. As for her assistants, they moved at a more regular pace out to the sides to resume their own analyses once again. Shinza was already eagerly sitting in her chair by the time they reached their own locations.

"Good morning, Bahamut." She announced out in a hurried voice.

The head in the tank gave a nod. _So it is morning. I have trouble telling what time it is in this place, even when the lights are dim. It has been a rather tedious night… I still seem to have much of my energy despite having this broken body._

Shinza didn't pay much attention to this. Her main concern was with getting started. Quickly, she leaned back in her chair and thought up her first question. "Ok…here's what I'd like to know first. Was there any evidence that your brothers and sisters could absorb solar energy like you, or, as you implied, did they all absorb somehow from their own elements?"

Shinza was a bit stunned when Bahamut replied simply.

_No._

The woman blinked at this, a bit confused. "Excuse me? Was that a no to them absorbing solar energy, or absorbing from other elements?"

_It was a, "No, I do not wish to answer your question"._

Shinza hesitated again at that. Her face turned into more puzzlement. "I'm…not sure I understand…"

A sigh went through her brain as the creature leaned back in its sac. _I answered questions all day yesterday…and I am rather bored with it. No questions today. _

The professor looked to him in puzzlement. That was it? He was just saying, right off the bat, that he didn't want to be asked anymore questions today? It irritated Shinza a little. She had been up all night, planning all sorts of inquiries…and Bahamut had just up and canceled things right as they were going to get started. She ignored the fact that she had kept him talking for hours on end the other day, or the fact that the creature might be bored with having to respond to everything she wanted to know. However…Shinza had cleared her own schedule, deferring everything to her assistants, specifically so that she could ask him as much as she could in as short a time as possible. And now…he was calling it off.

Shinza frowned a bit, and leaned back in her chair. She looked around a bit at herself, and sighed. "…Well, in that case, I have nothing." She finally said. "I guess I'm done for the day…"

_Oh no, you're not._ Bahamut immediately answered, causing her to look back up to him. _I may not be answering any questions today…but I didn't say anything about you._

The assistants looked up at this, and turned in puzzlement to the esper. Shinza herself looked up, and blinked slightly in confusion. "…Me?"

_Yes, you._ Bahamut answered. _I have very little to do here, so I feel like providing myself with some mental stimulation at the very least. I said I wanted to research your race and people as well. However, since there's no computer available for me yet, I'll have to settle for you. You can tell me what I want to know._

The woman winced uneasily. Never before had she heard of a test subject testing its researchers. And this had caught her off guard. She had been so prepared to quiz Bahamut, and now she suddenly found him turning things around and aiming at her. This was irregular. However…she didn't want to make him upset again. Losing him would mean losing far too much. She supposed that she could deal with it. After all…it couldn't be that bad. It did seem like kind of a waste to her, however… In the end, she merely gave a shrug.

"Well…I guess that's ok…"

_Good._ Bahamut instantly answered. _First question…what are you?_

Shinza blinked at that, and looked a bit uneasy. "Well…like I said before, I'm an Ettecan…"

_That term is about as meaningful to me as I telling you, "I am a mountain ibex." To me, you look rather like the humans of my world. You are a bit thinner, you have gill slits, and your ears are rather pointy…_

On hearing this, a ripple traveled through Shinza's body. Instinctively, she turned red a little, and flexed her ears back before reaching up and putting her hands on them.

Bahamut hesitated at this. _…Did I say something wrong?_

"Oh…" Shinza slowly answered. "Um…not really. It's just…well…about my ears. I have rather long ears for my race. It's considered a mark of beauty back on my world…and all sorts of people would always come up to me and comment on my ears."

The creature hesitated for a moment at this.

_…Lewd sorts of people?_

Shinza blushed again, and nervously grasped the ends of her ears and pulled down.

_No need to answer that. I understand now._ Bahamut calmly answered, in a tone indicating he would leave the matter at that. He gave a second for Shinza to relax, to gradually release her ears and straighten up. However, on doing so, he spoke in a brighter voice. _But that's something I'd like to know. Something like that. What is of interest to your race? What makes you different from the ones I know back home, or to other races on your world? For example…you said to me that you operate on a thirty hour day. Does that mean your world turns six hours slower than mine?_

Shinza hesitated a moment. However, she did recover from the first question after a little, and gave a slight shrug. "Well…actually, no. Our world only rotates once every ten years. We have five years of light and five years of darkness…at least, what you consider a year. Because of that, we count our ages in days."

_Interesting…_ Bahamut returned after a moment. _What does that make you?_

"Five and one noon days."

Bahamut gave a chuckle at that. _Sorry…I can't help but laugh. It strikes me as somewhat amusing. I'm used to having much shorter time periods._

Shinza sighed a bit at that. "So does the rest of the universe. We now operate on the galactic standard day, which is 30 hours. We adjusted well to this. We found that we can adapt well to sleep and wake cycles of much shorter duration. Almost all of us have been doing that for over a thousand years now."

_Now? What did you do before?_

"Well…the truth is, it's no problem for an Ettecan to stay awake for five years at a time, like they would in nature…or how we used to."

_Wow…that's impressive._

"It's really nothing. You see…we go to sleep for five years after that. In terms of your months, our ancestors spent the last few months eating protein rich foods and lots of mineral supplements. When the sun went down, we would find a nice spot to rest, lock our legs up, adjust our bodies, and go to sleep standing up. Over the first year of darkness, our skin hardens, darkens, and lifts off until we form a rock-hard chrysalis. We become totally dormant, to the point where our hearts beat once every two hours. Then we would stay like that until the next day, where we would slough off the old skins and have a new set."

_Very interesting…_ Bahamut remarked in response. _No wonder you had the idea that I might still be alive…_

Shinza hesitated at that. "Well…it's really not the same thing. If there was an emergency, like something beginning to break the chrysalis wall, our bodies would reactivate. Besides, we may become very dormant, but we weren't anything like you. All of our cells continue to work, although at a very slow rate. You see…we age inside the chrysalis as well."

Bahamut's head raised a bit to that, seeming very interested.

"In the old days, before we had more regular hours, it wouldn't be uncommon for a child to come out a teenager, or a teenager to come out an adult." Shinza continued. "And there used to be cases where older Ettecans would pass away while in their dormant state." Shinza hesitated again at this, but then suddenly bowed her head and gave a snort.

The creature was intrigued by this. _What was that for?_

"Oh…nothing."

_I am intrigued. Please tell me._

The professor sighed and leaned back a little. "Oh…it's just something that comes into my mind whenever I think of what I just told you." She answered. "We haven't entered this phase in centuries. I have no idea what it looks like. But in earlier times when we did it regularly…" She began to trail here, and sighed again. "There was this…superstition…"

The creature didn't look away. _What sort of superstition?_

Shinza sighed again. She leaned back a little and waved her hand afterward. "Oh…in our past, before we adopted science, we had tribal cultures that were run by myths. And one of them was that one who died while they were in the chrysalis wasn't dead at all, but that they were transforming, just like an insect does so when they go into a cocoon. They were supposed to be going to be some higher creature on another plain of existence. And so they would take their chrysalis and place it up in special areas along with other ones, and they would guard them."

_Sort of like a cemetery._ Bahamut answered. _I understand. But why does this trouble you?_

The professor frowned again. "It was a meaningless waste, that's why." Shinza answered. "Nowadays, our planet has such a lack of biomass that our bodies are efficiently recycled back into the soil once we die, to ensure we can be absorbed for future generations. But this…this stupid myth culture. All it did was take up acres of good land on our world with nothing more than stands with rotting bones inside. No one was ever going to transform into anything except wasted atoms that could be used by other organisms. Our ancestors had to give themselves burdens of guarding these plots against wild animals and invaders, and all for nothing. They were dead. Gone. There was nothing left. They never even bothered to break open a chrysalis to see the contents, to see if they were really changing or if they were just rotting away like the rest of us. And above it all…it was a reason for prejudice. People who had their relatives die in that state were considered nobler or better than other people. It was just a stupid act of fate."

The creature did not respond right away. He continued to float in his fluid, but kept his eyes focused squarely on Shinza. She exhaled again and tried to right herself as she sat there. The esper himself was quiet for a long while. But in the end, he spoke up once more.

_It still seems to me to be an interesting little bit of information._ He finally admitted. _It's a pleasant thought. To me, it shows a universality of sorts between Gaia and Etteca. After all, many people on my world await another life beyond this one. The chance to perhaps become something else that is not so restrained or mortal…_

Yet to this, Shinza merely snickered and shook her head.

"All it means is that your world still has fools and ours doesn't." She simply answered. "We've cast off those fairy tales long ago. It's a kid's fantasy. That's all. It's simply not possible. There's no scientific basis for it…just some dumb wish. Some people on my world still like looking into that stuff…but I just wish our society would hurry up and close that book in history, so we can get on with our lives."

Bahamut didn't answer this. He continued to float in the tank, and stared on at Shinza. After a moment, however, the woman sighed, realizing what she was saying and who she was talking to. She turned back to the tank afterward. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to insult you."

_No, no…it's quite alright._ Bahamut answered…although his voice was somewhat distant. However, this lasted only for a moment.

_What can you tell me about your family?_

Shinza hesitated at that, and felt herself grow a bit stiff. She hesitated a moment, but then she gave a shrug. "Ettecans have only one child nowadays. Population control. My mother worked a lot. My father did too at a plastics plant. Once I was old enough to go to school, I left."

Again, Bahamut hesitated. This time, Shinza's unease began to be replaced by visual irritation. It was obvious that she was growing terse with this. Bahamut stared at her a long while with his unseeing eyes. But then he snapped out of it, and he spoke in a brighter tone. _Well, there's a lot of information I can gain from you by reading your mind, so you don't have to bother telling me anything, but I'd much rather have you just tell me. After all…mind reading is so rude. Why don't you tell me how you became interested in OVAs?_

On hearing this, Shinza snapped out of it. She looked up and smiled immediately. This was a much better subject for her.

"You really want to know? It all started back in high school…"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	33. Defense of Ideals

_Two Years Later_

"Are you ready?"

"As…ready…as…I…can…be."

"Alright…let's give it a shot."

With that, Shinza reached over and activated the prosthesis. A humming sound came from it, and soon it began to buzz and whir as it came to life. With this, she looked up to Bahamut again. He had changed now…and was a far cry from what he had been two years ago when they first pulled him from the void of space and revitalized him. He was still enclosed in a sac that kept his ravaged skin from being infected, as well as nourished him. However, the membrane was much closer to his body now, only rising six inches from it. What more, it had been cut short around his stubs for legs. Instead, his body was now mounted on a much smaller platform that was linked up to a small set of treads. This motorized array also held the devices for life support that reached up and covered his body. That wasn't all, however. It also held a large loudspeaker. The ship lacked the resources to make proper voice synthesizers, but they managed to give one to Bahamut that fixed into his mouth along with the breath mask. It only produced a monotone voice, but it worked. A red quartz visor was now placed over his formally destroyed eyes, feeding sensors into his brain to give him black and white images. Finally, the sac was cut short around his severed limbs…to which long, rod-like arms were now attached. Both had a ball and joint wrist on the end, and a three pronged claw or clasp on the end for gripping movements.

The professor leaned back now. Her assistants watched anxiously from behind. Shinza clasped her hands and watched. As she did, Bahamut's head slowly turned in the tank so that he was facing the longer of his severed limbs, and saw his new metal appendage. He hesitated for a moment. He focused on it all the while, and seemed to be forcing something. However, the neuron-connections were being made already. The signals from his mind were being rerouted into the device, and it was starting to click. At long last…with a slight grunt…Bahamut raised his new metal arm into the air. He opened the claws, flexed them in their joints, and then closed them again.

Shinza smiled. "Alright!" She cheered.

It had been a very eventful two years for the crew. They had found nothing else unfortunately, but they had more than enough time to work with Bahamut. By now, almost all of the morphology and biological tests were over. They had subjected him to every one they knew of, testing every aspect of his ability. Much of it was still being analyzed, but Shinza had collected enough to send not one, but two research papers back to the university for publication. Both had been published by now, and from what she was hearing they were being received well by the biology community.

Yet that now took a back seat to the new information that she was learning. Over the past two years, Bahamut had filled her ears with endless bits of information about his homeworld of Gaia. She learned about one new creature after another, strange patterns of geology, languages, cultures, types of life…endless amazing things. She pressed him for so many questions continuously that she could scarcely let him move forward each day in terms of time. As of currently, he was only beginning to describe a technical Out of Place Artifact on his world, the Oblivion Stone. However, that was only one of many devices she had heard described that made her marvel. Of primary greatness was the Crystal he kept mentioning. Every time she heard about it…she thought what she would give to be able to see that. Once of the people of Etteca heard about it, she wouldn't be alone either.

However, Bahamut had continued to make requests of her. He stopped her every now and then to devote hours to her talking about herself and her world. It wasn't too hard. Bahamut was eager to learn like her. And what was basic knowledge to her was an intricate detail to Bahamut. For most of the time, they got along well here. And yet…every once in a while, Bahamut would stop her and go into more detail that revealed her personal feelings. It almost always had to do with her world's myths or dead spirituality types. Every time…he wanted to analyze her feelings about this. And every time…she found herself growing a bit upset at some silly notion of religion. Yet at the same time…he also began to grow conscious that she would get angry as well, and would tense up before breaking it off. Aside from that…there was the fact that Bahamut kept asking her about her childhood. Shinza had little to say. She always gave the same brief overview story…but it was never enough. Bahamut always wanted to hear more. Sometimes…Shinza would clam up until he agreed to drop it. He had to admit that he didn't like that aspect of their relationship. But other than that…things were good.

Bahamut had become less and less some creature in a tank and more and more of an individual. Even if Shinza would have not done this for him, he would have made her eventually. He had a love for Ettecan music, and by now a controller had been placed inside Bahamut's tank for him to listen to it whenever he wished. That…plus a small keyboard. He used this to operate his own personal holographic screen display that put itself before him at night. Initially, he had only used this to play audio files for him to study off of. But now that he had visual sensors, he could read the contents of the screen so long as they were in a sharp enough contrast. And he had learned to read their language as well. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. It turned out he had brought Shinza before him and had her read the letters out loud to herself for three hours on end. As she did, she felt Bahamut dive into her mind and watch the associations and changes that accompanied it. By the end of the three hours, Bahamut was able to make out the gist of everything he saw, and after a week he was quite fluent.

Bahamut did something similar to learn how to speak. Until the recorder was installed, the creature could do nothing but talk mentally. But once the artificial speaker was installed and placed in his mask, he was able to produce a monotone, computerized voice. There were much better ones back home…but sadly they were still far from it, and this would have to do. Once he could use this, he once again read the minds of those present to get a grasp of their language. After a day or so of that, he was speaking to them fluently. It was a godsend, really. Now, Shinza's cramped hands were freed from typing, and the recording equipment could be used. That, coupled with Bahamut's new attachments, meant that the esper would be becoming more and more "normal" as time went on.

"How is it?" Shinza asked.

"Pretty…good." The voice responded. "But…a…little…strange. I…can't…feel…it…move."

Shinza looked a bit down at that. "Yeah…about that. We did mostly just cobble this together. If you agree to come with us back to Etteca, they'll be able to give you much better."

"Assuming…I…go."

Shinza hesitated at that, and swallowed a little. But then, she gave a nod. "Yes, assuming you go."

Both of them paused for a moment here, looking a bit uneasily to one another. However, that only lasted a moment. After a short break, Shinza leaned up and gave out an exhale. With that, she turned and began to make her way back over to the console. Her assistants, that had been fixing these new attachments to the esper, now turned and made for their own consoles once again. Once Shinza was back, she quickly sat down in the chair and began to fire up her recording devices.

"Oh, there is one thing I meant to tell you." Shinza started, much more cheerfully. "It has to do with what we found out after our caloric consumption per cell tests. I think it might also have something to do with how you managed to revive."

"What?"

"The data shows something very unusual. For an organism of your size, your energy requirements should be minimal at best. That's because you retain more heat as you get larger, and don't need to expend as much energy. However…we found just the opposite to be true. You seem to make energy more rapidly than the smallest warm blooded creature we have on record. You're storing incredible reserves of it inside your cells. In all likelihood, we could have left out ATP as one of the essential nutrients we gave you to revive you."

Bahamut hesitated after hearing this. "So…I'm…very…efficient?"

Shinza winced at that. "Just the opposite, actually. Because of your extra energy, as well as the countless other energy saving mechanisms we've discovered in your body, you are able to maximize all cell functions much faster and stronger than any of us have ever anticipated. And, from the looks of it, it's much faster and stronger than your _body_ anticipated as well. At full strength, your body would literally start killing muscle cells from heat loss, and your body would be so strained I can't begin to imagine what the slightest stress would do to it."

"Believe…me…I…know." Bahamut answered. No longer did he convey any emotion in his tone, but Shinza could still pick up something through her own empathy. Some rueful memory was coming into play when she said this. At any rate, she continued.

"The bottom line seems to be that your body is too primitive to handle the level of power you currently possess. It's like trying to shove a mainframe program onto an archaic word processor. If your body was at the point where it could handle this level of energy…there's no telling how powerful you'd be. It would exceed all of our estimates. Let's just say that it's a good thing you are able to somehow consciously control your own energy output. If you weren't, your life expectancy would shrink to hours."

Bahamut didn't answer. He thought for a moment instead. His claws lowered to the ground slightly, beginning to supplement his other gestures. Shinza wasn't sure what he was thinking of, and this time her empathy didn't help. But in the end, the esper looked up once more.

"Shall…we…begin?"

Shinza looked to him a moment, wondering if he was still upset at all. However, she saw nothing to indicate it, and finally gave a nod. "Yeah." She answered, getting excited once again. She licked her lips, and reached over to switch the recording devices on. Once they were all running, she turned back to the esper. But not before calling out to the sound recorders as well.

"For those of you watching, you'll notice that Bahamut looks different today. We finished adding his prostheses, and he's moving again after 400 years. Bahamut, can you show them?"

Deciding to play along, although beneath his breath mask he grimaced a bit, Bahamut raised one of his claws, opened it, and waved at the camera. He quickly replaced it soon after.

"Ok. Bahamut, yesterday you began to talk about a new OVA, the Oblivion Stone. Was this at all similar to the Crystal?"

"It…wasn't…a…true…OVA. It…was…made…by…Hades. None…of…us…could…replicate…the…technology…yes, but…we…did…make…it. It…wasn't…of…the…same…nature…as…the…Crystal…although…it…was…built…to…counter…the…four…fragments. The…Oblivion…Stone…was…more…of…a…capacitor…of…energy."

Shinza leaned in at this. "What kind of energy did it collect?"

"Feelings…of…hate…despair…fear…anguish…anything…that…was…related…to…evil. It…literally…collected…evil…and…darkness."

At this, Shinza did something she frequently did since they began to record these conversations, seeing as she couldn't edit it while writing it. She called out to the camera.

"What Bahamut means by this is cast off energy and heat that was produced while a person was upset, angry, or depressed." After saying this, she turned back to the esper. "Now, you say that the Oblivion Stone was intended to counter the Crystal. How would it do that?"

Bahamut didn't answer right away. His visor stared silently at Shinza for a moment, in response to what she had just said. However, it was only for a moment. Then he spoke up again. "It…focused…the…energy…it…had…collected…to…turn…the…other…crystals…dark. It…countered…their…abilities…to…bring…life…and…made…them…kill…the…Planet…instead. It…made…them…things…of…evil."

Again, Shinza turned her head to the ceiling. "What Bahamut means by this is that somehow the catalytic properties of the OVAs were deactivated by this new one, somehow by focusing energy on them. The areas that had been benefited by the catalytic properties then began to die off, due to their source being cut off." Again, she turned back. "Now, Bahamut…"

"I…did…not…mean…that…drivel." Bahamut returned, suddenly glaring at Shinza and looking far less friendly than before. She could soon sense a growing amount of anger coming off of him.

Shinza looked to him a moment, and sighed. Here they went again. She turned over and shut off the recording devices before they wasted any good time, and then looked back to the esper. "Bahamut, what are you doing?" She asked him. "We're ruining the feed whenever we do this."

"It…needed…to…be…ruined…because…it…was…a…lie." Bahamut retorted, his anger growing. "Why…do…you…keep…editing…me?"

Shinza frowned a bit. "I told you this before. I'm putting it into terminology that researchers of my world will understand and accept."

"You…mean…secularizing…it."

The professor bowed her head a bit, and raised a hand to her nasal bridge. "Bahamut…again, I hate it when we have to have these talks, because I don't want to be insulting to you. But you have got to see where I am coming from. No one on my world except for a few sects of barbaric radicals believe in these concepts of good and evil. And if I was to put down in a report that some stone was made to channel the power of darkness to blot out good for the world or something, they'd think I was a fool, and you were stupid. I've been around with you long enough to know that you're an incredibly intelligent and sophisticated person. You have an intellect on par with some of the great minds of my world. It would be an insult to you if I put these terms in when I know that they would ridicule you and call you some prehistoric dinosaur. I respect you too much for that."

"If…you…respect…me…so…much, then…how…come…you…don't…believe…what…I…say?"

Shinza was caught again. Bahamut was very good at catching her off guard with questions like these. She hesitated at this, and didn't know what to reply. A few moments of silence went by between the two of them. Bahamut continued to float, while Shinza continued to look down and look a bit uncomfortable. She didn't want Bahamut to be insulted. She really didn't. Yet she couldn't fold into his old notions. That was the only part about him she couldn't stand. If only he would get rid of them…then she wouldn't feel so...uncomfortable...

"I'll…continue. But…only…if…I'm…unedited."

Shinza looked up at this, and saw Bahamut suddenly stiffening, becoming firm and irresolute. "Oh, come on, Bahamut. It's not like you have to care what we think anyway…"

"That's…my…condition. Obey…it…or…I…say…no…more."

The professor hesitated, and sighed slightly. The ball was still in Bahamut's court as far as information went. They couldn't afford to refuse him when he brought these things to mind. Shinza didn't want to bend…but in the end, she supposed she might as well. It didn't matter much anymore, anyway. All of the scientific data had been taken. From here on in, most of it was history unless they could find the objects he was talking about. She supposed they might be able to get by with this. They could always edit it later, after all. In the end, she gave a nod. "Fine."

"Alright…then. Now…for…the…other…effects."

* * *

"Well, it shouldn't be too much of a problem." Dr. Folle answered with a shrug from his side of the communicator. "I mean, technically we can't confirm that your scientific explanations are accurate either. He can say what he wants."

Shinza sighed a bit at this. It was later again that day, and once again Shinza was ready to turn in. However, she had decided to pay a visit to her old acquaintance back home via the communicator. Every week, she sent him her accumulated data. It was through this method that she was able to present her findings without actually being present. It was very unusual, but not entirely irregular. What more, Shinza was now trying her hand at something new. The historical accounts couldn't very well go into a research paper, but they could go into something else…

"It's just that I want to make sure this information I'm giving you won't be ridiculed. I don't want to just come out and spit in his face that he's believing a bunch of lies."

"Well, I'd say you were a fool and inconsiderate if you did." Dr. Folle answered. "Seriously…don't worry about it. You're in great shape even without this. Your papers are a sensation. They've made the cover of at least five different scientific periodicals. They've been included in more commercial magazines as well. And after this latest bit, we'll have enough of a draft to take to a publisher about this historical account that you've been wanting to see put out. It already has plenty of steam. Everyone is going to want to hear the memoirs from a living fossil come back to life. And this will actually have capital involved. You'll be making royalties."

Shinza smiled a bit uneasily at that, and winced slightly with a shrug. "Technically…those royalties belong to Bahamut. It's his story. He doesn't know about it yet, though. I'm hoping it will be a success. Then maybe people will start to respect him as more than just a new organism on our world."

"You think he'll change his mind?"

Shinza bowed her head and sighed a bit at that. "Oh…I don't know." She slowly answered. "Some days are better than others. I want to keep him talking. As long as he keeps talking, he has a reason to keep going every day. If he doesn't, then I'm not sure how long I can keep him. I mean…even with the prostheses we gave him, what kind of life is it to spend the rest of it in a fluid-filled sac, not able to see, eat, talk, or even move that well?"

Dr. Folle exhaled a bit as well at that. He couldn't very well say much to allay her fears. That was a big problem, after all. And there was no easy answer for it.

After saying this, the younger woman raised her head and formed a more inquisitive look.

"That was why I was wondering…about my proposal."

At this, Dr. Folle's face sank into a frown. He raised his hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "…I'm afraid you may be asking for too much there."

"It would really help me, and especially him. It would give him something to live for."

"I know…but I doubt many other people do. Seeing him alive is one thing. Seeing him fully functional is another. And if this latest report you sent to me is correct, you have no idea how strong he really is. They'll want to review the creature for themselves."

Shinza sighed and rolled her eyes. "That's five and a half years away…"

"That's the way it is."

"What can they possibly test him on that I haven't tested him on already a thousand times over?"

"It's basic scientific method, Shinza." Dr. Folle returned, quite calmly and somewhat sternly. "Results have to be repeatable by third parties. And so long as he's still with you on your craft, then no one can check him out directly. After all…your results are so incredible it's a little hard to believe some of them. There's actually an investigation committee inspecting the authenticity of your tapes of him."

The woman frowned and groaned again.

Dr. Folle shrugged. "I'm sorry, Shinza. That's how it goes."

The woman hesitated and clenched her hands for a moment. After a few seconds, she sighed and turned back up to the doctor on screen.

"Alright…but please keep pushing for this. It would mean a lot to him…and to me. I'm out."

Shinza pressed a button, and the doctor again vanished into a blip.

* * *

"Something…on…your…mind?"

"Hmm?" Shinza asked, raising her head from the console for a moment. It was the next day now. Shinza had been thinking about her proposal all night. In truth…it did sound a bit ridiculous. Unless you knew Bahamut personally, there was no way you'd agree to it. Now, she did, and she knew that Bahamut wouldn't willingly hurt anyone who wasn't a threat to him. But there would be a hard time of convincing others about that, especially since he was telepathic. She had been stewing over how to possibly do something about this, but had come up with nothing. Bahamut had just shaken her out of another period of being lost in thought about it.

The woman turned to Bahamut, and shook her head. "Oh no…it's nothing." She quickly pulled herself up once again. "So…are you ready to begin?"

Bahamut hesitated for a moment at that.

"Actually…I…would…like…to…question…you…again."

Shinza held for a moment. She knew what this meant. A bit nervously, she inhaled a little, and then eased back into her seat once again. There was a few moments of silence before she shrugged. "Alright. Go ahead."

"What…was…your…favorite…toy…as…a…child?"

Shinza hesitated after hearing that. That was an odd question…and it made her pause a moment. In the end, she gave a little shrug. "I don't know… I suppose it was some little stuffed Chubleepus I used to carry around. Those are some sort of large creature on our world, similar in size to your dogs but more like your rodents in appearance."

"How…long…did…you…have…it?"

Shinza paused again at that, and then cracked a small smile and shrugged. "I don't know…until I was about eight, I think. I took it everywhere with me. I couldn't sleep or play or do anything without my Chubleepus. I wanted to go to class with it, so I stuck it in my bookbag and cuddled with it whenever we went to the coatroom."

"Do…you…still…have…it?"

Shinza snickered a bit to herself, and shook her head. "Oh no…it's long gone. Probably a good thing too. It looked pretty ratty and diseased by that point…"

"Then…did…your…mother…throw…it…away?"

The professor paused here for a moment. Her smile disappeared. "…No."

"Did…you…throw…it…away?"

"…No."

"Did…you…lose…it?"

The woman stared straight ahead, unblinking. Her face was expressionless, not giving the slightest clue as to her private thoughts.

"…Yes."

"How?"

"I just did. I dropped it off in the woods one time."

"Why…didn't…you…go…back…for…it? It…was…your…favorite…toy…wasn't…it?"

"It was just a stuffed Chubleepus."

"But…it…had…significance…to…you. You…couldn't…go…anywhere…without…"

"It's gone! Alright!" Shinza suddenly snapped, coming out of her daze to look angrily at Bahamut. The shock was so much that Bahamut actually rolled back a little on his treads from her. Shinza's face was painted with anger for a moment…but then quickly calmed down again. She turned her head back down and she became looser and calmer again. She took a few deep breaths.

"Sorry." She finally said. "I'm just…a little tired, that's all."

"I…see." The monotone mechanical voice returned. It was silent for a moment afterward. But after a few minutes, it spoke again.

"You…really…became…interested…in…OPAs…in…high…school. What…about…elementary…school?"

Shinza hesitated a moment, still calming down. She shrugged. "Oh, I don't know… I didn't really think that much of it at the time. I studied a lot, just like when I got into high school."

"Did…you…make…many…friends?"

Shinza stopped again at this. "…No."

"Sorry…to…hear…that." Bahamut answered.

The woman sighed a bit, but shook her head. "Don't be. From what I hear, you were a loner yourself. I just always kept to myself. I was always shy. For some reason…I never liked hanging around kids that much. I never did play the games with the other children. They were always mean to me as a result, of course. You know…the one kid who stays out is the freak to be ridiculed. Most of the times I interacted with other people was to be teased or something. I never got along well with any of them. I got into a couple of fights, it turned out. Mostly, however, I just went off to some corner of the playground somewhere and played by myself. It was much better when I got into high school. More students there were actually specialized in things, and had my same interests…"

"So…" Bahamut continued. "You…made…friends…in…high…school?"

The woman hesitated again at this. A look of unease came over her face. She bowed her head slightly and did the nervous licking of her lips again. "…No…not really. I got along with people alright. I had acquaintances. We talked friendly-like every now and then when we ran into each other. And I wasn't harassed or bullied or anything. It was really a good time. Really. It gave me a chance to focus on my future major. And I liked to learn from all the teachers there…"

"But…you…never…made…any…friends." The esper interrupted.

Shinza swallowed again. A cold shiver rippled through her, and she straightened up in her chair. After a few moments, she gave a shrug to the esper and a somewhat feeble smile. "Well…you know some people. Sometimes a person just isn't that sociable. But like I said, I loved the teachers. There were so many fascinating things they taught me. I was an instant ace in Biology. Chemistry was a nightmare, though. And Physics drove me up the wall more than once. There are so many things to keep track of…"

Bahamut tuned out his attention as he listened to this. She had said it before…last time he had tried to pry into the subject of her more personal life and early childhood. Like a nervous witness in court…he noticed that she was answering every single thing in one dialogue save for the thing he wished to know. He could sense her growing anxiety as she sat there. He didn't mind read her anymore, but when he first had…whenever he brought this up…the images in her brain would turn vivid and red, before being blotched out like someone dumped ink on them. She was trying very, _very_ hard to forget these memories…and they were no mere bits of information.

However, Bahamut didn't pry it now. After all…he needed some puzzle to keep himself entertained with. He merely leaned back and listened as Shinza continued her diversion of a story.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	34. Great Bahamut Superstar

_Five and a Half Years Later_

And so it went.

For the rest of the time in space, the only contact that Bahamut had was Shinza and her two researchers. Every day for over five years, they convened and researched. The physical tests became far more periodic, although the assistants continued to research the properties of Bahamut's DNA and proteins. The history took up the whole time. In the detail that Shinza wanted, telling the story took that long length. In addition, Bahamut occasionally had to stop, back up, and tell something he had forgotten from earlier. He made no secret of his long life, and the history of his race and the other organisms on his world. Of particular interest was the human. To Shinza, it appeared that the esper race had actually aided in their societal evolution by lifting them from being hunters and gatherers to having a real society. They were much like Ettecans in many ways.Her race wasroughly the same height, although a bit less stocky, and not as durable. They were of a new order that Bahamut described as mammals. Like the Ettecans, they produced a nutritious substance for their young, butthey did not shed their skins all at once or have a chrysalis phase in their life cycle. They also gave birth to live young, not eggs that would hatch in a week into similar-looking infants. They were quite intelligent as well. Their achievements with science mirrored the time in which Ettecans went through their own technological revolution, although there were a few differences.

The days grew boring some times. They would listen to songs some days, or try to read. But aboard a ship for such a long period of time did get tedious after a while. So they had taken up a game of Bahamut's world that involved a checkerboard and certain moving pieces. It was easy enough to make a crude one on board, and after Bahamut taught them they indulged in it. He was, of course, the best by far. He had a few thousand years experience down. They also chatted sometimes, sharing funny stories or riddles. All the riddles had to be logic puzzles, otherwise there would be something lost in translation between the two cultures. They celebrated birthdays and Ettecan holidays too. To let Bahamut participate, they assigned him a birthdate on the day they pulled him out of the void, making it a sort of anniversary as well.

While all of this went on, Etteca continued to get shipments of data from Shinza. By the end of five years, she had published eight papers detailing Bahamut's physiology, morphology, and projected performance. The cellular biology papers were the greatest. Ettecans had contact with sentient races before. But this was the human equivalent of a set of dinosaur bones being covered with flesh, standing up, and proceeding to tell you what it was like to live in prehistoric time. A creature that could actually go dormant in the vastness of space, who came back to life with just a few tweaks, and who was an immortal, with all the knowledge that immortality included. The secret to eternal life had eluded people for centuries. To find a creature that actually could live forever was remarkable. If that wasn't enough, three narrative novels had been published, detailing the accounts of Bahamut's world and that world's history. These appealed to an even larger audience, hearing a dead creature speak about a strange and wondrous world somewhere in the universe, and detailing how it had changed and how he had lived through its centuries. The narrative format of Bahamut's story only served to engross the readers more. And while the esper had been bubbling in the sac for years, his following only grew on the planet of Etteca.

And at last, the day came to return.

* * *

"I guess this means you agree to come with us?"

Bahamut looked down, and moved a piece of his game set with his metallic pincer. He exhaled a bit. "For…now." He answered at last. "Long…enough…to…get…on…another…voyage, provided…that…I'm…not…treated…like…a…freak."

Shinza shook her head. "Don't worry. This will be very private. Only a few scientists." She paused here, looking down at the board. She thought a moment, but then moved a piece. "Where would you want to go?"

"Isn't…it…obvious?" Bahamut responded, looking at this latest move. "I…wish…to…go…back…to…Gaia."

Shinza's brow furrowed a bit at this. Bahamut kept looking, watching and thinking carefully about his move. Shinza leaned back a little in some puzzlement. "I thought you left Gaia because you didn't want them using your body as a weapon. You wanted your kind to die out so that humanity couldn't destroy each other with you."

"I…did…not…say…I…wish…to…live…there." Bahamut answered, finally reaching up and moving a piece. "I…wish…to…return. I…want…to…find…the…grave…of…my…fiancée…and…then...go...to...her...in...the...next...life."

Shinza stiffened again at that. Bahamut had not stopped talking about death, ever since she met him. Even now, he still would not. And she was growing worried. She was very happy that he would be coming off and staying on their world, but she was also afraid. How long would he want to stay there? How long, after being among so many strangers, and going through so many labs, would he wish to remain alive? Shinza had been pressing endlessly for her proposal to go through. She argued with her professor every time they chat with each other. But still, it was deadlocked. And no matter how many reports she gave (the last two were specifically geared to items that the council was interested it), they would not give the go ahead with it. She only hoped she could convince them soon. Time was running out…

The professor moved another piece. A ring suddenly went out. On hearing it, Shinza raised her head, and Bahamut looked up as well. After a moment, Shinza reached over past the table they had set up and toward her main console. She pressed a button on it. "Yes?"

"We just entered the orbit of Etteca, professor. We're beginning our descent."

"Alright." Shinza responded, and then switched off the console.

"Do…I…need…to…prepare…for…anything?" Bahamut asked.

The professor shook her head. "No. It's standard procedure normally to buckle in, but given your status that's hardly an option. The artificial gravity should keep the interior stable until we make a routine landing."

Bahamut nodded, and then leaned back on his support. He crossed his metal claws in front of him and waited. He could see nothing in here, but the ship was indeed now in orbit. It was already dropping speed, and beginning its slow circle of the planet until it arrived at the landing site. Shinza herself leaned back in her chair, and automatically belt straps came out and fastened themselves securely around her waist and torso. The esper himself was forced to just apply the brakes and hope no sudden jolt tipped him over.

Both the scientist and the esper was stuck on B deck. It was impossible for Bahamut to use the turbolift to go to A deck, and so he was forced to stay down here. Not wanting to leave her "associate" behind alone and unchecked, Shinza had decided to stay below in the lab. When the ship finally came in for a landing, the esper could be transported to a different level where he could exit. For the moment, Shinza inhaled deeply and tried to steady herself. After having spent years in space…it was great to get home. She had spent almost a quarter of her current lifespan on this mission.She tightened her fists and breathed slowly, readying herself as they continued to lower.

Outside, the ship continued to gradually lower its orbit. At lastthe ship broke into the atmosphere. Immediately, a blast of heat and flame enveloped the craft. But the Ettecans had long since prepared alloys that could tolerate this easily. The ship continued to burn for a few moments as they lowered closer, continuing to drop in speed. However, it finally dissipated, and the now cool ship began to lower slowly to the planet's surface. As the speed decreased, it brought its angle up, so that now it was sitting more vertically than before.

Despite being on a planet, the sky was still dark. The large planet of Etteca was encountering one of its infamous five year nights. At least…this area was. Nowadays, if one truly wanted to stay in the light, it was a small matter of moving every five years to a home on the other side of the planet. Yet most simply dealt with the darkness. Constant sunlight and heat got annoying with time. The ship continued to lower, passing into tolerable pressures and breathable atmosphere. As it continued to lower…strange, disk-like ships whizzed by, blinking with different shades of lighting. As they kept lowering, a flying barge sailed past, and then another. Each one gave out a resounding metallic hum as it blew by. The sky was soon beginning to fill with the craft, moving above to cover the ship's previous destination, and below to cover its intended path. They began to grow thick as they continued, like a swarm of giant beasts as they continued to lower.

However, as they did so, a faint glow began to occur beneath them. Bahamut could not see this, but if he could he would be justly amazed. Far below them, only now growing visible, was a massive city, made of metal, great towers and buildings, and covering the surface of the world as far as the eye could see. For miles in every direction, there were nothing but oddly shaped great pillars jutting from the ground, all lit up by endless patterns of bright lights. They criss-crossed and intersected, they went in rings and lines, and they soon began to move and shift constantly as the craft lowered. There were some plants here. Most of them were in the form of colossal trees, each one as big as the ancient Iifa Tree had been, and towering over the cities below them. In some cases, more of the city was built on the top of these trees. As they lowered, more vehicles and ships filled the sky, and even more hovering vehicles were revealed below.

The ship still continued to lower, its speed decreasing and its angle becoming ninety degrees. Now, as it passed above the city, its true target became visible. A great dome-like building, illuminated with rings of lights in cracks and trenches around it, came into view. Pillars and other buildings surrounded it, seeming to trace out tracks and regular streets. It was obvious that some great layout had been planned for this place, and it seemed to all be part of the same complex.

One of a series of great towers stood on this area. Each of these towers were tall and big around, and yet were crafted like rippled and ridged hollow tubes. The ship began to hover over one of these. It only took a momentary glance to show to a person that these tubes were some sort of receptacle for the ships that the Ettecans flew, for it looked as if it would fit perfectly within one. It did so now, gently sliding into the tube, and soon being surrounded by metal.

Shinza and Bahamut waited as they finally began to feel the ship. Now, they could sense its deaccelaration, for the artificial gravity was shut off. But by now, it was barely moving. It only continued to slow as it lowered the last few feet before reaching the landing point. At that time, a great clicking went out, as if something was latching into place, and a large jolt went through the ship. Bahamut and Shinza were both pushed up a bit at this. After that, it was over. The ship was still. The hissing of steam blasts began to emit from the sides. They were back on the ground.

Soon after, a voice came over the speakers, sounding a lot like Saraf.

"We have touch down. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Etteca."

Shinza couldn't help herself. She raised her arms, gave a clap, and shouted a "whoo" in response to this. Bahamut was a little surprised by this as well, turning his head to her in alarm. However, it only lasted a moment. And the professor didn't care. She felt good to be home. She reached up to her belts soon afterward and began to unfasten them.

"So…what…now?" Bahamut asked.

"Just a moment." Shinza answered. She finished unfastening herself, and then rose to her feet. Afterward, she began to walk forward, passing Bahamut and going to the open space they kept in the center. Bahamut undid his brakes and slowly turned after her, and then began to roll forward. The scientist herself walked until she was right on the central portion, and then turned and waited for him to catch up.

"We can't get out on turbolift, so we'll have to take you down to D deck. There's a loading bay there we can exit on."

Bahamut finished adjusting himself onto the platform. He rotated so that he was facing forward, like Shinza, and then halted. In response, Shinza looked up and called out.

"Computer…send platform to D deck."

The computer beeped in response, and the floor beneath them suddenly gave way. They were soon slowly lowered down into some sort of elevator shaft. And it did truly look like an elevator shaft. It wasn't clean or smooth like everywhere else in the ship. As they lowered into the hole and past the lip, all they saw were dark spaces, conduits, cables, and other innards of the main craft. After all…this elevator wasn't meant for Ettecan normal use. Its aesthetic qualities could be a bit lacking. It was all the same to Bahamut, however, who looked around a bit as they lowered before turning to Shinza.

"What...of...Saraf...and...Detec?"

"Oh, they'll be alright." Shinza answered. "They'll be exiting on the normal crew port. I already called ahead and told them that we'd have to get you out through this way. It's no problem."

Bahamut gave a nod, and then turned back. As he did, the platform suddenly came to a halt, although it was much smoother than any elevator he had ever been on. Most of their surroundings were still conduits and pipework. However, there was a large set of machinery around two doors that were facing them. Once they had landed, this machinery hissed and whined, and slowly the two doors were pulled open. Shinza readily exited, and after a moment Bahamut began to roll after her.

There wasn't much to D deck. There was an emergency shuttle stored here and a small buggy for walking in inhospitable environments. There were also some large parts and a few extra crates of stored material. There were also a lot of empty crates as well. Apparently, this is where most of their garbage had been dumped. Even in this civilization, they weren't totally efficient. There wasn't much else here. It looked, for all intensive purposes, to be a large corridor. It had some support struts, but most of it was just sheer metal paneling and a few lights on the ceiling. They kept it well illuminated enough. At any rate, they weren't interested in this unused equipment.

What held their interest was what was at the end of this hall. It looked like a normal wall, except that it was lined with metal sections rather than flat plating. This was the exit hatch, which was used to deploy or sequester large materials or devices. Sure enough, as Bahamut moved on, he eventually began to see another device that was one of the larger ones. Shinza pointed it out as the tractor beam, the very one that had brought him into this ship seven and a half years ago. Only now was he seeing it for the first time, and it struck him as somewhat odd or unusual.

At last, they were at the door. Both of them came to a halt at that. Both Shinza and Bahamut inhaled deeply. This would be the first step Shinza had taken on Etteca in years. And as for Bahamut, this was his first "step" on the planet ever. It was a bit nerve wracking, but only a little. After that, Shinza called out to the computer one last time.

"Computer…open hatch."

A great blast of steam hissing responded to Shinza. The wall in front of them groaned slightly. But then…it suddenly began to collapse in front of them, as if it were a set of blinds that someone was pulling down. However, it didn't fall to the ground in a heap. Rather, the different sections curled up and began to extend out as they fell, extending a new series of sections in front of the hatch. The outside was soon brought in. Dim red and orange lights, mostly industrial lights, began to shine their glow into the interior. At last, the wall totally dropped. Only now, it had converted into a long platform leading from the opening of the ship to the ground below.

However…Bahamut and Shinza didn't take another step…but gasped in astonishment.

"WELCOME BACK!"

There were at least a thousand people, if not more, crammed into the docking bay. They couldn't see it, but the rest of the landing facility was flooded with people, as was the campus. Now…the teeming multitude began to applaud the two of them as they at last emerged. People began to jump in eagerness. Some cupped hands to their mouths and pointed at Bahamut, eagerly saying things like, "It's him!" There were also crowds in the back, filled with more unruly, somewhat different-looking Ettecans. These ones seemed rougher and more overgrown. But they held great signs bearing messages like, "I heart Big B" and "Be Kind To Your Mother"(showing pictures of Gaia). There were messages on some of their shirts as well, even more absurd than the signs. One on a serious-looking fellow read, "I Too Am A Warrior Of Light". On another more jovial one, it read, "Humans Love Me/Fiends Fear Me". And all around, there was a loud chorus of applause, roars of cheers…and somewhere a band was playing music. Bahamut and Shinza were soon surrounded by a mob of fans.

Both of them were utterly dumbfounded.

"Did…you…plan…this?" Bahamut finally asked, his voice lost over the roar of voices.

"No way. I had nothing to do with this." Shinza retorted, still staring in surprise at the crowd before her.

The crowd continued to cheer, leaving Bahamut and Shinza dumbfounded. After a few moments, Shinza managed to raise a hand and formed a small smile, signaling to the audience. But as for Bahamut, he continued to look sternly out. He didn't like this. All of the sudden, people were ogling him. They were all regarding him as some great sideshow joke. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. Now, he was caught up in some terrible bonanza…and he had no idea what these people would do. Perhaps they would shove him into some alien circus… It infuriated the esper. Another moment…and he would have pierced his bubble right then and there before them all…

Yet a moment sooner, the applause died down, causing Bahamut to hesitate. As he did, he noticed that an Ettecan was coming up the platform to the both of them. This one was dressed rather excessively and nobly, and he looked rather old as well. He greeted them both with a wide smile as he came forward, bearing a small package under one arm as he did so. Once he had drawn up to them both, he walked to one side of Bahamut, opposite Shinza. He turned a profile to him so that he was facing the audience and the esper at the same time. Once there, the crowd was totally silent, and the man gestured out. As he spoke, his voice was amplified dramatically by an unseen device.

"Lord Bahamut…King of All Espers…I, Head Dean Millcox, on behalf of the staff and students of C'Kardenell University, the people of the city of Z'Nark'And, the entire population of Etteca, and last of all myself…welcome you to our world."

A chorus of applause accompanied this…and Bahamut was momentarily deflated. This person didn't even address Shinza. He addressed him directly. The esper half expected himself to be pushed to the sidelines as Shinza took the front. But such wasn't the case. However…he soon heard a louder clapping, and turned his head behind himself. To his surprise, he saw that Shinza was smiling at him and clapping too. The esper would have blinked in astonishment if he could, but then turned back to Millcox. The clapping was dying now, and he spoke again.

"Thanks to you, we have gained an incredible amount of knowledge both biological and historical. Because of you, we are now able to analyze a totally new type of cellular structure, and have developed a new phylum in our animal kingdom. We have also gained tremendous insight into the life and people of a world not unlike our own. It gives me great pleasure today to announce to you that your historical accounts will now be joining the University Library and Interplanetary Library as the first in hopefully many more references concerning the world known as Gaia. And in addition…I am proud to announce the Ettecan Biological Society's conclusion to begin a new phylum devoted to your race named, 'Esperada'."

Another chorus of applause rung out. Bahamut continued to be stunned, standing there as the crowd applauded him. He didn't know what to make of this or what to think. He endured the chorus for a few moments, until again they went silent. When this happened, Millcox turned to them both, and raised his package as he did so. It wasn't a normal package after all, it seemed. It was a wooden box, or case of some sort, and it was now held before him.

"Finally…I am most honored to place upon you and Professor Shinza two of the highest honors we can bestow in the field of learning. Professor Shinza, to you and your staff I award the Selirian Prize for Biology. And to you, Lord Bahamut, I award the Selirian Prize for History."

The applause came forth again. This time, there were cheers and whistled as well. Shinza trembled with excitement, and struggled not to jump up and down. This was so sudden to her…yet it was really happening. She had dreamed about this foryears. Her mouth began to hang open and her eyes widened with delight. Dean Nillcox smiled as well as he removed one of the medals and placed it around the neck of the eager professor, and then supplemented with a hug. That done, he turned over to Bahamut next. It was impossible to put the medal around his neck, but they had anticipated that. Instead of a medal, the prize was more of a shoulder color. Dean Nillcox proceeded to fix it to the metal shoulder of one of Bahamut's claws. The esper, if he was angry, didn't show it. He was still surprised at the whole thing… He was even more surprised when a series of bright, stunning flashes seemed to come from around the audience. He frowned at this. It was screwing up his sensors…

The dean folded his hands in front of himself and gave a courteous bow to the esper, which Bahamut knew from experience with Shinza was the equivalent of shaking hands with him. After he did this, he turned and began to return back into the crowd. But no sooner had he left than another arrived. This one was a bit rounder than the other, and was dressed in even more elaborate and sophisticated clothing. He was a bit younger, but he was also pretty old. And he too had a case with him. He too moved next to Bahamut as Nillcox had done. Once there, he gave him a bow of salute as well.

"Lord Bahamut…as Mayor of Z'Nark'And, I humbly welcome you to our fine city. Feel free to make yourself at home." This one said. After a moment or so longer, he reached down to his side and produced the box, holding it before him for Bahamut to plainly see. "On behalf of the citizens of Z'Nark'And, I hereby present you with the Key to the City." With that, he opened the box, and revealed a large golden key inside. Apparently, the Ettecans had also invented the lock and tumbler design during their development. He took it from the box, and presented it to the esper. Bahamut hesitated for a moment, but in the end tentatively raised one of his claws and took it. The moment he did, the flashes went off again, dazzling the great creature. He tried to suppress a growl. That was annoying him.

The mayor gave a bow to Bahamut, and also to the professor, before turning and going back down as well. The clapping was still going on at this point. However…it abruptly increased in volume. The cheering became louder, and Bahamut realized it wasn't directed toward him this time. It was toward the newest arrival. Now, the most regal and proper Ettecan of them all was coming forward. As he did, he was flanked by two dark looking Ettecans with gruff expressions, who folded their hands behind them and glared darkly at the esper as the man walked forward. Like the others, he too bore something. A part of Bahamut was frowning at all the crud he now had to take with him, but that part died down in light of the honors he was receiving.

This man too came to the front, turned, and faced the people outside as well as he spoke.

"Lord Bahamut…it is with great pleasure and high esteem that I welcome you to Etteca today. You have rendered a great service to expanding the knowledge of our world. Your story has captivated the hearts of both our nation and many others. You have given us all an opportunity to witness a little more wonder that our universe has to offer. And you've reminded us all that no matter where you are from or how you are on the outside, on the inside we are more similar than we realize. I am very proud to extend the hand of citizenship by Regent Executive Order, effective today."

The audience thundered into applause. Bahamut was a bit surprised. Citizenship? What did that mean? Did that mean they were going to consider him a normal resident of Etteca? He didn't know. He was a bit stunned as he stood there, looking over the smaller Ettecan and a little dumbfounded.

However, after a moment, the man presented Bahamut with his own item, a golden plaque. Bahamut took this and looked to it. As he did, he noticed it was some sort of certificate…and that there were several signatures on the bottom. The man pointed this out.

"You will note that in addition to my own signature, 13 other national leaders have signed this with their own words of welcome, extending you honorary citizenship as well. Again, I say, welcome to our world, and make yourself at home."

Again, a greeting bow was given, and the crowd erupted into applause once again. The people bearing the special shirts and signs began to cheer and whistle, and gave out all sort of calls showing affection and interest. Behind it all…the two befuddled assistants, having missed their own prize awarding, came in through the back entrance and marveled at it all. Shinza herself clapped, while continuing to gape in amazement at the turnout. And as for Bahamut…the esper could do little but stare at what was going on. He couldn't believe it. He didn't quite understand it either. Were these people…lauding him? Giving him a great welcome ceremony, the likes of which he had seen only in Terratopolis? He was the center of attention as he feared…and yet he had not expected this. Rather than gape or point and stare, they were treating him like royalty. Not even the humans on his own world had ever given him such a greeting. And he was so stunned by his new prizes of good will, that for the moment his emotions were deflated as he stared about blankly. Tentatively…he managed to raise one of his claws and give a wave. That made the cheering go even wilder.

At length, while the audience was still loudly applauding, another Ettecan came up to him. No one quieted for this one, and he was dressed far more simply than the others had been. Once he walked up to both Bahamut and Shinza, he gave a more formal bow to them both.

"Lord Bahamut…Professor Shinza…please come this way. I'll take you to your personal transport."

If Bahamut still had eyes, they would have expanded a little.

"My…transport?"

* * *

Yes, it turned out Bahamut did have his own transport. Most of the basic vehicles of Etteca were enclosed hovering platforms. The passengers would sit in a circular cushioned area, and after telling the vehicle where they wished to go, it would depart and take them there. However, Bahamut had gotten much better. His own transport was much longer, able to sit far more people. It was custom built to allow him to fit inside it, and had a section of the seating removed so that he could place himself there rather than have to stand in the center. It also had more "extras". It had a place for food and drink dispensation, and also a rather large music playing system. It also had a screen in it, that was something Bahamut didn't quite understand. Apparently, people of Etteca occasionally put out messages of shows and plays that no one had to watch unless they wanted to, and they were put on these screens throughout the world. Bahamut thought it was a waste, but he had other things to worry about right now. Just getting to the transport was hostile. More men like the one who came forward had to come up and surround him, and guide him and the professor through the crowd of cheerers. They pressed in on him at every side, each of them calling out their own messages to him which were too chaotic for him to recognize. When they got to the transport, they quickly went in with several of the men and took off. There were windows inside, and Bahamut soon noticed that there were transports in front of him and behind, smaller yet seeming to guard his.

The esper was truly astonished. Did something get out to these people to give them the impression that he was a god of some sort?

They traveled through the city, which was far more impressive than any human city. Great towers of light arose everywhere, turning the city into an array of sparkles in the long night. Roads were built onto elevated bridges everywhere, and crossed and wove their way throughout all of these structures. There were more transports hovering everywhere, hundreds and thousands of them. Their own transport went far faster than any wagon could go, and yet had nothing pulling it along, and Bahamut sensed no magical power coming from it. This was all so astonishing. He frequently looked to Shinza. She was nervous too, but about the technology she was perfectly normal.

At last, they arrived at one building. A part of it was built out and extended over a road that they turned down. Once there, Bahamut felt them slow down and stop. The transport opened, and Bahamut, Shinza, and their entourage walked out. They came forward under this overhang and went into the main building. There were more Ettecans here, clustered and dressed like back at the landing site. Some were carrying devices and thrusting them in his face, and there were more flashes. The Ettecans surrounding him pushed through so he could enter. Aside from that, the building was nice. It had a very large and open space, surrounded with glass and gleaming metal, and had crystal structures hanging from the ceiling. Large trees grew here, stretching out pale branches over the people below and letting their roots dip in and around the ground. Yet they passed through this and the crowds, and made their way to the back. Here, the opening expanded, and Bahamut could look straight up to see the building extend hundreds of feet into the air. There was also a great glass tube with a turbolift here, and it was into this that Bahamut was led.

Once inside, they quickly went to the top of the building. Here, they exited again, and Bahamut saw that the floor he was on mostly consisted of halls with doors spaced widely in between. He was led to one, along with Shinza. As they went, Bahamut was grateful to finally be free of the crowds of Ettecans. However, he also noticed that more of the simple dressed ones were pacing the halls and looking up and around the junction points. They seemed almost like guards. At any rate, on reaching one of the doors, one that was much larger than a conventional door, their own men stepped back. Bahamut and Shinza turned to them, and one produced a small strip of material and presented it to Bahamut.

"Your key, sir." That one addressed.

Bahamut looked at it in puzzlement. "How...am...I...supposed...to...open...any...lock...with...that?"

Shinza, at this, seemed to blush a little, and gave a nervous smile as she reached over and took the strip from the man. She turned back to the door, and went to a small slot that was next to it. She seemed to slide it through it, and when it did Bahamut heard something disengage. Sure enough, the door slid open right afterward. Bahamut was puzzled. Some key. If the door could be opened just by sliding a thin object through that slot, it wasn't much of a lock to him. However, the men behind them gave a bow at that, and then withdrew. Shinza and Bahamut looked to each other at that, but after a pause turned forward and walked through the opening.

They soon found themselves coming into a rather spacious room. The ceiling and one wall were all glass, and the glowing city shone through it brightly. Crystal arrays hung from the ceiling as in the entrance area, and they glowed to provide illumination for the room. The main part he was in right now seemed to be some sort of gathering area. The center was dipped, and around it were couches and tables. Around the walls, there were large plants seeming to grow from the floor and extend their branches in the air. There were also other doors leading elsewhere. There was another screen device here, and some sort of drink area that looked like a bar. There was a music player on another side, and a few sculptures of some art that Bahamut didn't care that much for. Lastly, seated on the table in the center of the room, were several bunches of what looked like brightly colored coral, arranged in bunches that were placed in special holders. Bahamut remembered that Shinza had told him flowers on their world were rather ugly and misshapen. For décor, they harvested special branching hard organisms that came out from their seas. There was also a rather large basket of fruit. Each bunch had a note on it, but the fruit basket, Bahamut saw, had a larger note reading, "From the Management".

Last but not least, an aged Ettecan, slightly balding and with gray hair, stood near the center of the room, waiting for them.

Once the door slid shut behind them, Shinza's eyes widened. "…Dr. Folle?"

The man grimaced a bit and shrugged. "You have no idea how hard it was to get them to let me in here." After that, he turned to a pleasant smile. "Welcome back, Dr. Shinza."

Bahamut didn't understand this, but he saw Shinza's face turn into a beaming smile, and her features lit up with joy. She broke from Bahamut's side and ran up to this man. Bahamut couldn't help but feel a bit unpleasant as she did this. He was used to Shinza focusing mostly on him, he supposed. And he was a bit irritable and confused at the moment. The two smiled andlooked to each otherfor a moment. However...it looked almost as if Shinza wanted to hug him, but for some reason...she wouldn't do it. She shifted in place instead, seeming uncertain of whether to go forward or stop.

"Well now…what did you do with the girl I used to teach?" Dr. Folle joked after a moment, looking over her. "You're quite the woman after eight years."

Shinza smiled back. "Well you look just the same as always…" She hesitated a moment, and then formed and innocent playful look. "Except maybe for…"

Dr. Folle smiled but rolled his eyes to his head. "Yes…I have a bit more skin up there than I used to. It couldn't very well last forever, I suppose."

"You're still Dean of Biology, right?" Shinza pressed.

"For the moment, but I think I'll take the adjunct professor position pretty soon." He answered. "I'm getting a bit too old for this…"

"Excuse…me."

The metallic voice interrupted Shinza and Dr. Folle, and both of them turned and looked to the huge cybernetic array that was Bahamut. He began to roll forward toward them.

"It…has…obviously…been…a…long…time…and…I…hate…to…be…rude, but…I…would…like…to…know…exactly…what…is…going…on. Why…are…so…many…people…out…there…trying…to…see…me?" After that, the esper proceeded to gesture to his claws, which were still holding the presents from the bigwigs. "Why…am…I…getting…all…of…this?"

Shinza, on hearing this, seemed to remember all that had transpired, and turned back to him.As for Folle himself, he began to look a bit nervous. He drew back a little and scratched the back of his neck in a tense fashion. "That's right, doctor." Shinza asked after a moment, turning back to him."Why are all of these people gathering around Bahamut? He's suddenly a pop idol. The Head Dean, the Mayor, and…" She paled a moment at the memory, and she looked back to him in stunned surprise. "The Regent was actually there! Why was he coming down to see us arrive?"

Folle looked nervous a bit longer. He inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh. "Yes…about all that. Trust me, I didn't expect it." He turned to Bahamut at this, and after a pause managed a smile. He gave him a bow as well. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Professor Folle for C'Kardenell University's Biology Department. I have to say, it's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face at last."

"I…would…be…more…courteous." Bahamut answered, his face unchanged. "But…I'm…too…confused…at…the…moment. I…would…like…to…know…what…is…going…on."

Folle's nervousness returned again. He once more scratched the back of his neck nervously, and bowed his head as he dug his foot into the ground. "Um…yes." He slowly answered. He took in a deep breath again, and slowly exhaled. He was silent for a moment, during which Bahamut frowned and began to grow impatient. Shinza was more so, but she also stared at him and waited. Finally, the man gave a shrug. "…I suppose I better start from the beginning. It will make a lot more sense that way." At this, he looked up and turned to the other professor. "Shinza…do you remember the Yalorian Conflict?"

The woman hesitated a moment at this, thinking. But then, realization came over her, and she nodded. "Yes, I do. It was right before I left. I haven't had to think about it for so long. Yalori and our country were having a dispute about troop movements. It was getting pretty hostile before I took off. Wasn't it about the ownership dispute of who should have the right to build on Farkes II?"

Folle nodded. "It only became worse after you left. Shortly after you did so, a commercial transport of ours, carrying 300 researchers to survey the world, was shot down by Yalori. They claimed it was an accident, but we didn't believe them. We restricted our air space soon after, barring all transport from their country to ours. In retaliation, they violently threw out any resident citizens of our country from theirs, literally breaking into their homes and dragging them out to be dumped at the border. Four of our citizens were killed in the violence. In retaliation for that, we bombed the outlying military facilities they were building on Farkes II. We thought they were abandoned, but one of the bombs hit a residential area for worker personnel's families. After this, it was too much. We all but cut off contact between our countries. We began to mobilize both here and on our territories throughout the universe. The ensuing struggle would be waged on an interplanetary scale…and the damage to our homeworld would have turned it into a wasteland. However, while things were escalating, we published Bahamut's historical accounts."

Bahamut, to this, snapped back a little. Shinza began to grow a bit nervous. She never directly told Bahamut about this. She just said that they were taking records. "Published?" His voice synthesizer uttered. "As…in…for…book…sales?"

Folle nodded again. "Yes. Your first book, which was titled, 'Island in the Sky', was well received. Many people were fascinated at the idea of reading an account of another's world tumultuous history, from the mouth of a living relic. But the main audience was fascinated by the lifestyle you described. Our own world, as you can see, is well advanced by now. And in our past, we never had such great and incredible events happen as occurred among your race and your world…things so mighty and unbelievable that they rearranged the face of your planet. It was like reading a fantastic epic poem, and yet it was real. Of course…there were skeptics. There still are today, trying to say that your story was bogus. But far more people are fascinated that there is this natural world somewhere out there where day and night change at the drop of a hat and is filled with this incredible race of great creatures. To many, it was like some fantastic paradise.

"However, your next two books had a far greater impact, 'Kingdom of Stone' and 'Chaos and Order'. In those, you revealed the stunning history of the people of your world, the humans. You also talked about how you had been in such anguish over these, a race you had considered to be as akin to you as children, as they killed each other in one senseless battle after another. Your thoughts revealed such great senselessness…such a reckless repeating of the same destructive tale again and again throughout history. And all told by the eyes of someone who had to see it, who learned each time only to see each new generation forget and repeat it. It was like a great tragedy, an immortal who is forced to see more misery than any one person should see in their lifetime, and sees it again and again. The words…the aberration within you as you seethe with anger at these people bending all of their natural pursuits toward the advancement of war…and the sorrow you feel when you began to doubt that saving these creatures was the right thing for you to do. Time and again, societies turning each other to rubble, only to rebuild and do it again.

"Now, we had many stories such as this one in our world. But they were all fiction or satires. Until now, all critics could have shook their heads at them, saying, 'It is not like that with us. We are different. This is different.' But not this time. Seeing this…seeing the emotions you felt…and seeing creatures that none of us could deny were shockingly like ourselves…we couldn't deny it any longer. It forced us all to take a look at our own senseless history, to realize that we too are in this chain of destruction. We ridiculed the humans in your story for destroying their own race…until we came to realize we were no different. There was nothing that we considered savage and barbaric that the humans did that we could say we do not share.

"Many were still obstinate, but the younger generation of this world indulged it full force. Teenagers and college students from around our world in every country began to see you as some sort of celestial prophet, warning against the dangers about to face this world. Some saw it as providence that your tales of senseless destruction came at the very moment when we were about to engage in it. And as a result, peace groups began to appear in schools all over the world. They took up your standard as a persona. Just as you said in your tales that some ray of hope came in the form of 'Light Warriors' in the darkness of your world, these people began to take on the title of 'Warriors of Light' as well, coining your own phrase.

"Our leaders tried to press for conflict to settle this, but with both sides beginning to crumble support from within, they couldn't say much. The planet was a good piece of land, but in the end it was only a small planet from a universe, and no one on either side was prepared to die for it. The movement continued to gain momentum and spread into other parts of our society, going into large businesses and wider age groups. At last, negotiations were restarted, and the planet was partitioned between our two nations.

"And so you see, Mr. Bahamut, even while you were still away in space, you have changed our world. The culture of your world has pervaded into ours most rapidly. There is actually a new philosophy in our vernacular now that has spread to several campuses…including C'Kardenell, called Gaiaism. They describe it as a quiet, basic pastoral life devoted to personal betterment physically, mentally, and spiritually, with emphasis on being content and patient. It has its own list of tenants, many of them based off of your own lifestyle you described, but I won't get into them. It is because of you that a violent and disastrous war was halted. If an interstellar war had begun between our countries, it would have meant the end of all life on this world. You, in fact, saved us. And now…now that you are here…millions…billions of people wish to thank you for that, and know more about you."

Shinza gaped at this. Obviously, she had not known anything about it. Now, it looked as if her eyes were going to fall out of her head. She had never expected when she started this research seven and a half years ago that her work was having such a profound effect on her world. And yet, it had done so. It had done far more than open new doors in biology, philosophy, and natural history. Her work had literally changed her world. Slowly, she turned and looked to Bahamut.

If his face hadn't been masked, she would have seen Bahamut standing erect and expressionless. However, the esper was far from that inside. It was amazing. He had passed in obscurity for over 6,000 years back on his home world…and in just seven and a half the people of a totally different one were practically worshipping him. He had arrived on a world where, broken, pathetic, and half dead as he was…he was never the less one of the most important people on it, without having set foot on the world. For over seven years, he thought all that Shinza and her assistants were doing was essentially carving his epitath. After that, there would be nothing. He would never do anything again, save live in his pitiful state. But he had been wrong. Without even knowing it, he had continued to do a service for a world. For years, he had looked on with disdain and anguish at humanity, continuing their endless self-destructive cycle, growing worse and worse with time. He had prayed endlessly that they would one day see the error of their ways, and prosper in peace. He thought he had largely failed by then…but he was wrong. If nothing else, his story had inspired others…had made a difference in this world. It was not for nothing that he saw this cycle repeat itself. It had inspired some to work for peace while they could. _He_ had inspired some. And just like he said before…these little rays of light persisted in the darkness, and had won out in the end.

Bahamut was speechless. He didn't know what to say again. On his own world, he merely considered it his duty to the Planet to protect her and her charges. He never felt he needed a thank you. But here, on another world, what was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? He was simply happy that he had managed to do something good. After a moment, he looked around a bit, trying to think of something else. In the end, he finally turned back to Folle.

"Well…they…should…have…known…that…I…can't…eat…or…sit…down…when…they…gave…me…the…room."

Shinza snickered and laughed a little at this, continuing to beam up to him. She was happy too about this. She was happy that she had found Bahamut, and that she had bothered to take all of this information down about him and send it back. She was glad that she was able to play a part in all of this by doing so. Most of all…she was happy for Bahamut. All he had talked about was his life of pain for years, and they could do little to assuage it. But now…he had something to live for. He had the feeling that all of his work and struggling was not in vain, and that in the end he had managed to show some people the value of life through his trials.

Dr. Folle at last stepped forward and smiled up to Bahamut. "Over half the people of our world will want to meet you. You're almost a mythic legend by now. I think I speak for them all when I say that I would love to see you tour our planet, addressing us in lectures."

Bahamut hesitated at that. However, Shinza suddenly turned back, and looked slightly uneasy. She suddenly stepped forward and to the doctor's side, and leaned in close to his ear. "Um…I'm not sure Bahamut would enjoy that very much at this time. It's been a long trip and he's finally back on solid ground." She hesitated a moment, and then added a bit more subvertly. "…And I'm kind of anxious to get those required tests out of the way."

Bahamut grimaced at the thought. More tests? What else could she possibly do to him?

However, Dr. Folle seemed to get the meaning, and formed an acknowledging look. "Oh…oh yes, of course. I'll see what I can do about those right away." With that, the doctor rose and began to walk to the door, as if the sudden snap had reminded him that he had to do something right this minute. But as he reached it and opened it, and was about to walk out, he suddenly froze and remembered something. Bahamut was still in the room, and he was walking out on him. The esper was rotating in his place, turning back to the doctor at the moment. He looked up to him, and gave him another smile. He also bowed once more in the doorway.

"Mr. Bahamut…I'm sure that you'll get tired of hearing this over the next few days…but welcome to Etteca."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	35. Hallucination

_Two Years Later_

Life had changed considerably for Bahamut since that day.

Now, the esper couldn't go anywhere without being swamped by Ettecans. Only in wherever he chose to dwell was he preserved from the constant onslaught of onlookers, fans, and devotees. For the first few months, he was mostly stuck in his room, for they swarmed outside and eagerly awaited some sign from him. They luckily calmed down over time, and Bahamut was given a bit more mobility. But still, he was occasionally surprised by a recorder hiding in some bush or tree, or a camera flash suddenly dazzling him. He stuck out like a sore thumb, and hence couldn't go anywhere without arousing the attention of a crowd, or having his movements become public knowledge. The esper dealt with this the best that he could.

The room was only for Bahamut, and so Shinza had departed and returned to her university to submit the last of her data and be fully decommissioned. She still had to give the main project report, however. And so, a few days later, after much urging and pleading, Bahamut reluctantly agreed to accompany her in what would be his first public appearance. Hence, in addition to the scientists, there were also crowds of cheerers similar to what had appeared at the airfield, and occasional shouts that they loved Bahamut. Needless to say, Bahamut felt some relief when he got to leave.

Since then, Shinza had made time to visit Bahamut at least once a day. When she first arrived, however, she had to devote most of her time to coaxing him. She wanted him to endure more physical tests now that they were back on Etteca, which would be conducted by other researchers. The esper didn't have very fond memories of those tests, painless as they had been, and was extremely reluctant. However, Shinza was adamant. She seemed to nearly beg him to do these tests. In the end, just to make her quiet, he agreed. He wished he hadn't soon after, because afterward, for every day for three months, he had to leave his new suite, endure the rigors of pushing his way through crowds of screaming fans, and make his way to the university to be tested all day before turning around and going back. If that wasn't enough, all of these scientists glared at him coldly and emotionlessly, and were totally business with him. It was only then that Bahamut realized what a difference Shinza's disposition had made in their lab relationship. Luckily, after the three month period, he was not summoned for any further tests.

At home, Bahamut spent most of his days standing upright and sitting around. He couldn't eat or drink. He couldn't recline and could barely move. He could watch the screens or listen to music or read…but that was it. It was a rather lonely existence. He at least wished he could have hunted for his own food, as he used to. He hated being confined to the ground. He yearned to feel the wind underneath his non-existent wings once again. He wanted to feel the ground beneath his missing feet, and breathe the air with his own lungs. The only stimulation he received was Shinza, and his tasks. He was not yet finished with his story, after all, and she continued to personally transcribe it. But other than that…he was nothing. Just some bit of flesh in a sac.

Bahamut began to feel depression shortly thereafter. He had nothing. Everything had changed around him and in him so much that he felt he was only pseudo-alive. He was lonely, and he was tired of going around in his barely-functional cybernetic body. He began to catch himself wishing he was dead some mornings.

However, Bahamut could no longer so easily bring himself to that point. The people of this world had fixed themselves to him. They saw him as some great philosopher or standard. It had saved them from disaster, regardless of whether or not he truly was that standard. To take the way of despair…to end his own life…it might mar their hope as well. They might think that his way of thinking had been a waste and idle vision, and that he was just some crazy creature. And he did still want to return to Gaia andthe side of his unmarried wife. With that in mind, he agreed to hold a bit longer. Until he had finished the books, he would continue.

Still, he couldn't continue like this. He couldn't stay alone with nothing but his life support machines reminding him of the fragment of a creature he now was. He had to try and brighten himself somehow. He had to seek some sort of happiness or some diversion to get his mind off of death and himself. And in the end…he could only do one thing to preserve his sanity.

He had taken up lecturing.

The esper sighed a bit at the memory of when he started right now, as he was poised on a dias in a wide, metal area. Currently, he was in the "back stage" of where he was about to go on. Above him, a good few stories, was the main ampitheater. It consisted of hundreds and hundreds of "booths", which were magnetically held concave disks, which had seats in them for separate people, arranged going up and up until it nearly formed a complete sphere. Each one had an edge railing around it, a sliding door opening to let the people in, and a speaker to magnify the voice of the one in the center. The sphere itself was hundreds of feet in diameter. Such a massive speaking hall did not exist anywhere on Gaia, and it was so large it was somewhat magnificent to even behold.

Bahamut was in a type of loading zone. Right now, hovering far above him, was a dias similar to his own. An introductory speaker was preparing the crowd for Bahamut, giving his rather long introductory speech. When he was done, Bahamut's own platform would rise and begin to hover in the room. Although unseen microphone devices would magnify his voice, his platform would also gradually circle the room, turning his face out to gradually look at everyone around him. Until then, Bahamut exhaled into his breath mask, and awaited his chance to rise.

At last, he heard the speaker overhead come to his conclusion. As he did, his dias immediately began to rise from the lower level, and elevated him to an opening far above him. Bahamut looked up and straightened himself as best as he could in his position. Moments later, just as he was about to pass over the edge, he heard his name called. A resounding chorus of applause resulted, echoing throughout the sphere. It was an interesting tone to say the least. As for the esper, he was elevated into plain view at this point. He stood straight and tall. Some people might wave or smile to the audience, but the best he could do was wave his metallic arm (which was an arm now and not a claw) and smile beneath his mask and new visor. And so, he merely stood at the ready as he was lifted into the air, raised until he was approaching the middle of the huge speaking hall. As he did, the applause began to die down. He prepared himself to speak. He had a new voice synthesizer now. This one actually gave him a real voice, although he thought it sounded a bit too bravado to be his… But it was the best they could do.

"Thank you, everyone, for your warm welcome. I am grateful for the hospitality that this world has shown me since my arrival. Now, I'm never quite sure how to begin these things, so you'll have to bear with me for a little while.

"When I come to these things, I usually try to come having something new. That's not that easy. I assure you, Dr. Shinza was incredibly thorough when she wrote my story down. There isn't much left to say about myself, my history, or Gaia that isn't in one of the books that she put out. So I guess I'll talk about something that's very important to me, but I haven't been able to see much of since I got here.

"I'd like to start with a problem. If any of you like, you can think about this or enlighten me if your planet has come up with the answer, for even after being alive for thousands of years I still don't know it. And that problem is this… When we all are born, while we're infants, we start out perfectly innocent. We smile. We laugh. We are curious. We freely touch one another and show our love or distress. There isn't a thing that we can do that doesn't make all around us look to us with great affection. I know. Even crooks and felons on my world couldn't help but smile and play with an infant when a mother walked by. Now, of course there are exceptions to this, such as one who was stalking this woman as a victim…but that isn't the point. The thing is…when we are young…we are so fresh and new and innocent that people can't help but look to us with joy. It is like seeing something totally unspoiled in the world. Something that is untainted and unconcerned with all of the troubles and tribulations that all of us deal with and constantly plague our minds. We start out innocent and pure.

"But then…somewhere along the line, something happens. As we grow older…our faces lose that eagerness and curiosity. Our gestures become more certain and firm. That innocence and purity in our eyes gradually dims and becomes filled with knowledge and experience. We stop playing. We stop smiling. We stop seeing the world as new and fresh. It becomes cold…boring…conventional to us. We become more reserved…harder…colder. We forget how to let loose and wonder. Our minds become weighed down under our new experiences. Everyone…I am over four thousand years old, and yet I haven't aged a day since my twenty-first year. But I will tell you this…inside, I am very old and withered, for my life is filled with such experiences and pain that most of my youthful energy and vibrance is gone…my taste for life…my passion for what is new. That…is when you truly grow old.

"And some people don't stop here. They continue to change. Continue to warp. Not only do they grow cold…they grow bitter. Somewhere along the line, either due to despair or to some sadistic twist, they began to seek their gain or pleasure from hurting others. Some do it out of necessity and a will to survive. But some…some do it for pleasure's sake…to fulfill some desperate, mad need in their brains that we still do not understand. On my world, as you all know, these people sometimes took dark and sinister forms, but I tell you my monsters were no more twisted as the ones around you. Serial killers…pedophiles…rapists…genocidal maniacs… The point in which a person switches from sanity to insanity. It is to this problem, everyone, that I am still puzzled. What thing in life turns a human, Ettecan, esper, or anything else from that innocent child into a sadistic madman?

"Science has its answers. Some say it is predetermined in genetics. Even if that were so, I would refute it. I can tell you right now that a person is not made who they are by what they are born with, but by the choices they make. Is there an athlete in here that was never faced with failure with what he had started with, and then worked hard to surpass it? Is there someone with a learning disability who did not modify themselves to get by it? Where there is a will, there is _always_ a way, in this one thing if nothing else.

"Some would say it is background. For any of you who believe that yet respect my opinion, I ask you only to look at the case of me and my brother. We were born nearly identical, and went through everything together. Yet I became king while my brother went mad with hate. Again, I ask, are there any here who started off in life poor and unloved, and yet have risen to become the upstanding citizens you are today? Is there anyone here who faced some great tragedy in their life, only to rise up beyond it and find opportunity in the difficulty? Yes, I have seen people who have endured terrible, unspeakable things while they were children and had no power to stop it. Some of these people were warped by it…but some also went beyond it to become great people and great parents.

"So what is the answer? I suspect that just as I have never found it, this dilemma has confounded the great thinkers of this world too. I'm sure many of you, if not all of you, have thought about it yourselves. However, I'm not going to give this problem to you to take home and stew over. I have a different question for you, and this is finally getting into my main topic…" Bahamut hesitated here, long enough to level a glare out at his audience through his visored vision.

"Have any of you ever asked yourselves…what would I do if I had the answer?"

There was, typically, silence from the audience. They were supposed to stay quiet. However, a few heads turned at this, not expecting this sudden response.

"It is an interesting question, in my opinion. What would you do? What would any of you parents do? Suppose the answer was genetic. They found that there was in fact a gene for madness. Would you then want to see your children taken off to some special prison for mad people, knowing they were sane the whole time? Would you like them to take a gene therapy that would alter their behavior and mood, changing their personality? Or worse yet, assuming the technology is lacking. Would you see them destroyed? What about the adults? Suppose one day your boss came up to you and found that you had a gene for madness. Would you take being sacked so easily? Or denial of medical help, because people prefer a mad person to die? Or what if you were imprisoned before you could commit an act of madness in the future? I've already established that genes do not always determine a person's fate…but if one is found, then what? Do we purge society of all of them to ensure safety?

"What about background? Suppose that we could find the perfect, ideal situation…the kind of upbringing, teaching, and education that would make our children the best possible people. And so…then what? What would we do with that knowledge? Would we alter ourselves to become the most perfect people? Conform to some near robotic standard, so that all of our environments and behaviors were flawless? Essentially…produce our children like factory components? If we wanted the ideal children, we could in fact process them in that way, ensure that they had just the right things planted into their minds, felt only the right experiences. But would any of us dare to do that?

"But now you may be saying, what's this rubbish this man is talking about? We would never go to such extremes to ensure safety. And I ask in reply…why not? Basic ecology rules that you must produce the most fit offspring possible. Rules for order in society are to have citizens who will obey laws. If you had a child with a gene for madness or an incorrect upbringing, the child would essentially be a waste, and science suggests the best thing to do is to slaughter that child, so that no more of your time, energy, and money is wasted on him or her, and raise a more fit offspring. And we all want a peaceful, orderly society, don't we? We all want to live without fear or danger of one another. So where is the problem? Isn't stopping a potential serial killer from murdering four people worth altering or ending the life of the one? Why do you care?

"And to that end, I ask other things. When you hug your children and put them to bed at night, do you do so knowing that such is good for his or her mental well being, so that he will pass more of his or her genes on in his or her progeny? When you help a disabled and struggling old man with his load, do you ask yourself why I am creating a drain on society by sustaining an infertile, sick old man? Do you come to the aid of a distressed mother animal separated from her young because you'd like them to grow up to enhance biodiversity or would like future food items? Do you smile at me, applaud for me, and shower me with so many honors because you think that I will somehow enhance your fecundity?

"I did not come to this world planning on being some great philosopher or prophet. However…there is a message that I want all of you who truly think I am worth repeating to hear and repeat. And that is that there is good and evil in the world. There is a reason that we feel that the right thing to do is to love and honor and help. And it isn't some ecological-based gene manipulation. It is because it _is_ the right thing to do. These things are not delusions or fabrications. True, pure love and goodness is the greatest thing on this world or any other.

"I know some of you will say by what standard can I set what is good and right? My own? Hardly. I'm as flawed and imperfect as the rest of you. And I can't point to some physical concrete thing and say that is the rule to follow. Instead, I appeal to each one of you. You all very well know that there is a time in which you did something violent or hurtful and you knew right then and there that you were in the wrong. You adore great people of altruism when you see them giving so much of themselves to better others. You know that when you once gave up something pleasurable to do something honest or noble, you felt a satisfaction and pride inside of you. Even before you knew anything of the law of this world, you knew full well how happy you were when you were hugged by your parents and the shame you felt when they were angry with you.

"And if you have read my stories and trust them…then you should believe me when I tell you that there is evil in the world. I have seen evil in its concrete, physical form. I have seen savage, unforgiving heartlessness and malice feed upon the immorality of my world and grow from it. I have literally felt the human race sink into darkness. And always…_always_…it was not the people who served their own selfish needs or the people who engaged only in a philosophy of hedonism or relativism who stood up to do something…but the people who believed that things were wrong and set out to change them. They believed they had a responsibility to make the world better. And I know, even though some of you may still doubt good and evil, you feel that responsibility inside you as well and act upon it.

"I ask but one thing of you all in conclusion. The next time you feel a twinge inside you of true guilt…the next time you feel remorse for something you did…the next time you have scruples about some shady practice you are about to engage in…please do not just dismiss it as some foolish, archaic notion within you. Try to see what you are doing in a new light. Ask yourself…if there was truly good and evil in the world…if there were truly things trying to build it up and tear it down…what side would I be on doing this?"

Bahamut paused here a moment, to look around the auditorium again. He couldn't make out many faces, and was unsure of whether or not his words had left an impact on them. He was sure he would get some flak about this over the next few days. People didn't really like him talking about such things, at least some didn't. They thought it was useless rhetoric at this point, causing more problems than it solved. But he didn't care. If they wanted him to speak, that was what he would say. And so, he gave them a nod at the end. "Thank you for your time."

The esper's dias slowly began to lower back to the ground again. As it did, the traditional chorus of applause began to sound.

* * *

"I wish you wouldn't do that."

"Do what?"

"Talk about that. You'll turn people off. They'll say you're forcing your beliefs on them."

"Well I consider having to alter my speech so that it is more suitable to a crowd to be them forcing their beliefs on me." Bahamut answered as he rolled along down the subterranean metal hallway of the speaker's building. He had exited the auditorium a while ago by this point. Now, he was making his way back down to the lobby of the building to leave. A few people were milling about, talking with each other. These people had helped put the talk on, and so they didn't react much to him. They did look up and stare somewhat, because it was an unusual sight, but then went back to their work.

"Besides," Bahamut continued. "At my age, I couldn't really care what they think of me. What will they do? Shift my contents? Slap me on the metal hand? Disconnect my batteries?"

Shinza, ever present at all his lectures, and now walking alongside him, reached a hand to her head and rubbed in between her eyes. It was obvious that she had this discussion with Bahamut before, and found him just as obstinate as he was now. It was getting her off topic. She shook her head. "To think…I was actually in a good mood before now…"

"Perhaps you should ask yourself why you are the one who doesn't yield to _me._" Bahamut flatly retorted. "Were you listening today? Would you move to disagree with me about these things?"

"Of course I wouldn't disagree about those things. I know they exist." Shinza answered with a groan. "But there's still logical explanations for everything other than some force of good or evil..."

Bahamut sighed again at this, and bowed his head slightly in the tank. "Shinza...I thought that your society, of all societies, would realize now that there is no such thing as a logical explanation. There are only rules that have held true so far."

The scientist looked up to him in puzzlement at this, seeming to be disbelieving it. However, Bahamut turned and focused on her.

"Look at the world. Look at all of your theories. All of the bases for everything you think of. Look in front of us." He gestured to the floor. "You walk along this surface every day, and not once do you ever think about it. You don't believe it's going to fall out right from under you. You don't believe it's going to turn into some shapeshifting monster and devour you. You don't believe gravity will suddenly stop working and you fling off of it. You believe that the world is constant around you, and that all of these things can be predicted based on your rules. And why? There is nothing anywhere that can tell you for certain whether or not the sun will be in the sky tomorrow, that your neighbors aren't mass murderers, or even that you won't turn into a tentacled monster in the next few seconds. You accept everything in the world on faith."

"But those are ridiculous examples." Shinza protested. "And I do know those won't happen. I can stand on the floor right here and see that it's stable. I can wait a few seconds and see if any of this happens. I can test it."

"But who are you?" Bahamut retorted. "You're not everyone, and you're not me. All of what you perceive and learn is nothing more than impulses fired in your brain giving you information. You can't even be sure I exist, or any of this exists around you. Because you can prove these things to yourself, why should I believe you? Why should anyone believe you?"

The scientist sighed and rolled her eyes. "Because you can come and see it for yourself too!"

"Then why do you dismiss me without trying to experience these things for yourself?"

The woman was struck dumb again. She hesitated, and shut her mouth once more. Bahamut looked to her expectantly in response. However, in the end, she merely sighed and looked away again without response. She was dismissing Bahamut as being too obstinate again, and not considering any of this. The esper sighed. He had hoped that, with time, she would come to believe him. Out of all of his followers and the people on Etteca who adhered strictly to "Gaiaism", there was only one person on it that he wished would be a "convert". In the end, he turned away and continued to move down the hall as well, staying silent for a moment.

"What were you in a good mood about?" Bahamutfinally asked.

Shinza paused a moment afterward, but then looked back up to the esper.She seemed to recover now, and turn her mind to something else which made her more excited."About where we're going today? Remember?"

Bahamut groaned and rolled his eyes. "Oh, that." He flatly answered. "I think I'll call the whole thing off…"

The scientist wheeled her body around to him at that. Her eyes suddenly widened…and she looked almost fearful. "No! You can't!" She nearly cried to him. Her hands grabbed for his own in a pleading gesture. "You have to come! You agreed that you would."

The esper groaned again. "It's bad enough that I have to live in a permenant tea bag. I'd rather not be submerged in a tank for an entire month on end. Two years was more than enough."

"Just one more month." Shinza answered, still looking at him with a begging stare and clasping his hand stiffly. "I promise…just one last month. I'll never ask you for anything again. I swear."

Bahamut would have grimaced if he could. "I seem to remember hearing you say that more than once…"

"Bahamut…please…I'm really, _really_ begging you." Shinza continued, only sounding more desperate.

The esper sighed. "You won't even tell me what this is about…"

"Please!"

Bahamut rolled on a bit longer in silence. He looked ahead and said nothing. Shinza stared at him and wrung her hands together, nervously looking for his answer. After a few moments, the esper finally turned his head back to her. His movements were slow and dour.

"On one condition."

Shinza eagerly nodded, a grin forming on her face. "Yes! Whatever it is, yes!"

"You have to tell me about your parents…and you can't avoid my questions."

Shinza's eager face immediately turned white. A great fear had suddenly seized her. Her hands wrung together more tightly than before. Her lip began to quiver as she turned away and looked to the ground. She walked forward more slowly, forcing Bahamut to slow down.

"W…Why do you want that?" She spoke in a much more uneasy and slow voice. "I…I already told you everything…"

"No, you didn't." Bahamut coldly answered. "And you avoided it every time I tried to press for more information. I want the whole story."

As Bahamut watched, he saw a change come over Shinza. She began to tremble… Her skin turned whiter, and she nervously licked her lips like she used to. She swallowed deeply, and turned her hands over each other. He knew he had something here. It had mystified him for a long time, and after eight years he wanted to know more about it. He especially wanted to now. Whatever it was, it was obvious that Shinza hadn't gotten over it. He began to grow more and more suspicious of this with time…

"N…N…Now?"

"No, not now. Later. After this is done."

Shinza seemed to relax a little at that. But still, she was nervous, looking from side to side and wringing her hands. At last, however, she drew in a sharp breath, and managed to nod. "…Alright." She finally spat out. "Alright…after this is done."

Bahamut gave a nod back. "Very well." He answered, and then turned his head forward again.

* * *

Where Shinza ended up taking Bahamut was somewhere different. It was over on the other side of the city in which he now lived. However, Shinza, who became less nervous and more talkative and happy with time, told her that it was still affiliated with the university. As it was, when they reached it, it looked like some semi-circle foundation, with a long, tall tower in the same shape rising out from the ground. Not only that, but some sort of giant orb was in the center of the semi-circle, seeming to hover in the middle of it. But it wasn't an orb…it was more of the building. In face, bridges seemed to rotate around the inner area of the semi-circle, going to different floors and rooms, and connecting them to the sphere as they moved, occasionally stopping and letting a party go through.

Bahamut gradually made his way into this sphere. He gained little from his entry into the building. It seemed to be a rather busy place. There were quite a few Ettecans coming and going. All of them froze and stared at him in surprise. Luckily, this was a secret place he had gone to, and there weren't any crowds. But he still had the usual assortment of fans, and a few people wanting him to sign books. At any rate, the great esper and Shinza went by these until they reached a turbolift, which was fortunately large enough for Bahamut's newly reduced size. Once there, they rode up a considerable distance before exiting, going down a hall, and then entering some sort of windowed corridor. Once they did, the esper was surprised to see it rotate, and realized he was in the rotating bridge.

When it came to a stop, Bahamut found himself facing a new door somewhere on the sphere. But this one looked like it was locked…and guarded. Some sort of police robot was waiting at the front. On recognizing Bahamut and Shinza, it immediately stood at ease. It let the two of them approach. Once there, Shinza input some set of digits into a keypad, and the door slid open, allowing her and the esper to pass through.

It was much darker here, and high ceilinged. There were no overhead lights in this room. It was dark, simple, and metal. It was also filled with devices on wheels. A considerable amount of computers and other large scanning devices were here. But Bahamut didn't recognize any of them as what Shinza had used. These were in their own element. There wasn't much in the way of levels in the chamber either. The edge of the room had a raised walking ramp to get to a different door, but nothing else. In front of him, to his disdain, was a sac holder, designed to suspend him and attach devices to him. It was a much larger one this time. Now, large machinery was protruding from the floor as well as the ceiling. Many cables were extending to them, and some had lights on them that were glowing. All of the devices seemed to be linked up to it. Lastly, there were many people walking around the room. Most of them looked like some sort of laboratory type, although Bahamut couldn't place what kind exactly. As a last disturbing element…there seemed to be high security measures around the room. All of the doors had locks and retinal scans, and guard robots.

On entering, Bahamut at first found himself having to stop. There were so many people running around and devices hanging loose that he couldn't move. Shinza herself pressed in close to him and waited, watching the people move around. Yet they didn't have to wait long. One of the people, a person who was overlooking a fellow worker adjust a computer console, raised his head on seeing them come in. Immediately, he smiled…some sort of fair, faint smile that made Bahamut a bit uneasy. It seemed almost too pleasant. At any rate, the man turned and began to walk over to them. On reaching him, Bahamut only got the feeling even more from him. His own blue hair was especially long, and was styled back in some sort of strange Ettecan format. And his face…with his eyes burning some alien blue color, and his smile so strange and false looking… In truth, it could have just been the man's natural appearance, but it unnerved Bahamut none the less.

The only thing worse was when he spoke. His voice was like warm honey…so sweet it was sickening. Bahamut struggled not to show his revulsion at it.

"Good day, Lord Bahamut, and Professor Shinza. I am Dr. Maester. It is a pleasure to meet you at long last. I do hope that I will be of great service to you soon." With that, the man gave a bow to the esper.

Bahamut didn't react. He was made too uneasy by his appearance and voice. It sounded so…plastered. He didn't know what to think of it. He was just a very unsettling person. He turned to Shinza after a moment. However, she seemed perfectly normal. In fact, the closer they had gotten to this point, the more excited she had become. She was now nearly quivering with joy, almost hopping in place. Eagerly, she turned to Bahamut and gestured to him.

"Dr. Maester is one of the greatest minds in biomechanical research on Etteca…maybe even the universe." After saying this, Shinza turned back to him. Her joy vanished a moment, and was replaced by tension. "Now…I'm taking that due to the fact that we're standing here talking to each other that my proposal was finally accepted?"

Dr. Maester hesitated a moment, but then gave a single nod, still smiling. "Yes. Personally…I'm grateful for the opportunity. I can understand why they were uneasy about it, however. As we confirmed, there is no way to correctly estimate the amount of power that would result. But given his stable situation, we've agreed to proceed."

"So, we're starting right now?" Shinza eagerly asked.

He nodded again. "Yes. We are just about ready for Bahamut, and your services can also be enlisted. Although, I'm not sure if you tolerate being reduced to a laboratory assistant after having earned so much fame as a primary researcher."

Shinza grinned and let out a laugh at that. "No, not at all. This is a dream for me."

Bahamut wasn't able to truly understand what was being said, or what it had to do with him. However, he knew it concerned him, and something big. He raised one of his artificial claws at this point. "Excuse me…might I ask what's going on?"

Both people turned to Bahamut at this. Shinza looked a little nervous in response, but more from being excited than anxious. As for Dr. Maester, he kept that eerily calm look, and regarded him with that same smile.

"All will be clear shortly. For now…let us prepare you for entering the sac."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Bahamut once again found himself in the situation he woke up in almost ten years ago. He was floating in a sac once again, attached to even more devices and scanners than usual. As for his medium, it seemed to be a more vivid light blue this time, much clearer than before. All of his prostheses had been removed. His legless, armless, wingless body now floated. His voice box had been removed from the breath mask, and his visor had been undone, once again plunging him into darkness. Luckily, Shinza had come to assist him in this regard. She allowed him to reach out with his telepathic powers and see the world through her eyes. She also was the only one comfortable with getting mental messages from him.

The rest of the technicians had finished setting up. They were now standing in various positions at the equipment. All was on and operational. On a large screen that Bahamut could see, a 3D scanning image of him slowly rotated, pointing out his vitals and status as it did so. Shinza stayed close to the tank, looking into him. Dr. Maester stood at one of the consoles at a distance. Bahamut frowned slightly. He didn't like the idea of being at his mercy. However, he contented himself for now. After all, even without limbs, he was far from helpless.

"Is Mr. Bahamut comfortable, Dr. Shinza?" The sweet voice finally asked.

Shinza paused a moment, reading Bahamut's mental message. "He's just eager to know what's going on."

Maester smiled and nodded. "We're just about to begin. Tell him to please remain calm. This operation won't hurt him in any way."

Shinza frowned slightly. "He says he can understand you fine, he just can't talk back."

If Dr. Maester heard this, he didn't react. He instead reached down and pressed a few buttons to initiate a program. The rest of the technicians went to work monitoring their devices at this point, and watched and waited. Bahamut hovered in his tank shortly, wondering what exactly was going on. He tried looking out through Shinza's eyes again to see what it was…

Then, he noticed it. One of the larger devices attached to the membrane was sliding open. When it did, a ring like device began to emerge. After it extended a little, Bahamut noticed that it was attached to some sort of mechanical cable that acted like an arm. It snaked its way through the fluid, and began to make its way toward him. Bahamut grew nervous. He began to wonder what the intentions of this were, and wondered if coming here was a bad idea. Yet he stayed still as he watched the ring continue to wave its way through the fluid, and finally made its way to the forearm that remained on him. Here, the ring maneuvered itself until it just surrounded the end of the arm. There…it suddenly tightened and closed itself around the end of the stump.

Bahamut shifted a bit at this, but continued to watch. Slowly, cables began to come out of other devices, snake their way through the liquid, and attach themselves to the ring. But the ring itself was changing. Sections of it began to slide out and rotate around the circumference. As they did so, they created more attachment points for cables, and they fixed themselves as they did so. The sliding and rotating continued until the ring had grown into a cylinder. It continued to length onward, and although Bahamut couldn't see it…he felt as if thing were moving around inside the cylinder as well…like small devices were deploying. At any rate, the cylinder continued to extend and thicken, connecting more and more cables onto it. At last, after it had extended about twice the length of the remainder of his limb, diagonal polygons were deployed at the end, and shut it off. The last few cables connected. After that…nothing. Bahamut thought he felt a slight tingling at the end of his severed stump, but he figured that was just phantom limb.

He turned back to Shinza at this. The woman, in response, looked back to Maester. "He wants to know what now."

The doctor merely shrugged. "That's it for the month. We'll have the results then."

Bahamut groaned in his tank. That was it? This was why he had come along here? Just to go through all the trouble of taking off all of his prostheses so he could attach this thing to his stump? It made him more than a little irritable. That was…until he heard the next part.

"You'll have to remain here until then, Mr. Bahamut."

Shinza winced a little at the violent thoughts that the esper sent her way. Terrific. Now he was stuck in this tank. At least before he could move around, attempt some semblance of life. He had things he could have been doing. Sure, things were a bit boring…but not nearly so much as on the ship. And this was the voyage all over again. He had endured much of his life with patience…but now his patience was wearing thin. He almost wanted to blow this tank just so he could feel what it was like to have air on his skin instead of liquid before he died…

"If you like," Dr. Maester suggested. "We could give you a special sedative, similar to what we give to people in suspended animation. It would keep you out for a month. When you wake up, it will be like no time has elapsed at all."

Bahamut hesitated at that. Normally, he'd say no. He didn't approve much of drugs, or putting himself at the mercy of any other party. And he didn't like this guy too much… Yet, in the end, he realized he didn't care that much either. If he died, he died. It wasn't like he had much to offer the world anyway. Besides, it was unlikely they were going to kill him. And he had never tried something like this before. Perhaps it would be good just to give it a shot. After all, as old as he was, it was hard to find things that one hadn't done yet. He finally decided in favor of it.

Shinza received the message, and formed something of a look of concern. She knew this wasn't like him. "Bahamut, are you sure?" She asked in response.

To make sure that the answer was not ambiguous for the technicians, Bahamut gave one sharp nod.

Dr. Maester smiled. "Very well then." He answered. At that, he turned to one of the nearby assistants, and gave him a nod. This assistant nodded back, and then turned to his console. He pressed a few buttons on it. When he did, yet another object came out of a device on the side. This one looked to be some sort of snaking cable with a needle on the end of it. It was a bit longer than Bahamut liked, the esper realized soon enough. What more, he realized it wasn't going for anyplace conventional. It appeared to be twisting around behind his head, and beginning to take aim at the back of his skull.

Bahamut was about to protest…when the needle drove into the back of his head, and he remembered no more.

* * *

_An eternity of chaos and visions… An endless swirling dream of colors and shapes unknown to man… One great vision after another in an endless cycle… Illusions and hallucinations dancing in and out of each other again and again…_

_The great glowing city of Z'Nark'And…or Zanarkand…or whatever… The great sphere shaped audience hall. A flash…and it is filled with medium…and people dance around in it playing some game with a ball… Another creature appears above it, wrapped in medium just like him…and he stretches out the medium and turns the city to nothing…_

_Bizarre temples on strange worlds…and out comes Shinza, only she's dressed like a priestess and she's human… Dead men walk… Monsters linger… A black witch strokes a stuffed moogle and looks at him… Humans run around on a barren shore, only they're dressed like Ettecans…_

_A wedding ceremony…Shinza is marrying Dr. Maester, only he's human wearing what the mayor was wearing… Then he turns into a being of light and darkness…and a game ball comes out from nowhere and strikes him, sending him flying into an abyss… People…thousands of humans…all dressed like Ettecans…they sing the first song that Bahamut heard on his ship…_

_He is there. He is a great mural painting on the ground…yet he rises out of it as colorful and misshapen as he looks there. His wings are feathered, and a golden halo surrounds behind him. The people bow to him as he crosses his arms before them… But then, he looks around…and he is in the ruin of great Z'Nark'And…and there, rising from the ocean, is some great fishfrog, turning and looking to him and flexing its great fins… He sees this…and focuses on it as it opens its mouth…revealing great, gaping black…

* * *

_

Blackness lingered on Bahamut for a long time. He felt light and weightless. He felt cushioned and held. He wasn't sure if he was still dreaming. He wasn't sure if he was still asleep. But then…he felt tickling. Bubbles…brushing past his skin. He lifted an arm to his head…only to find that it wasn't there. His air…it tasted too pure and cool. He tried opening his eyes…and could see nothing. Nothing at all. Of course he couldn't. He had no eyes. He was totally blind… And at that, he realized the truth. He remembered who he was and where he was.

Bahamut stretched out his mind. He found an inviting place, and went into it. It was Shinza. He looked out through her eyes. The room was unchanged. All of the devices were still there. All of the people were still there. However…they looked different. Some had changed hair. Others wore slightly different items. He realized this, and thought back…back to what was the last he remembered. When he did, he recalled that dream…that crazy, senseless dream… He shook his head at that, and remembered further. Yes…he was supposed to be out for a month, and so he had taken the sedative to knock him out.

He snorted at the thought.

_That's the last time I take drugs._

"Bahamut, are you alright?"

The esper looked up to Shinza at this. He rolled his head around a bit, but then sent her a message. She turned behind her. "He says he'd rather stay awake next time, but that he's alright, and he wants to know why he had to wait a month."

Dr. Maester gave a nod in reply, still smiling. After seeing the alternate version of him in that dream, it unsettled the esper more than before. "Of course." He answered in that same, too-smooth voice. "Dr. Shinza…if you would be so kind as to turn your attention to the metal cast that Mr. Bahamut has been wearing for the past month, so that he might see what has been going on."

Shinza must have done so, for as Bahamut reached out and dipped into her mind, he saw her vision squared solely on his encased limb. He didn't feel any tingling now. But still it sat there with all of the cables attached. He watched it for a moment, as Maester reached over on his console and pressed a few buttons. He looked up again just before pushing the last one, so that he could get a good view. As he depressed it…suddenly the cylinder fractured. When it did, it let out a great hiss, and a rush of air bubbles came flowing up from it. The cables detached, and drew themselves back into the wall as they did so. The cylinder fragments sank to the bottom, where nanites were already hard at work recycling them into the medium. However, Bahamut didn't notice this. As his metal plates fell…and as the bubbles cleared…he focused solely on his arm as Shinza did…

What he saw amazed him.

He had a totally new limb.

The esper exhaled a blast of air into his mask, stunned. What was this? A new prosthesis? It didn't feel like it… His other attachments only gave him the general feeling of touch. But here…it felt like his own flesh. He could feel each bubble brush past his scales. He could detect the temperature flowing through it. And his fingers…it felt like forever since he had fingers. He waved them, and they responded immediately in turn. He hesitated again, but then slowly raised the limb and touched it to his face. For the first time in years, he was able to feel his own face. It was scarred and disfigured, he immediately gathered…but it was his. And he could touch it again.

This arm wasn't like his old one. It seemed to be sleekly armored. The scales shimmered iridescently as he rotated it and were a darker color, like a green or dark blue almost, and seemed to almost be metal although they felt natural. If he had another arm, he might have plucked one off to see if he could bleed. That wasn't all. It felt stronger…harder…more formidable. It seemed as if his arm was the most livid thing about his body.

He raised his head, turning his attention to Shinza. The woman, in response, smiled pleasantly and folded her arms behind her back in an innocent gesture.

"…I wanted it to be a surprise." She explained, answering Bahamut's unasked question of why she didn't tell him. "I've been petitioning for this, Bahamut. Ever since our first year together in space. I begged the councils back on Etteca to allow Dr. Maester to use his biomechanical cell regeneration technique on you, to essentially grant you a new body. I wanted one to not only replace your old one, but that could tolerate your full level of energy. I wanted to get you off of life support, most of all. However…they didn't believe me when I said you were mentally stable or trustworthy. That's why they had to test you for themselves."

"You see," Dr. Maester added, from his position. "Quite frankly…we are unsure of how much power you are capable of. Your old body was inadequate. This new one was custom built from modifying your DNA, and then piece-by-piece reassembly of your appendage, developing in a way similar to an infant developing from a zygote. Specific genes, proteins, and mineral acquisitions have been inserted into your genome to ensure that your new body will be in peak performance."

Bahamut hesitated at that. He turned to his arm once, and thought for a moment, before looking back to Dr. Maester. Shinza spoke up at this.

"He wants to know if he's a cyborg."

To this, Dr. Maester cracked his head back and gave a resounding laugh. It was a bit too creepy sounding for Bahamut's tastes, but he endured it. After laughing a little, Maester lowered his head and shook it. "Oh no. Cybernetics are so primitive...almost barbaric. This is something quite different. This arm is more of a bio-android state. Essentially, it's a machine built with totally biological parts. But don't worry, you are indeed a living thing still. You're just much more. Your regenerative capabilities have increased a thousand fold. Your cells are much more efficient, and your blood being produced by the marrow in your new bones carries two hundred and fifty times more oxygen than your last body did. Your scales can lock on your body and your bones are seven hundred times stronger than titanium. In short…that arm is so indestructible that it could survive in space, provided you took a deep enough breath."

Bahamut turned back to the arm at this. He was silent, but thought about it…used his mind to go over every detail about it. Yes…it was much better now. That was why it felt so different from before. Still…he was silent about it, and watched it a few moments more.

"Now…" Dr. Maester spoke up again after a few moments. "It was my intention to do what I did to your arm to the rest of your body, inevitably replacing what bits of your flesh you still have left with similar material. It will be far more complicated than it was to fix that one arm, I assure you. Muscles, bones, skin, and some marrow…that was enough. Organs and more advanced nerves will be more difficult. It will take much longer than a single month to complete. Furthermore…this new body would fully utilize your power. As I said before…no man can say how strong you would be. Knowing all this, would you like for us to proceed?"

Bahamut hesitated again at that. He turned his head down and thought for a moment. As obvious as the answer may have seemed…it was still a difficult question. That much power… If he could fully utilize his strength…then he would at least be as strong as he was when he had been fully powered up as Neo Bahamut. Any stronger…and his strength would terrify him. There was no telling what kind of damage he could do. And even with a new body…he wasn't sure if he still would want to continue. He still would have nothing and no one…and he would still be a stranger in a strange land…

But in the end, the esper shook this off. If he was going to die…he wanted to die as an esper and not as a lame fish. He wanted to feel the air of this world. He wanted to bask in its sun. He wanted to eat and drink again. He wanted to lie down and sleep on his own limbs. And he wanted to look on Shinza with his own eyes. In the end, that was a good enough reason for him, he turned back to Dr. Maester, and gave a nod.

"He says do it." Shinza translated.

Dr. Maester smiled and gave a nod. "We'll get started right away."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	36. Sins of the Father

_Nine Months Later_

Unfortunately, after all this time, Bahamut still found himself swimming in a tank with a breath mask attached to his face. However, he was now breathing regular air…and looking about without the aid of a visor.

The esper had undergone yet another change. Rather than rebuild the rest of his limbs, Dr. Maester had started with remodeling Bahamut's head, which would be the hardest part. It would be the first part they would actually replace instead of build new. Not only was engineering a brain a monumental task, but there was some question of the sort of effect it might have on Bahamut. The esper was a bit nervous about it as well. Would he be the same person when it was done? Or would he be some sort of machination? It presented an interesting problem, to say the least. The structure was very complicated, and there was a fear that any attempt to actually transfer the consciousness would be a failure, in effect leaving Bahamut a vegetable.

A solution was finally presented. Nanites were injected into Bahamut's brain, bearing the new cell cultures, to facilitate a change over. In effect, they would swap out neurons one at a time with the new ones. The brain, being a very plastic organ, would easily be able to adapt for and correct the replacement of one neuron within instants. Once that neuron was assimilated into the brain, it would move on to the next. It was still iffy…and Bahamut was very uneasy about it. Yet the new body couldn't tolerate his old brain. He had to give it a try.

The entire process took an injection of 300,000 nanites and two months to complete. Every day, Bahamut found himself going over his life history, and scaring himself the moment something slipped his mind. He kept on asking Shinza during this time period if he was acting normal. The rest of the scientists continued to try and adapt more components as he waited. He did feel different with time. He felt…almost as if his memories and cognition had been greased. Things came to him much faster, and he was able to clearly process huge amounts of information within seconds. Yet his personality stayed the same. At the end of the two months, he was happy to learn that his brain had been totally replaced by a new one that operated like a supercomputer in terms of its ability to process data and produce results. Bahamut's reaction time had shrunk exponentially, and his new brain gave him the ability to not only store infinitely more data, but to process that even quicker.

With the hardest part done, the scientists began to move out. Starting at the back of the head, they began to surgically remove parts of his head and skull, one piece at a time, and put cables and clamps over them bit by bit. Luckily, there was a temporary layer erected to protect his brain. Piece by piece, his head was rebuilt. His one long horn was replaced by two long thin ones that were segmented, and, to Bahamut's surprise, actually were under muscular control. His rear crest became long and sharp, with two almost blades coming from the side of his head, and a shorter one coming back from the top.

By that point, they were to the eyes. That part was the most uncomfortable. Bahamut's single limb had to be immobilized for an entire month, else he would scratch at his eye sockets and ruin the reconstruction efforts. He was forced to clench what was left of his jaw and struggle to endure the constant itching and tingling. But in the end…it was more than worth it. The day the metal guards came off of his eyes…and he saw the place around him with his own vision. It was amazing. It seemed like his own eyes…but coupled with his brain, he could see anything. He could even see the nuclei of the cells on the tip of Shinza's nose as he looked at her.

The rest of the head was finished up soon after. The mouth was unusual. This was also uncomfortable. He had special tubes surgically inserted into his nostrils as they worked on his mouth, and he felt nerve pain once or twice. There was shifting happening to him there as well. When he finally had it removed, he was rather shocked. Oh, his jaw was fine. It felt great to be able to move it and chew, and to feel all of his teeth, now nearly unbreakable, set back in his jaw. But the front of his face…he had some long, pointed beak now, like a spearhead on the end of his mouth. It looked ridiculous to the esper, but Dr. Maester assured him that it was great for the aerodynamics they were planning to give him, and would have more essential functions later. And so…Bahamut swallowed his pride, and rejoiced in the fact that he had a face and head again.

However, he still couldn't breathe or eat yet, and had to keep the mask on while in the tank. At this point, metal casts were put around the rest of Bahamut's former limbs. Next came a more tricky part. Dr. Maester strongly urged Bahamut to accept drugs again at this point, but the esper refused it, claiming he could handle whatever it was. He was nearly proven wrong. Due to the drugs, life support, and multitude of devices that they switched in to take over for his organs, he was never in any danger. But nevertheless, they proceeded to make large incisions across his chest, and open him up like a cadaver. He could actually see his own mass of entrails momentarily before they brought in the proper sterilizing and containment equipment. Next, they removed his old, burned out lungs, temporarily attaching him to a breathing machine. It was weird. He actually saw a great sac within his own sac inflate and deflate. It was stained with Bahamut's blood, which ran in and out via tubes. Two more months went by as the rather complicated organs of his lungs were slowly regenerated and rebuilt. But in the end, these too were finished. On one day, a special cold/warm water flush was put into the medium to stimulate Bahamut's breathing reflexes, and his new lungs flared to life. He nearly swooned on the pure oxygen, but they quickly adjusted levels of it. To his surprise, he soon found that he could now breath with an air oxygen content of only 0.001 percent, as efficient as he was.

That left Bahamut to where he was at present. He was glad that he was able to breath more normal air now, although they held on giving him unfiltered for the moment, not wanting to stress his new body as it changed over. His neck was now enclosed in a metal cast as well. His vocal cords had been rebuilt by this point, and finally he was able to speak again. However, the vertebrae in his neck were still being worked on. His limbs were still in metal casts, and his organs were being replaced while his cut open chest continued to lay exposed within the sterile devices that had been implanted inside him. But other than that…things were going well. Damaged as his body was, Bahamut actually felt as if his head was "himself". And that was better than nothing.

Shinza still visited him every day. That was a relief. It was about the only face he could somewhat bond to throughout the time he spent in the tank. He continued to tell her his story as time went on. And every day she took more notes on it. He was drawing to an end now. There wasn't much more left. What he was saying should round out the fifth and final book in his series. It was mostly devoted to his time as Neo Bahamut, after coming back to life. And at present…he found himself feeling a bit stiff and saddened. He was beginning to talk of the immense joy he once had in his life…that was now crushed and gone. The happy time he had once been content and at peace…snatched away from him. Most of all, he talked about Terra…

It was inevitable that Shinza would ask him about this. She was sitting before his tank one day, looking up into his face as he kept his head bowed, looking over the tubes and cables that surrounded his body. She too looked uneasy. This was obviously a sensitive subject for him, and she wasn't sure she should pry into it.

"So…I take it that whatever event left you like this…was what kept you from having that life in Mobliz."

Bahamut paused at that, but then gave a slow nod. "Yes." He answered. "In another month, we'll get into more detail about it…"

Shinza winced uneasily, and curled down a moment. After a few seconds, she looked back up to him. "Is…there any way…? I mean, could she still be alive? Being half esper?"

Bahamut sighed and shook his head. "No. I knew she was human in respect to her longevity. What precious time I would have had with her is long since expired. The grandchildren of the children I befriended have passed on as well. Mobliz by now is its own continent, probably having come to rest off of the shore of the opposite land mass."

The Ettecan still looked nervous. For a long time, she wanted Bahamut to be happy. She wanted him to stay alive so he could tell her more. And she thought he was too amazing of a creature to just lay down and die, thinking that it would be a tragedy. However…that had passed. The great esper was her friend now. She was genuinely concerned for him and his well being. And it made her sad to always see him in such a lowly, bleak state. She wished she could do something to help him. After a few moments, she looked up to him again.

"What about the Crystal Stone?"

Again, the esper sighed and shook his head. "No. The only reason the Crystal Stone worked on me was because my essence was distilled into magicite. Under normal conditions, the body would have to be intact and undamaged. Sadly, by now, Terra is probably nothing more than a skeleton."

The woman recoiled a bit at that, lowering her head. She exhaled a little herself, and shared Bahamut's grief with him for a few moments. In the end, however, she turned and raised her head again. "I know this is jumping ahead again, but why did you leave her?"

Bahamut frowned. "At the time, I thought I was as good as dead. And after seeing how humanity had used the powers of my kind for generations, I did not want the same to happen to me, but especially for another chain of destruction to occur. I think, deep down inside, that this is what the rest of the members of my race truly wanted. Once they had all passed on, they would rather leave nothing on this world than see their remains violated by wicked, greedy men. I knew that if I stayed with Terra, one day I would be a threat to the future. Furthermore…our children would be hunted just as my family was. I realized, at the end of all things, that if I truly wanted to save those who were left in the world who were good…that I couldn't allow the esper race to dwell there anymore."

Shinza looked up at this uneasily. "Is that why you want to go back just to die? You don't want to run around your world any longer?"

Bahamut shook his head. "I've seen everything on my world. Now, I have nothing left. The world stopped being a place for espers at the end of the War of the Magi. There is nothing left of my kind or my people. And I've gone through enough deaths and rebirths to tire of it. Now…I just feel old. I just want to go to my rest like the others of my kind."

Shinza turned her head inward. "…You _do_ have people here who admire you."

The esper shook his head again with another down look. "No matter what happens to me…no matter how many people admire me…no matter how much fame I gain…in the end I will always be just a stranger in a strange land. This isn't my home. It is not where I belong. And despite the efforts of so many to get me to feel well…I'm afraid I just will never be comfortable here. I am grateful for everyone's well wishes…but I can't stay here forever."

The professor sighed and bowed her head again. Still, she found herself powerless to cheer Bahamut. The esper appreciated the gesture, but it was to no avail. He had thought about this for much too long. This wasn't home to him. It would never feel that way. And he was sick to return to where he was. True…he would miss Shinza at this point. Out of all the Ettecans in the world, she seemed to genuinely care about him the most. She was a friend. But it couldn't be. In the end, he just wanted to lie down and rest.

At last, Shinza turned her head back up to him. She let out a small sigh. "Well…I'll do my best to keep you company until they're finished with you, at least. After that…I suppose I'll be going on my next voyage."

On hearing this, Bahamut's depression broke, and he raised an eyebrow to Shinza. "Next voyage? You're set up for life after your research with me. You want to actually go on a ship for another eight years?"

"Well, this one I set up for twelve, actually." Shinza responded, a bit uneasily and twisting slightly as she did so. The length of time seemed to make her rather uncomfortable, and he eyes turned to the ground. "I'll…be going to more distant nebula and trying to look for new life forms again. You know, more OPAs."

Bahamut frowned at this. "How can they make you do that? You'll be 56 years old in my time by the time you get back. You'll have spent much of the prime of your life in space. After this achievement, they still want to send you on another?"

Shinza seemed to grow more uncomfortable at that. She licked her lips nervously again, and dug her toe into the ground.

"Actually…I was the one who proposed the long distance study."

This made the esper look back a bit in puzzlement. "You?" He asked in incredulous belief. "You actually suggested that you go on a twelve year study?"

Shinza exhaled a little, and grew more nervous. She wrung her arms together uneasily and gave a shrug. "Well…yeah. I mean…it is a long time…" She grew quiet at this, as if she seemed to realize the length. When she did, it made her more anxious. "And…a long way from home…" She continued, sounding even more uncertain than that. "But…I do like biological OPAs…and this is what I did my thesis on…I'm sure it'll be great."

"Great?" Bahamut echoed back, disbelieving. "Shinza…it's a prison sentence. You'll throw away the last bit of your life you have to do things. You'll leave your homeworld behind to spend twelve years in a small vessel hurtling through empty, lifeless blackness. This planet is different from Gaia, but I know you like it. You can't really want to go through with this."

Shinza was beginning to sweat. She twisted uneasily against the ground. "Oh…no, no…" She responded, trying to make her voice sound upbeat and cheerful. However, she failed in this regard, and still wouldn't look Bahamut in the eyes. "I mean…I like research… It's…full of its own rewards… It is a great opportunity, after all…"

The esper frowned. "Shinza, listen to yourself. Look at yourself. It's as plain as the nose on your face that you don't want to go on this. Is someone making you? Are you having financial trouble? Someone or something has to be making you do this. You wouldn't be so nervous right now if it wasn't. What's the problem? What is making you go on this voyage?"

"Bahamut…really…" Shinza answered. Her arms began to raise and her voice filled with more power. Her voice started to become more earnest and strong, and grow in volume. But through it all…she looked scared and confused. "Really. I…I need to go on this. I have to go on this. I…I…I do want to do this. I just… I… I just want… I need to get away from the University, that's all. I… I've got to go on this!"

Shinza nearly shouted this last part. As she did…Bahamut was just able to catch a tear rolling down her cheek from her eyes before she rose from where she was seated, turned, and rushed out of the room as fast as she could. Her hands went to her eyes as she did so, trying to conceal them from anyone looking at them. She was fearful now…trying to get away from the esper…not wanting him to keep prying any more. Never had she walked out of a session before. Until now, they had always gotten back together on their spats. But now she went away…not out of anger but out of some gripping fear and tension that had a firm grasp on her.

Bahamut stared as she stormed out, opening the sliding door and darting through it. And as she did…he began to think yet again.

* * *

_Six Months Later_

The operations continued, and Bahamut's body continued to be improved. His neck and other arm were released, enabling him to be motile in the upper half of his body. His legs were unleashed soon after, although all he could do for the moment was float. To keep them from atrifuting and crippling him when released, he had electrodes innervate them and provide some electronic stimulation each day. Next came his chest cavity.

The heart was the next major organ to replace. As before, he had a blood pumping machine handle it for him while his heart was rebuilt. It worked just as well, and he didn't even notice. He only had the same strange feeling of seeing something outside his body do the work. After that came the other organs, the kidneys, the pancreas, the liver, and all of the pieces of the digestive system, one at a time. At the same time, his bones and vertebrae were gradually switched out, and the neurons switched around within the cords and main interventions. Gradually, his sternum was closed up again and sealed, as the mass of machinery went down to his stomach, like some bizarre umbilical cord.

At that point, the last few touches were made. His wing fragments were enclosed by rather long metal casts, as was the stump where his tail had once been. Once these came off, he would be totally rebuilt, and would emerge at last for good from the life support tank. He was left to anticipate the moment for when he would finally be free again.

The story continued during this. Shinza, never one to be upset for very long, returned the next day to take more information. However, she was a bit uneasy that day, as if anticipating Bahamut to press her decision again. He didn't at the moment, but it continued to rest in the back of his mind as he answered her once more. He began to plot again even as he heard her answer his questions…and turned his keen, analytical eyes upon her while she spoke, probing her and looking for any betrayal of facts.

This continued until one day, in which Bahamut was beginning to talk about his approach into Wyvern's new lair with his fiancée and newfound friends. It was at this time that Bahamut got a new idea. And so, he waited patiently for a few moments before springing it on her.

"So the six of you began to march into Zozo," Shinza started. "What happened when you got inside?"

"Shinza, do you ever see your mom and dad anymore?"

The Ettecan froze. Again, he saw her turn white. She swallowed, and Bahamut detected a tremble on her. Again, she bowed her head and wrung her hands. "I…thought we were finished talking about me…"

"I'd assume they'd want to talk to you, especially after what you discovered." Bahamut went on, seeming to ignore this. "On this world, I'm sure they have ways of contacting you quickly…"

Shinza swallowed again. "I'd…like to stay…on task…"

"I mean, they have to have friends at the bare minimum who want to know all about you, or get in touch with me via you." Bahamut still went on, sounding perfectly normal and sociable. "And as for you…you haven't seen them in years. Ever since our voyage began. You stayed with me that whole time. Shouldn't you go out and visit them? Spend a few days at your old home?"

The Ettecan, if possible, turned whiter. She began to distinctly tremble here. Her eyes looked to the ground and refused to turn up again.

"Are they dead?" Bahamut inquired.

"…My mother is…" Shinza finally stated. "My…father…"

Bahamut hated to do this, but if his suspicions were correct…this would be for Shinza's own good as well as his curiosity. And so, he pressed it onward. "Why don't you take a few days off then? Stop by home? I'm sure your father is very proud of you. I'm sure he misses you. I'm sure he'd like to hug and kiss his little girl again…"

It worked. At that, Shinza's face suddenly turned hard as stone. Her fear was replaced by an amount of anger, and her eyes blazed. Passion flushed her features as her body quivered.

"…He'll never…_ever_…touch me again…"

However, she stopped there. Bahamut's suspicions felt confirmed, but it still wasn't enough. He had to keep playing ignorance. He had to keep striking the buttons. And so, he pushed on even harder.

"Really? Well…wouldn't you like to feel your father's embrace again, after so many years away?"

That did it.

_"I never want to touch that bastard again!"_

The sudden outburst was so loud and passionate that the others in the room froze and turned to her. But she no longer cared. Her face was stretched tight and was livid now. She began to breathe hard, nearly gasping. But her face was flushed with rage…and her eyes were filling with tears. Hearing this, Bahamut realized he was finally here. Here, it needed to come out at long last. He stared at her silently for a moment. She quivered onward. Her face was enraged. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. But she hesitated again…and he pushed again.

"Why, Shinza? Did he do something to your mother?"

"My mother!" Shinza suddenly outburst. Her eyes were still glaring at the ground, but her face became impassioned and laughing. "My mother never gave a damn about me! She never wanted to have me in the first place! She always was just getting drunk and lying around the house all day…always hitting me whenever I got into anything…always telling me how she hated having to deal with me…how I was nothing but trouble…that she wished I had never been born… People wondered why I didn't cry at her funeral when she poisoned herself… Why should I! She never taught me what love was! If that was how a daughter and her mother were supposed to be…then I might has well have laughed when she finally died!"

Bahamut took this in, and it gave him pause for a moment. But it was only a second. "What about your father, Shinza? Why didn't your father ever stop her? Do something to intervene? Protect you?"

Shinza let out another half-hearted laugh…as more tears spilled from her eyes. "That's the craziest thing… The whole time, it turned out _she_ was protecting me. You see, once she was gone, he didn't have anyone else to go to bed with every night…" She hesitated for a moment at this…as her face began to quiver and lost its anger.

"…Except me."

Bahamut drew back a little and swallowed. The truth was…he had feared this greatly. But hearing it didn't make it any easier. His own face sank a little as she continued.

"He always made me touch him…and kiss him in those places… Then he'd come on to me, and he wouldn't stop even when I screamed no… I tried to stay away from him. I tried to stay longer at school. I tried to run away. But he always found me… Then…he'd do it while he was _angry_. That was the worst… He always kept telling me he loved me the whole time… If that's what love is, I'd rather hate everyone in the world…"

"Why didn't you go for help, Shinza? Why didn't you go to your relatives or teachers?"

Shinza's tears were falling freely now…but she snorted angrily again. "I learned a great lesson then… I told my head teacher all about it. He had the police brought to my house. But then they talked to my father…and he twisted the whole thing around. He made it look like I was a delinquent and a liar…that I was making the whole thing up just to get attention. Then that's what ended up happening…the police scolded _me_, and then left me to him. He didn't even bother being careful. That night…he was at it again…the worst yet…

"That's the lesson I learned. You can't trust anyone. You can only trust yourself. You're the only one who really cares about you in the end. Everyone else…they'll stab you in the back as soon as look at you. And all these people who talk about love and romance…they're just trying to satisfy some carnal desire at the end of it. That's all it is…some act of biological desire for pleasure and mating.

"Well…I got better. In the end, the only one who could get me away from him was _me_. And since then…I've seen right through every dirty bastard who's come my way with one thing on their minds. And if there is a Hell like you believe, Bahamut…then I hope they burn in it along with my father and every other perverted man in this universe."

Shinza couldn't take anymore at this point. She turned and stormed away again. By now, she was aware that everyone was staring at her and looking at her. Bahamut didn't know, but she had never told this to anyone. But before an esper, a person who was not one of the race she now feared, she let it flow at long last. He didn't say anything to her, although a part of him wanted to. But this wasn't mere anger now. Now, Shinza's head was bowed and he heard her weep. She was cringed in on herself as she went to the door and left, never looking up or saying a word. Once she passed through the automatic doors and they closed again, the room was silent. The lab techies looked to each other nervously, and wondered what they should do or say in response to this. This was so sudden and unexpected…

Bahamut himself stared after her and paused. Now, it was all making sense to him. Hopefully, it was making sense to Shinza as well. He feared that it wasn't. These thoughts had been subconsciously ruling her life for years now. If she didn't become aware of them and did something about them, they'd ruin what time she had left. Now, his mind was fully focusing on this problem. His own cares and concerns were forgotten for the moment, as he thought only of her. To tell the truth…it made him feel a bit better. Now that he had a problem external to himself, it was a way of getting his mind off things. And he did fear greatly for his friend. He would live forever…but she had little time with which to make a good life for herself.

The esper reached a decision then…and set a new goal for himself. He wouldn't act on it now. He had a feeling that even Shinza wouldn't be able to return too quickly after this. Nevertheless, he had a plan and a purpose now, after so long. And it was more than waiting to be completed. It was a true mission to complete with the rest of his life…now that he had a friend once more.

On that note, Bahamut eased back into his pod again. There was nothing more to be done now than think, and he was rather good at that.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	37. Sin

_Three Months Later_

The Ettecan day was still in full swing when the event happened.

Three months after Bahamut watched helplessly as Shinza turned and stormed out of the lab, the same building was now host to an incredible multitude. Scores of people were now gathered outside of the great building, creating a din of noise and casting an air of excitement. All of them looked earnestly up to the great sphere in anticipation. Some were just interested onlookers. Many were members of the scientific and biotechnic community, interested to see this unveiling. But the rest were some sort of strange new Ettecan types, ones who were dressed in more organic style and seemed more rougher from having lived in the wild and outdoors. Some of these were lifting signs exclaiming praise and excitement…but some even went so far as to put standards on themselves, reading in Ettecan the simple words, "Light Warriors of Bahamut". Among this group was excitement and anticipation the greatest.

A new grandstand had been erected in front of the facility. It was similar to the set up of many of Bahamut's old lectures. However, for now, it had a holographic curtain display shrouding the "backstage" area rather than concealing it below platforms. As in previous times, there was a podium erected here, on this elevated area overlooking the people below. There were several notables present there. Included among them was Dr. Maester, Dr. Folle, and the Regent. As such, he had an entourage of his own personal guards there around him. But for now, they were seated on special hovering platforms away from the podium, and awaiting the time for commencement.

However, the time finally drew nigh to begin. And when it did, Dr. Folle stood and walked forth until he was in front of the podium. On doing so, the rest of the crowd became silent. It wasn't so much out of respect as out of excitement. They were finally getting started. Now, all eyes focused on him and nervously waited. As for Dr. Folle, he looked over the crowd once and then spoke out.

"Well, the time is nearing Post-Lunch, and so I will get started. I'd like to start by thanking you all for coming out to this momentous occasion. As you are all aware of, not only is today going to be a breakthrough in our medical and biological research, but today is also the day in which a very special guest of ours will present himself at last…as not only a bringer of peace to our world but also the first to benefit from this technology. And to that end, I now give the floor to Dr. Maester, our new Dean of Science, and the pioneer to this groundbreaking technology."

With that, Dr. Folle stepped to one side, and began to applaud. The others below soon joined in. The cheers weren't as empassioned and strong as the ones for Bahamut, but it was pretty loud none the less. As for the new professor, he kept his slight, calm smile on his face as he slowly drew himself up out of his chair. On doing so, he calmly turned and began to walk up to the podium, moving in a slow and smooth fashion. He paused only to shake hands with Dr. Folle, who then returned to his seat, and then took the podium and turned to the crowd.

"I thank Dr. Folle for his welcome, as well as for referring me to my new position. I also would like the opportunity to thank our province for granting me the facilities and funds to complete my work. With that said, I shall begin.

"For those of you who are interested in the technical details of my procedure and methods, those results have just been approved and will be published soon in the scientific periodicals. For now, I will give the short version. This new technology that I have constructed represents a breakthrough in medical care and biological growth. Until now, the only way to manipulate an organism was through haphazard gene therapy performed at a young age. What I have perfected is the ability to alter development in a completely controlled setting, without having to worry about the multitude of potential side effects and problems. The nanites that I have created take into account and correct for all design flaws. For now, this technology will aid us in repairing what was once thought untreatable physical and mental flaws. But in the future, this technology will enable us to flawlessly produce long-living, healthy people, crops and meat free from pests and at high yields, and replicate organic matrices for large scale use.

"What you are about to see, ladies and gentlemen, is just the tip of the iceberg. Until I met the infamous Lord Bahamut, my research had been isolated to smaller lab creatures. Single limb replacements…eye replacements…neuron-regeneration… But with the help of Dr. Folle and Dr. Shinza, I found myself privileged to work on our visitor from another world. I soon found out after meeting him that as incredible as our guest described himself, he was not capable of living up to half of his potential. His body…broken…burned…inferior…was a useless shell housing a great energy…a proverbial broken down, rusted set of factories attached to the most powerful, efficient energy plant we could conceive. But now, because of this new technology, our friend is not only better, but more than he ever was before.

"With that said…I would like to close by presenting you all with our traveler the way he was meant to be. A way of repaying his service to our world, courtesy of the newest branch in this hospital…the Zexia Etteca Robotic Orthopedic. I welcome to the stage…Bahamut Z.E.R.O."

The holographic curtain shifted at this. The large form behind stepped out. The crowd gasped andrecoiled in shock. This was the first time any of them had ever seen Bahamut walk out to them. But now that he was no longer restrained, his full power and presence came forth. His dragonawe overwhelmed them, silencing them from speaking or cheering, and captivating them with his power. That alone wasn't it, however. It was also how much he had changed…

Bahamut towered into the sky. However, his body now gleamed. His scales, overlaid and smooth, like some sort of biotechnic armor, were irredescent in the light of the day. He was hulking with muscle and power. He looked both beautiful and deadly. His long, thin tail slowly swished the ground behind him, reflecting the sunlight every which way. He had wings now…but not just two. He had _six_. They were folded on top of each other and crossed around him, like some sort of cape he wore around himself. Finally, his long neck extended up into the air and over the crowd. The sharp crest pointed everywhere, and his burning, vivid, powerful eyes looked down a long spike that formed the front of his nose. Two of his horns, segmented like feelers, swished behind him, sweeping around the air as he stood up to the podium.

Once Bahamut stood there, he paused and looked over the crowd for a moment. The people stared blankly up at him, powerless to do anything for a moment. Their faces were expressionless as they looked. But then…very slowly…one of the people began to smile. It was in one of Bahamut's "followers", and they were beginning to realize that their idol was now moving and powerful again. Seeing this, the person began to slowly clap. He continued for a short moment, before those to his sides began to as well. Others saw this, and began to smile and clap too. Soon, it was spreading throughout the crowd, snapping them out of the dragonawe. The whole crowd was soon applauding, and they quickly grew louder. After a few more moments…one suddenly cried out to Bahamut in joy, and soon others did too. They began to whistle and yell again, louder than ever now…now that Bahamut was complete once again, and now walking on his own legs.

And Bahamut, facing the adoring crowd, no longer able to hide behind life support or sacs, could only manage a slow stiff inhale as he felt his muscles harden.

* * *

The great esper wasn't sure how to feel now. He was a bit upset. After all…that Maester had basically just treated him like a sideshow attraction, something he always feared. However, he wasn't helpless anymore. Oh no…far from it. He knew that full well by now.

This "Bahamut ZERO" body made his former Neo form look like a joke. Now, going up to the level he was at last time was nothing. He could easily pass it, and his body wouldn't be the slightest bit tired for it. He did not tire. He did not get hungry. He could feel the new power in him made him far faster, stronger, and more agile than what he had ever been before. His new body was so efficient that he hadn't needed to ease nature…either in front or behind…in days. He tried holding his breath to see how efficient his cells were. After forty hours, it got boring and he quit. His flesh was soft and gave to pressure, and yet it was as durable as triple layer titanium. Even if something could hurt him in this body, it was nothing. He could regenerate instantaneously. He didn't even have to focus. Even if his arm was blown off, it would simply sprout again within thirty seconds. At least, that was what he heard. He hadn't wished to test it.

And yet…he wasn't sure he wanted all this power.

He had been adjusting to letting go and dying. And yet now…he realized that if he wasn't immortal before, he was now. His new body even compensated for drains on stamina during depression and sadness. Now, it didn't seem possible for him to die either of age or damage. And if that was the case…then he would definitely be alive for a very, very long time. What more…he realized that his new powers were tremendous…astonishing…unbelievable… He wasn't sure exactly what he could do now. When he had turned Neo, he had already gone above and beyond his past abilities. He could actually rearrange matter in that form. Now what? Could he rearrange electrons? The cells in another being's brain? Combined with his new longevity…was he truly a demigod now?

Finally, he was most sad about one other thing. Shinza hadn't come back since that day…

_Well…at least one thing still works…_

On that thought, Bahamut focused his concentration. It had been a while since he had done this, and never before a crowd. However, he found his new brain made it easier than ever. Soon he recalled the spell, and worked it over his body…with a new twist. The crowd went silent and gasped again as Bahamut abruptly shrank down in size. His wings melted into robe clothing. His tail broke off and disappeared. His scales retreated into his flesh, which became the pale color of most Ettecans. Soon, he was down to a humanoid. His beak crushed against his mouth, but two parts of his crest turned into long, pointed ears rather than retreating into his skull. With little effort, hisneck cracked and exposed gills. His frame shrunk to a bit more thin and lithe. And now, his new body faced the world before him.

"Long have I wished to address the people of this world in this form, and now at last I have to chance to do so in my own voice." Bahamut's voice sounded. Not metallic…not booming…just the strong voice of an Ettecan. And that's what Bahamut was now. A rather tall, powerful, and handsome looking Ettecan. Bahamut had a good standard for beauty among the race of Ettecans now. And so, he adapted himself accordingly. His hair was still white, but two standards of beauty on Etteca were now his. He was large for a male, and his ears were especially long and pointed. As the crowd began to recover from their shock, the females began to realize just how handsome Bahamut was in this form. But everyone slowly began to remember that Bahamut had been capable of shapeshifting, as told in his memoirs. At that thought of that, they began to recover and applaud again. In fact, they soon did so louder than before. They were joyful to see their idol show his solidarity with the people of this world by changing into one of them. It was a sign of respect in their estimation.

Bahamut thought of that…but mostly of the fact that it would allow him to move about more without being pressed in on all sides for autographs in the general public.

"As always, I'm nervous about how to begin these sorts of things." He started, causing a mild chuckle from his fans in the audience. "It has been, as you might imagine, a very strange year for me. Seeing my body refitted before me like a ship of some sort. In all my experiences, I had never seen anything like this before. I had some sort of fearful notion that I might…"

Here, to the puzzlement of the crowd, something strange happened.

Bahamut suddenly trailed off.

The people looked on at him for a moment, but then turned to a bit of confusion and concern. As for Bahamut…he had gone as still and silent as a statue. He looked out into the audience now…right out into the teeming multitude…and his eyes rested on one person. It was a boy. He wasn't anything special…just some little lightly-clad Ettecan with a balloon. However, it none the less captured all of Bahamut's attention. The great esper had a very excellent memory, both in terms of reality and fantasy. And to this day…he still remembered the drug-induced hallucination that he had experienced when his operations started. He remembered each of the bizarre, chaotic visions that he had seen. And right now…this child…right in this spot…surrounded by just these kinds of people…looked exactly like one part of his dream.

The esper was speechless and motionless. It lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to him. His dream…he had seen something from his dream. Until now, the esper had never experienced the true sensation of déjà vu, but he did now. And now that he did…it made him uncomfortable, especially since he remembered dreaming about this. What did it mean? Was it just a coincidence? Was it something more? Why was he seeing it? He didn't know. All he knew was that it unsettled him. In the end, he licked his lips and turned back to the crowd.

"…Might…be turned into some sort of machine." He finally continued, trying to ignore that the event had happened. He pushed it out of his mind for now. He didn't want to interrupt this just for this small event. He tried to become as normal as possible and went on.

"I was very surprised to find that most of what I was was still the same, in particular the abilities I had over my own-"

_BOOM_

An eruption suddenly cut Bahamut off. The moment he heard it, Bahamut went silent and shot his head up to the source. An explosion had just rung out over the field. However…it was like no normal explosion Bahamut had ever heard. It sounded…almost as if it was damp…wet…sunken into something. Bahamut didn't know what this meant, but he soon got his answer, as he looked to where the noise had come from.

Some sort of invisible film in mid-air had suddenly become brightly illuminated. Now, it rippled on the sky as a great fireball burned against it, facing away from the crowd and the speaker. The film was fading away already, turning transparent and seeming to vanish into the sky along with the fireball. However, that lasted only a moment before more red balls of light shot down from the heavens to the surrounding area. As before, the film showed up. They appeared to strike it before hitting the ground, and it made them explode into balls of flame. As it did, the sound was dampened again. Bahamut still knew little about Etteca…but he knew the look of what a barrier spell looked like. And he knew what the large devices were that were dragged on to the field when it became known that the Regent would be attending that day. They were some sort of invisible shield projectors. Apparently, one had been cast over the field without his knowledge. They formed a protective barrier around it from the weapons of this world…and it looked like they were coming into good use right now. Something was blasting them with a sort of energy weapon. They were under attack.

The crowd soon began to panic. Screams sounded, and people began to run in every which direction. The guardian Ettecans rose and immediately surrounded the Regent on stage. They quickly began to lead him away. The others rose and looked about anxiously. Some of the attendants struggled to keep the panicking people in line, telling them to stay under the shield. This was the safest place for them. However, the whole assembly was soon a mess. People were trampling each other, running each other down, and all screaming in fear. Meanwhile, more eruptions rang out. The unseen enemy continued to bombard the shield, blasting it with balls of light one after another, until half of the sky around the field became illuminated with bright colors. Some of the shots missed the shield. Those that hit the building or the surrounding area caused massive eruptions, and some sort of quake effect that traveled into the ground and fractured the area, throwing up more debris and dust.

The only person who didn't move or scatter was Bahamut. He alone continued to stand at the podium, and looked up and through the film and explosions beyond to the attacker. His face was cold and expressionless, and the rest of the chaotic world was shut off around him. However, stoic as he seemed…a new fear had awoken in his heart. First one incident of déjà vu, and now another. This all seemed strangely familiar to him…as if he had seen it before. And now…he wanted to see if he would see still more than he recognized.

At last…it came. And on seeing it, Bahamut felt another chill in his heart. His fists tightened, and his pupils shrank slightly.

_I've seen this…_

There it was. Large…gray…covered with eyes that shifted and looked around itself…dangling two large fins below it that scraped the buildings of the city around it. Its massive cetacean-like mouth hovered dangerously over the ground below, as it sent more balls of death from its eyes to the world below. It blared out a horrible sonic note, capable of being heard for miles, and it slowly swished through the air as if it was any other medium to fly through. But he knew it… He had seen it before. The great gray fishfrog from his nightmares and hallucinations…

"Sin…" Bahamut breathlessly echoed out loud, naming it the entity that those in his dream called it.

"Not quite. That's a Yalorian battleship."

On hearing this, Bahamut was snapped out of his near-mesmerized daze. He was brought back to the world around him. It was still a cacophony of noise. People were screaming and scrambling everywhere, and the Regent had already been dragged off stage. The others were quickly leaving too. However, he had been joined by one that had not fled. At his side now, leaning in close to him, and nearly touching him as if to drag him to one side, was Dr. Folle. He was panicked as well, but he forced himself to be calm enough to return to Bahamut.

"What?" The esper addressed.

"You called it Sin." Dr. Folle answered. "I'm not quite familiar with that creature from your stories, but I assure you that isn't it. That's a Yalorian battleship."

Bahamut blinked once. It wasn't a creature? Quickly, he turned back to the huge monstrosity and looked again. As he did, it blared out once more. Yet as Bahamut looked again and listened again…he realized that its voice seemed to be laced with metallic noise, and lacked the vibrations of a true roar. He looked more closely at the eyes through the fire and shields. When it was clear enough…he saw they weren't eyes at all. They were some sort of laser refracting turrets. And he could see the heat beneath it from where engines elevated it. He could detect the metal luster and smell on it. Lastly…he could not sense any life in it, only in smaller things inside it that had to be the crew. Dr. Folle was right. This was a battleship. It was nothing like the ships on Gaia, seeming to be modeled after some sort of sea creature. But it was a ship, none the less.

That, however, was only small comfort to Bahamut. Though it wasn't the living monster from his dream that devoured entire cities, he had too good a memory to shake it. He remembered it. He had seen it in his dream. And it wasn't a look-alike…it was this. All of the details were there that he could remember. Nonliving or not…Yalorian battleship or Sin…this thing was from his vision.

"We have to clear the stage." Dr. Folle advised him. "I don't know what they're thinking…but my guess is this is an assassination attempt. I don't know if they're out to provoke a war or what, but it doesn't matter. They set up these shields around the perimeter, but it won't last long against this kind of bombardment. We need to get clear."

Bahamut hesitated a moment, looking up to the ship. It still made him upset. And it was a threat to everyone in the area. He wasn't the sort of person, even on this sort of the world, to just run and hide. He was a man of action. And with that in mind, he began to tense up once more, and consider his new and overwhelming powers…

"The military will probably deploy here within a few minutes…"

"There won't be any need for that." Bahamut darkly stated. "I'll handle it."

Dr. Folle turned to the esper at that. He was still in human form for the moment, and was still glaring at the ship from beyond the shield, which relentlessly pounded against the area. However, the doctor quickly called out before he could do anything.

"But you can't do that!" He advised immediately.

Bahamut, on hearing this, turned puzzled and looked back to him. However, the professor was insistent.

"We already see you as a great peacemaker on this world. If you go out and destroy them, they'll think that you're aligned with us as some sort of new military weapon. They might even have attacked here with the purpose of baiting you into fighting them and restarting a war."

The esper hesitated at that. He frowned a bit inwardly. The doctor was right. Until now, he had been claiming he wasn't affiliated with any group on Etteca. But if he destroyed this, they might try to claim he was practically a weapon for this province. And it would do little for his messages of peace and justice. And yet…he couldn't just stand here and do nothing. He had to try and stop it, or other people would get hurt. Just running away wasn't that good for his message either. In the end, he decided on one option, and agreed to go with it. He just hoped that his new, as of yet untested powers would pay off.

"Trust me." He finally stated.

With that, Bahamut immediately exploded back into his ZERO body, and then took off into the air after the enemy ship.

* * *

Moments later, the people who panicked and screamed moments ago found themselves frozen and staring up in captive dragonawe yet again. Now, the powerful, majestic body of Bahamut ZERO was unleashed. He streaked through the sky like the wind itself, piercing right through the overshield on the area and rocketing to the heavens. His sleek body trailed across the sky, going so fast the sound of thunder was in his wake. The speed was so great that his massive opponent, the monstrous Yalorian battleship, continued to bombard the shield for a few moments longer. But then, its crew became aware of the great irredescent object that had arisen from the flames it had made, and was now shooting toward them. On seeing that, the crew itself was held prisoner by the power and grace of the creature that had come.

Bahamut himself cared little for this. It was only useful in the sense that it had bought him time. However…he did enjoy the world beneath his wings again. His new appendages, which he hadn't tested until now, turned out to incorporate both the air foil structure of his Neo body as well as the wing abilities of his old one. To feel the sun against his skin and the air rushing around him was a great sensation, and he was tempted to indulge in it for a moment. However, it didn't last. His focus was soon brought back to the present, and the enemy that loomed before him. He was forced to put enjoying his new body on hold temporarily while he dealt with this threat.

Bahamut pulled himself to a halt in midair. His wings kept him held perfectly in the sky. Ahead of him, not more than fifty feet away, was the prow of the massive battleship. It didn't react to him right away. It simply hovered there as its crew members stared at him silently. As for the esper, he narrowed his eyes dangerously at it, and showed off his strength as he hovered there.

"Fighting me is useless." He stated to it, his voice powerful and thunderous in his new body. "Turn around now and leave this place, or else."

If the Yalorians on board heard Bahamut, they obviously didn't believe him. After a moment longer, all of the foremost eyes rotated and focused on the esper instead. The esper's eyes widened a moment, not expecting that quick of a response. He would have dodged in another second…but it was too late. The lenses on each eye opened, and moments later red beams of light shot out and struck Bahamut in a dozen places. The esper raised his arms to shield himself before he was enveloped in flame and eruptions.

Below, the people who had halted in order to watch this exchange gasped in fright as they saw the battleship fire its deadly lasers at their idol. Fire and sizzling lights covered him, blasting up smoke and flame in their wake. They soon saw nothing but a great fireball in the sky as the enemy fired. It continued to do this for a few moments, answering Bahamut's ultimatum with firepower, but eventually they cut off their attacks. The eyes rotated back to cool momentarily, and it appeared as if the great fishfrog in the sky was now hesitating to look and see what had come of its assault.

To everyone's surprise, especially Bahamut himself, they soon got an unexpected answer. As the flames and smoke died around him, Bahamut continued to wince and hold his arms around himself. But then, he looked up in puzzlement, when he realized he didn't even feel hot. His eyes opened and his arms dropped to his sides, and he looked over his body. To his amazement, he was untouched. There wasn't even a scratch in one of his scales. And that attack hadn't been minor either. He should have at least felt the heat, so hot that it was turning the air into an inferno. But he felt nothing. He was cool and flawless. The esper blinked, and then looked back up, struggling to repress a smile. He was stronger than he thought, apparently…especially in this new form…

The people below were likewise stunned. Despite being for Bahamut, they were shocked at what had happened. Their hero was untouched. Now, they fully began to appreciate the power of the one who, until now, still retained some sort of mythical quality about him in his books. But after standing up to a twelve-battery laser assault, they were convinced. The crew on the battleship were the most aghast, shocked that they had done nothing to this creature, after giving it enough power to force a rhinous worm to retreat. Furthermore…they began to pale and tense as they saw the esper look back at them and glare, now smiling in a challenging look. In the end, the terrified captain could only order them to fire again, hoping to injure it this time.

Despite knowing what the result would be, Bahamut quickly turned to one side and flew. In response, his body snapped away and shot through the sky, leaving the high-speed lasers to hit only air. They didn't stay in the same place long, however. Soon they, along with the rest of the batteries, turned and attempted to fire on the esper. Yet with his new wings, Bahamut found it all too easy to rise, lower, turn, and speed away from every shot. It was almost effortless for him. Another bonus to his new form, it appeared… However, he knew he couldn't do this all day. He had to think of some way to counter, and do it in such a way as to minimize his impact. That was a bit hard, especially with how powerful he felt. He was so strong at this point that it would be nothing to simply obliterate the ship with one blast. He had to think of a better way…

Bahamut was thinking this as he turned to one side and began to flank the vessel. The shots continued to fire at him, but he led them on for a few moments, looking over the craft for something. As he did, he turned his thoughts toward the ship and began to scan it, particularly for energy. After a few moments, he picked up some twenty Ettecan signatures on board. However, they were almost all located in the head and body regions. There was nothing in the side areas…like the giant fins. Seeing that, Bahamut got an idea…

The esper pitched forth once again, and suddenly began to shoot toward the side of the craft at an angle. As he did, some of the lasers were forced to cut off, for his position was too near and backward. Some continued to fire, but Bahamut ignored them. Instead, he looked to the junction point of the fin on the side of the great craft. He slowed himself down somewhat, giving himself more time to look at it. For a brief moment, he roared by on his triple wings, keeping his gaze focused on the junction…watching it slowly rise and fall…

Then, suddenly, he saw it. One part of it was a brighter color, right on the junction portion. Immediately, Bahamut zeroed in on it. Before, his breath attacks were always a bit chaotic. But with his new body, he almost felt sensors within his eyes and brain lock on to the target. As he summoned forth the Pyron, he could almost feel the energy within him becomefocused and concentrated. Moments later, he fired, and just as he thought the balls all came out in a steady stream, and focused in so compactly that they could go to an area the size of an eraser head. That was exactly what happened as the powerful, burning, and yet focused attack sailed through the sky like a thunderbolt, and struck the portion that Bahamut had seen just as the ship began to lower its fin again.

A large eruption soon resulted. The entire vessel was rocked, and the ship's lasers were interrupted. Great pieces of flaming debris came out from the giant structure, as a twisting and burning sound of metal rang through the air. Gravity took hold a moment later, and the giant fin broke off from the rest of the ship, and began to fall down to the world below. Bahamut grinned for a moment, pleased with his success. He hesitated a bit longer to aim down and fire a Mega-pyrin at the falling fin. On connecting, the power of his new focused explosion and energy totally obliterated it and incinerated the remains, ensuring that it wouldn't kill anyone below. After that, he began to move again.

The ship buckled in midair, struggling to right itself after the sudden imbalance. Bahamut could sense and even smell the fear and panic of the crew members as he flew around. And yet…he couldn't focus on that long…for he too was nervous. He hadn't just picked that fin at random. He hadn't just been hoping for a weak point to show. No…he had _seen_ this…just as he had seen the child in the crowd, and just as he had seen the fishfrog ship before… He remembered it from his dream…a great bizarre airship in the sky blasting the same spot that he had just destroyed. It unnerved him again, making him wonder what it could be…

However, a hot flash of pain soon cut Bahamut's line of thinking off. Wincing on instinct, he reared back and grasped the source of his pain…a hot gash across his shoulder. To the esper's surprise, he had been injured. He looked up to see the cause. The great battleship was still righting itself in midair. However, while it was doing so, something new had happened. What looked like scales on the side of the cetacean-like craft had suddenly popped up, and were now breaking off and flying toward the esper. One of them had already sliced him. These were far stronger and more durable than lasers…and more were flying at Bahamut like a torrent of rain. Seeing this, Bahamut paled a moment, but then quickly dipped down and began to fly again. Behind him, the scales continued to pursue him.

This attack might have been more effective, but it wasn't nearly as fast as light beams. Bahamut was able to dodge it better. However…he didn't notice that. He was too transfixed on his injury, staring at it in surprise. He hadn't willed his body to regenerate at all…and yet he saw it happening. Long, thin, metal-like muscle fibers shot out and connected to their severed halves. Blood was drawn back into the wound. His skin seemed to turn into a liquid that spread itself over the injury, and then became solid again as it sprouted scales. In moments, there wasn't a mark on him. The healing process took all of two seconds. The esper was amazed. Dr. Maester hadn't been joking about his new regenerative capabilities…

Bahamut snapped out of it a moment later, however. He was still being pursued, after all. Quickly, he pitched himself downward once again, and adjusted himself to flank the opposite side of the battleship. The scales followed suit. Not only the ones on this side of the ship, but the ones on the other side seemed to be guided toward trying to hit him. If that wasn't enough, the lasers began once again. It was nothing to the esper, though. He was faster than all of it, and easily went by. He zeroed in instead on the next fin. If the crew on board could do anything to prevent Bahamut from destroying it, it wasn't apparent. Sure enough, moments later the weak point was exposed on this side as well. Bahamut repeated his process…first blowing it off with a Pyron, and then destroying the remains with a Megapyrin.

The ship began to buckle soon after that. The shooting cut off, allowing Bahamut to hold steady in the air for a brief moment. As he looked to the craft, he began to sense growing fear and distress from the crew within. They were struggling now to try and keep the ship aloft. Even if they did manage to regain control of it, the sudden losses to it were making it pitch forward and back dangerously. The tail or head could strike the top of a building or the ground at any moment. On seeing this, Bahamut realized it was time for him to act again.

Yet that was a problem. He realized that though there were only twenty crew members, that was still too much for him to fit onto his body. And with the way the ship was pitching and turning, he didn't have much time to get them all out before the craft struck something. For a moment, he was at a loss. Even with his speed and power, he didn't know what he could do. And even though he was far more powerful mentally than before, he didn't have the magical ability to do anything. Even if he had mastered Warp, he never could cast it fast enough…

But then…it suddenly hit him. An idea popped into Bahamut's mind. He didn't need to use Warp. There was another spell that could help. And he was more than skilled enough to use it, even on a wide scale. It was a bit unconventional…but he was sure he could do it. Having decided, Bahamut pitched around in midair and shot back to the front of the buckling battleship. He went to the point where the "mouth" of the "fishfrog" was closed. Quickly, he reached out and seized both of the "lips" and yanked. The sound of grinding metal went out, before the pistons and hydraulics were broken. With a snap and a lot of steam gushing out, the great mouth was pried open, falling down until it was completely extended. Bahamut immediately shot into the new dark cavity and vanished.

Below, with the shots having died down, the people were calming once again. Now, the entire assembly looked up anxiously to Bahamut, including the Regent, Dr. Maester, and Dr. Folle. Many of them had seen the battle take place overhead, and watched with awe the speed and power of the alien creature. However, they had been growing fearful that the ship might fall down now, after taking so much damage. It continued to pitch in the sky after Bahamut entered it. It grew more unstable, and looked less and less able to support itself. Seeing this, the people grew nervous. They wondered what Bahamut was doing, and if whatever it was would save them before the ship crashed… Abruptly, the ship took a nasty spill forward…and nearly scraped the top of the nearest building. The people below began to cry out in fear…

But then, at that moment, a blur streaked out from the mouth of the ship again. An Ettecan below pointed and cried out, and immediately everyone watched him. It was Bahamut again, His arms were crossed in front of him, but other than that he was the same as before. Without a word or hesitation, Bahamut turned around in the sky and shot back down to the ground, just outside the great overshield. He soon landed, and turned to look back into the sky. The people anxiously began to gather forward and look to him, as the ship spluttered overhead…looking like it would finally go down.

However, Bahamut stayed calm. Keeping his arms crossed in front of him, he unfurled his wings to maximum length and took aim at the craft. As before, he felt his power and energies become more focused and precise than ever before. He began to charge up power for his attack, soaking in the rays of the sun. To his surprise, however, within a few moments he already was charged at maximum. The attack that normally took at least a minute to charge was already at full. Bahamut was stunned at that new display of power, but ignored it for now. Instead, he merely opened his mouth, and let the ball of fire rapidly form in front of his jaws.

"Sol-Pyrin!"

A moment later, a great blinding orb of light streaked out from his mouth and sailed for the flailing ship. It continued to pitch and turn for a moment…until the great burning shot hit it. Immediately, it stopped turning as a tremendous force blasted the side of it. It was so strong that it punched a great depression into the hull. But it wasn't over yet. The force increased, and immediately the ship was forced forward, up into the sky at an angle. Unlike normally, the Sol-Pyrin did not burn the craft. Instead, Bahamut pushed behind it, and used it to push it up and up. It soon began to gain speed. The craft ascended faster and faster, and soon was practically rocketing away from the city.The people watched in open-mouthed surprise, seeing the great, powerful Yalorian battleship forced high into the sky, shrinking in size as it did so. Soon, it became a black dot. But it continued to move faster, and soon it became nothing.

But Bahamut's new eyes could stare into a sun without blinking. He continued to see it, and he watched as it went farther and farther away. He pushed it higher yet into the upper atmosphere, and continued all the way until the craft broke through the ionosphere of Etteca and entered into space. Only then did he cut off his Sol-Pyrin, letting it explode. Far above the planet, the Yalorian battleship was blown into a billion pieces. The heat of the flare, now unleashed, atomized most of it. The few fragments that were left soon began to fall back to Etteca, to burn up into nothingness in the atmosphere.

Far below, Bahamut let out a breath of air. He wasn't tired at all for having done that. It was as easy as breathing. With this done, Bahamut hesitated a moment, but then turned and looked back to the crowd behind him. They were still frozen, staring blankly at Bahamut in the wake of what he had done. No one said a word or moved a muscle. In the end…the esper merely smiled to the crowd, and looked far beyond them to the stage.

"Regent…it is now safe for you to move about the premises." He sounded in his booming, thunderous voice. "The Yalorian battleship is no more."

There was a moment's pause after that. The crowd was still shocked at what had happened, and found it hard to believe that even their mythic hero could do what he now claimed. However, it didn't last long. Slowly, the people began to realize it. They had seen him in action.Everything they had believed about him was true, and much more. Now, he was the model of power and grace and majesty. And seeing this, one of the crowd suddenly found himself yelling out.

"Hooray for Lord Bahamut!"

Soon, the entire crowd erupted into cheering as well. A chorus of screaming and praise and glorious shouting began to pour over the esper. They yelled in more support and adoration than ever before. They began to chant praises to him, and waved their banners and standards of him with more earnest than ever. Bahamut was actually a little stunned. If he had exposed skin, it would have turned red now. He felt himself swallow slightly. Not even back on Gaia had he ever received this much glory. There, espers did it out of duty and reverence. But here, it was genuine and enthusiastic. The esper felt himself blush a little at all this.

And yet…he noticed something else as well. He wasn't having any of his depressing thoughts. He didn't feel like a failure. Somehow…doing that just now made him feel excited again. Maybe not so much excited…but useful. Like he had a purpose. Like he wasn't just some relic gathering dust and waiting to die. Being in action…being in this new body…facing this crowd of adoring fans…it made him feel young again. It made him feel like he was still something…that he still had a purpose or reason for existing. And that, more than any glory or cheers, was the greatest feeling of all.

Bahamut endured the adoration for a few minutes. However, things soon began to calm down again. After all, there wasn't even a wreck to pick up. The crowds slowly calmed down, and some attempted to come forward and personally congradulate the esper on his triumph. However, that too only lasted for a few minutes before the tougher-looking Ettecans from earlier pushed forward and began to make the crowd disperse. It wasn't to give him breathing room, however. After a bit longer, he saw it was to allow the Regent through. He came now, surrounded by his guardians, and trailed far behind by Dr. Folle and Dr. Maester.

Once the Regent was in range, he gave a salutary bow to the esper. In response, flashes from some sort of picture taking devices began to go off everywhere, in particular when he bowed before him. Other people went quiet, and soon only the sounds of pictures being taken surrounded the two of them. Bahamut stood calmly and looked down on the much smaller person, as he rose again and smiled at the esper.

"Lord Bahamut…it appears we are indebted to you yet again. I, and the rest of the Visca Republic, am very grateful to you for your act of heroism today."

The esper looked back at him briefly, but then shook his head. "Your Republic need not thank me, Regent. I do not claim loyalty to any government on your world. I merely acted in a way to save lives. I would like to go on your record to say that if it had been a Visca Republic battleship attacking a Yalorian assembly, I would have acted in the same fashion."

The Regent hesitated at that. His smile faltered a little. Those reporting eagerly took down notes on this. However, for the most part, Bahamut's fans were unchanged. Rather, they were encouraged. In their eyes, the governments of this world were just as petty as the ones on Bahamut's world. All of them viewed him as a universal being. Some of his onlookers were, in fact, Yalorians themselves. And this statement further ingratiated him with his true followers.

"As a token of my good will," Bahamut continued. "I would like to announce that I have not harmed any of the assassins. I hand them over to you, so that your justice system may deal with them as you see fit."

The Regent, and everyone else, was puzzled by this. Not harmed? Bahamut had just blown up their ship with them on it. Yet to everyone's surprise, Bahamut finally uncrossed his arms and lowered them, to present to the Regent what was behind them. Everyone anxiously looked to see what it was, and the crowd gave a unified gasp on seeing it.

There were the crew members, each one alive and well. However…they were now all the size of an Ettecan pinkie. Nervously, they looked around from inside Bahamut's large claws, bewildered and frightened at what had happened to them. They only became more fearful when they turned and saw the massive Regent and rest of the Ettecans surrounding them. They weren't nearly as large as Bahamut, but were still massive. The crowd was stunned. They couldn't believe it.

Bahamut proceeded to calmly explain. "My ability at doing the basic shape-changing magics has expanded since I achieved this new body. I knew I couldn't hope to carry them all out, and so I used a shrinking spell to shrink them all. It's perfectly reversible. It should wear off in a few hours, in fact. That's more than enough time to have the proper authorities come and take them away."

No one could answer. They just continued to gape in surprise. None of them had read anything like this yet. And in truth…this was new. Until now, some of the Ettecans had simply thought that the type of life form that Bahamut was could generate this energy. It was still all natural, nothing mythological or magical about it at all. But now…he could extend his influence to other things as well. This proved it. On seeing this, a few of the more logical Ettecans began to feel a few seeds of doubt in their minds. Magic and spirituality were just archaic concepts, weren't they? But if they were, how could this be explained?

No one knew. But no one looked at Bahamut in quite the same way after that morning.

* * *

_"…Our top story for this hour cycle…the alien creature known as Bahamut, a renown celebrity, author, speaker, and philosopher, unveiled his new body this morning. The body was a result of massive biomechanical reconstruction, the first of its kind, pioneered by Dr. Meyuors Maester. Regent Otto was present for the presentation today. However, the event was interrupted by what appeared to be an assassination attempt by a Yalorian vessel. Bombardment did commence, and there was some property damage. The military was deployed, but it appeared they were unnecessary, as Bahamut himself stepped forward and single-handedly destroyed the attacking battleship, but not before extracting all twenty crew members and turning them over to local police. The Yalorian government is disavowing any knowledge of this assassination attempt, claiming that the twenty individuals were part of a rogue splinter cell. No word yet on whether or not the suspects have confirmed or denied this. In other news…"_

Shinza turned off the recording. She had seen the whole thing earlier, as a matter of fact. Somehow, the live press kept rolling during the incident, catching everything on tape. Anyone who had been lucky enough to be watching caught much of what had happened at that time. Those that hadn't were now seeing the story broadcast on the cover of every newspaper and news program on the face of Etteca. Shinza herself had recorded the story, and had been playing it again and again since she had left on her own miniature hologram projector. It seemed that, once again, Bahamut was the top story on their world.

And after this latest bit…Shinza couldn't restrain herself any longer.

Despite what had happened last time…she wanted to see him again.

Bahamut was a part of her life now. She had spent years with him. She had spoken more to him than probably anyone she had met in the past twenty years of her life. And when she was away…she missed him. She never talked to anyone else…never went out or did anything. Spending time with him was the highlight of her day. Without him…she felt empty…and lonely.

Shinza was something of a celebrity herself now, as the scientist who "discovered" Bahamut. And Bahamut had long since agreed to see her any time she wished. Because of that, it was a small matter of going across town to where he kept his luxury apartment.Naturally, the place was swarming with reporters. Those that didn't want to hear his tale of heroism from that morning were desperate to get a look at the new biomechanical technology. It was a nightmare. Everyone was trying to get questions out of the staff, the guards, and trying to break through to see the man himself. Shinza probably would have been lost in the crowd herself if she wasn't a familiar face. Luckily, some of the guards did see her and recognize her, and led her through immediately.

Shinza was quite alone now. She had gotten past the media and fans and was in the quiet part of the apartment building, down the same hall she had descended with Bahamut years ago. Here, at last there was peace from all of the bickering and crowding. Only a few silent guards paced the hallway…not that Bahamut needed them. The lights were dim now. A projector of night was on the windows, and much of the place was dark. Outside, it was still broad daylight, but Ettecans had become accustomed to more regular days, like there was in the rest of the universe, and as such preferred a night atmosphere when they went down for short sleep periods. Bahamut liked it too, she knew. Of course, she realized, for the first time since he arrived, he'd get to sleep in his bed. Normally he wouldn't fit, but he could shapeshift to get in it. That excited her. Now that he was whole, he was taking up the shapeshifting he spoke of. That was exciting, and the scientist inside her yearned to see it. However…she controlled her emotion. More than anything…she wanted to just talk to him. And as a friend…not a researcher.

The woman finally reached his door. Simple as they were, they seemed far more grand and powerful now. She slowed and stopped before them. A wave of anxiety rippled over her, and she felt herself tremble again. She still remembered their last meeting, and she didn't feel too good over what had happened. She licked her lips and stared at it a moment, trying to steady herself and her breathing. At last, she reached out to knock on the door.

"Come in, Shinza."

The woman gasped a little, and recoiled her hand as if burned. The voice from the inside was powerful and…a bit lovely sounding. Until now, she had never heard Bahamut's voice. Now that she did, she could feel it ripple through her like a cool breeze…and it tingled her fingers and toes. It was strong and focused, and showed a mass of years and wisdom within it. It left her stunned a moment. However, she managed to swallow after a short time, and then reached forward and opened the door. Soon, she was walking into the room, and it slid shut behind her.

The room itself hadn't changed much. It was still very clean and unused, just as when Bahamut was unable to use it. However, she didn't focus much on the room. All of her attention turned to the Ettecan that occupied it. Seated at a reading table, reclining in one of the chairs, and placing a deactivated reading pad down to focus fully on the woman, was an Ettecan. He was dressed in the traditional Ettecan attire that emphasized the hips and the shoulders. To that end, he had some sort of clothing with iridescent scales sewn into it on his hips and back…along with what appeared to be a design of large, curved wings worked into his shoulder details. These collapsed back easily enough, and were made of the same shimmering material. But the man himself was an Ettecan. Thin frame…though large for their race…gill slits…long, pointed ears… This caught Shinza a moment. His ears…they were so long… It almost made her blush to see it. Not only that, but the man was handsome…very handsome. He looked young and flawless, the model of Ettecan beauty. Most of all, however…were the eyes. Those eyes were the one part that wasn't Ettecan. They were too large…too powerful…betraying a spark of youth that no Ettecan child had…as well as a level of wisdom no Ettecan sage could possess. They were both beautiful and unsettling to look into, and Shinza found herself blushing and looking away from them as well.

"I…I didn't know…you'd make yourself into such a handsome man…" She exhaled after a moment, trying not to turn red.

In response, the Ettecan raised an eyebrow. "So…you knew it was me?" Bahamut asked. "Most people haven't. I couldn't even get in earlier, because they doubted I was Bahamut. How did you know?"

Shinza hesitated and swallowed. "…The eyes." She finally said.

Bahamut turned his head at that. "But you've never gotten a good look at my eyes, even when they were rebuilt. And these aren't serpentine anyway."

"It doesn't matter." Shinza answered. "I looked deep into your eyes…and I saw the essence of you. They make you look old and young…and wiser than anyone else in the university. I know there's only one person in this universe that I know of who can be that."

Bahamut hesitated after hearing that. He raised an eyebrow, and then at last gave a nod. As for Shinza, she shifted and licked her lips again. Then, she turned and looked back to him. She still was evasive…and tried to hide her facial color and expression. But she did look him over again. After a moment, she exhaled in a sort of pseudo-laugh.

"What's wrong?" Bahamut asked.

"Nothing. It's just…this is the first time I've seen you. I mean…seen you up and moving and healthy… I didn't know you'd turn into an Ettecan. I thought you'd go around in your new body."

Bahamut frowned at that, and shook his head. He began to rise from where he was seated. "I don't like it." He simply answered.

Puzzled at that, Shinza raised her head and stared at him. "You don't? But…you're so much better…you're able to move around again and…"

"It's not the way I remember myself." Bahamut answered, coming to his feet. He began to walk toward her at this. "It's nice to be moving around again, but that's not me. Fortunately, I can turn into my original esper form now, as well as my Neo body. A nice little side effect from my increased abilities. I tried it out this morning. However…that's not what I want to talk about right now."

Hearing this, Shinza hesitated again. She had been afraid of this. However…she wanted to be brave and stay this time. As uncomfortable as it made her, the loneliness was even more uncomfortable. However, it was still hard to endure. As Bahamut neared her, she could start to feel his presence wash over her. It was strong and powerful…making her tingle far more than before. She felt dominated by it. Even in this body, he was very domineering. And coupled with his beauty…it made the woman sweat and look away from him.

"I want to talk about what we said when we parted company." Bahamut stated as he came to a halt.

Shinza licked her lips again. "Oh…"

"First things first." Bahamut went on in a calm voice. "First…I want you to call your university tomorrow. Tell them that you are abandoning your long term voyage and research project, and that you plan to stay on Etteca."

Shinza turned to confusion at that. She turned and looked up to him. However, his face was straight and cold, and unchanging. She blinked and grew uneasy again. "But…but I've already set up everything. I've got my crew and…"

"You're cancelling." Bahamut stated, not leaving the matter up for discussion.

"I've gotten grants and…"

"They can find someone else."

"I've done so much research…"

"Give it to your protégés."

"I…I…I've been planning on this. I want to…"

"No, you don't." Bahamut simply answered, his voice so firm that it sounded like he was telling Shinza what to think and believe. The woman hesitated at that. If it had come from anyone else, or had been a different circumstance, she might have lashed back at him for daring to order her around. However…Bahamut's guess was right. Her own subconscious feelings made her yield. That…and Bahamut's cold glare staring at her.

"This is what I think." He continued. "I think I know why you dress so conservatively, and stay on these long, isolated voyages, and hide yourself in studies. I think that you're afraid of people, particularly males. You're afraid because the only people you ever trusted abused you and molested you. I think you believe that all males are to not be trusted, because they'll take advantage of you. Anyone in authority is a danger. And because of that, you are afraid of everyone. Not only that, but that's the real reason you don't believe in anything or anyone. That's the true reason you get so upset when I talk of matters of faith, because your own faithhas been viciously violated. I think you wanted to take this voyage so that you could go away from everyone. But I also think that you are very lonely and miserable the way you are. You want a better life, but you're too afraid of other people to get the contact you need to survive. And I think it is leading you to make a tragic mistake that will rob you of much of your life.

"This is what I want, Shinza. I want you to move in here, next door. I want to talk to you about this every day. I want to help you to stop being afraid. And I think I can do it. I'm not an Ettecan, so you trust me. You stayed with me for years trying to talk me out of my depression. For the first time this morning, I felt that life was worth continuing. And this is what I wish to do with it. I want to spend the next part of my life helping you learn how to live your own."

Shinza hesitated at this. More than once during this dialogue, she felt a painful twinge inside her. And as Bahamut said these things…she could not dispute them. The truth was, she was scared of people. She was scared of men. She hated being attractive…always getting their attention and having them oogle her. It always made her think back to when she was a child… And that made her so afraid she wanted to run away from everyone and never come back. But with Bahamut…things were different. She felt safer around him…at peace…protected. She felt she could be totally open with him. He was just as intelligent as any Ettecan, but he wasn't an Ettecan. He was something else.In fact…seeing him now…seeing him turn into an Ettecan…it didn't make her more afraid of him. Rather, it was the first time in her life she could recall looking at a man with attraction and not fear…

The truth was, she didn't want to leave. She was lonely. She was uncomfortable talking to Bahamut about these things before…but now she understood him. If she kept running, she would eventually be alone and miserable, and would die that way. And like all problems in a person's life…it could only be resolved when the pain of having the problem was greater than the pain of getting rid of it. And so it was now. In the end…she was able to swallow, and look up at Bahamut again. To her surprise…he actually smiled at her. And it was pleasant and warm. Seeing this…she felt encouraged. The warmth and kindness coming off of him was soothing and relaxing. And after bathing in it, she felt herself able to smile back at him.

"…All right, Bahamut. I will."

* * *

"Do you have the slightest idea how much money and resources it took us to launch this operation?"

"Well, a lot, I'd wager."

"The Premier is going to have my rank for breakfast. You've created a relations nightmare. It will take a miracle for us to get out of this clean. And the reparations are going to last for years…"

"You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs."

"Yeah…but it seems I'm the one supplying all the birds."

"You should be kissing my feet. Today was a total success. You saw what he can do with that new body. He's a god amongst insects now. But that was just the civilian model. Can you imagine the power I can give you with a military model? You wouldn't need a starfleet armada or droid army. All you would need was one of him."

"And you don't think your government would get a little suspicious of you building one behind their backs?"

"I have enough clout after this morning to get by. The Regent is practically singing praises to me. After all…my design _did_ save his life. I think that was worth a billion or so credits, considering what I can deliver to you."

"It had better be. Or I will personally feed you to that thing."

"I wouldn't go around making idle threats here. Keep in mind, we're in this boat together."

"And maybe you should keep in mind…that it was my business to make sniveling little pieces of crap like you disappear for three day cycles. How soon can we expect it?"

"Oh, it would take years to build one from scratch."

"That's a problem, isn't it?"

"Just have a little patience."

"Patience doesn't give results. Patience won't pay the billions you're going to demand of me. You can't just make fifty billion credits disappear forever from a nation's budget, no matter how many channels you put it through."

"Well, do you want your model to be perfect, or subpar?"

"…Within six standard months, I better have the fifty billion back, _with interest._"

"Standard months? You'll have it back in six standard days."

"I better. Now get your ass out of here and start making it."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	38. What Dreams May Come

_One Year Later_

It was a bright shiny day…inside the room, that was. Here, the windows were running a program of a bright blue sky. Outside, it was pitch black, just as it had been for months. They were in the middle of an Ettecan night, currently. Bahamut soon saw an effect that spanned across this half of the world. It seemed that all Ettecans at this time became somewhat more sluggish and sleepy. In addition, their skin peeled very easily, and came off in thick strips. This was part of their ancestral function of chrysalis making. Bahamut himself had to deal with this, being in an Ettecan body as well. However, once exposed to a few minutes of solar radiation a standard day, he and the rest of the Ettecan race found themselves well able to function normally.

Things had changed, just as Bahamut requested them too. It turned out that Shinza caved in fairly easily once she had any reason to stay on Etteca. He was glad for it. She cancelled the program, and three days later she moved in next door to the esper. Since then, they had been meeting on an almost daily basis, and spending almost all of their time with each other. Bahamut still had to attend lectures and now things called "book signings" every now and then, as well as science conferences, but it was like old times now. Shinza always came along and was waiting for him back stage. That was how he liked it, as did she. He only felt comfortable around her, and she only felt comfortable around him.

However, there had been one major reversal. Now, Shinza was the one coming over and doing all the talking. Bahamut didn't claim to be a psychologist or therapist of any sort. The only esper who could probably fit that bill was Leviathan. However, he had lived long enough to know much about mentality and the nature of others. And he did feel that talking about what had happened to her in the past would help her in the end. He knew enough to know that emotions bottled up inside gradually ate away at a person. After all…he had a very personal experience with just such an individual… He didn't want to see anything like that ever happen to anyone else, let alone his only friend on Etteca.

Shinza was reluctant to start. However, he didn't push her. He let it come out in its own time. He tried to create an open, free environment for her. He stayed in Ettecan form. She didn't mind it when he was a male, and it also seemed a much more vulnerable and less domineering body for him to move around in. He believed, in the end, it encouraged her. After a time, she gradually began to talk about emotions that she felt during each day, and things that had set her off. As she opened up about that, she gradually began to go back in time and talk about general trends of feelings and behaviors. She talked more and more about that, and eventually started to speak about her troubled past.

Bahamut was a creature of nobility. To see an innocent person suffer at the hands of a deranged madman boiled his blood. If it had been a bit earlier in his life, he might have brought Shinza, without delay, the head of her father on a platter. It would have been a pleasure to kill him. However, he was more civilized and controlled now. It wasn't as if her fatherwas running free. He had been arrested years ago on an aggravated assault and battery charge on a co-worker. He had been intoxicated at the time. He was currently serving 3 day cycles, of which he had only completed one and half thus far. However, Shinza had never gone to the trial. She never took the opportunity to bring up his past crimes either. On that note, Bahamut especially wanted to spare him. So long as he was alive…then there was a chance for Shinza to see him again.

A chance for her to put closure between them.

"So…did he ever find out about the first time you ran away?"

Shinza swallowed where she was. She drew her legs in close again, and twisted on the couch. She had done this a lot since they had begun. She currently had the couch of the comfortable living room to herself, while Bahamut reclined in the same chair he had sat in when they met again a year ago. He watched her keenly now, as she wrapped her arms around her body and looked away. She was putting herself into a fetal position again. Bahamut could smell her anxiety level rise, and could sense the fear coming off of her. It was fear located in the core of her body, which she tried to protect now with this new change. She stared off into space for a short moment, but then slowly exhaled. Her voice quivered, as it usually did, when she spoke again.

"No…he didn't." She continued. "He…he was out that day. It was just…after that night…after what had happened…I didn't want to stay. But I wasn't that old. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I tried just leaving and running off…but I was scared. There were so many strangers around. And I didn't know where I could go. I tried hiding somewhere…but then I got hungry and lonely. So I went back."

"And you didn't have anyone you could turn to then? Ask for help?"

Shinza shook her head. "No. The truth was…I wanted to go back…"

"Why?"

"…Because despite all that he did to me…I didn't have anyone else. I thought he loved me. I thought he was the only one in the world who loved me. And I thought I would never find anyone else who did. He did feed me and shelter me at the end of everything… And he made me feel bad when he said those things…said that if I loved him I'd do it. He made me be the one who felt bad… And I only felt worse later, when I felt horrible after it was done. He made it look like I should be happy it was happening to me… But I knew enough to know I felt bad. And I thought it was wrong for me to feel bad about it… That only made things worse."

Shinza bowed her head at this. She looked on the verge of tears again. Instead, she struggled to swallow to bite it back. As for Bahamut, he calmly looked her over for a moment. He folded his hands in front of him and stayed perfectly still. He watched her for a little while longer as she did this…but then decided to at last break it.

"Shinza…you remember what I told you a few months ago, right?"

The Ettecan slowly exhaled, as if remembering. She gave a nod. "Yes…yes…I know. I'm sorry-"

"You don't have to apologize to me."

Shinza winced again and nodded. "You're right. I know. I'm sor-" She cut herself off this time, and sighed again as she bowed her head.

"Shinza, don't be angry at yourself when you don't remember this." Bahamut replied. His voice was strong, but it was also smooth and calming, the reassuring quality he possessed. He used it on Terra's children years ago, and he used it now. "You don't need to beat yourself up over this. I know…and, more importantly, you know…that you are an excellent woman. You're smart. You're fun to be with. You're kind. You are enough. You don't have to impress anyone. You don't have to be perfect to have people love you. The fact of the matter is…if you are required to do _anything_ to win a person's love, then that person will never truly love you. They're making a deal. An arrangement. Some acts of emotion for so many acts of compliance. That's not love. True unconditional love is just that…unconditional. Keep remembering…you do nice things for people because they love you…not the other way around."

Shinza hesitated again at this. She slowly exhaled once more. She sniffed once, and managed to raise her head. Grudgingly, she managed a nod to this. Bahamut sighed inwardly a bit himself. She was coming to terms with much of what had been haunting her, but she was a woman of no self-esteem. Bahamut was attempting to teach her how to love herself again. However, the going on this portion was slow. He couldn't tell her positive things about herself and hope to give her self-esteem. That would only make her dependant on him. She had to say and believe them about herself.

It was a little hard to do that. As the months had gone on, and Bahamut spent more and more time as an Ettecan, he realized that Shinza had been telling the truth. She was a very attractive woman. Somehow her long ears and mismatched eyes made her more appealing to him. Not only that, but she did have a very nice figure, smooth, unblemished features, and despite her timid nature, she had a great smile. She was also quite an intelligent woman. What she lacked was confidence. If she could only believe in herself, she'd find that she was all that she needed to be. There would be nothing to stop her.

But for now, Bahamut believed they had to postpone their trip again. He had wanted to take her to see her father in prison for a while now, simply to put an end to the unresolved conflict between them. For right now, however, he didn't think that was wise. A subconscious part of her was still too influenced and controlled by him, was still not free from his shadow. She had to grow more confident with herself first. She had to gain strength from within.

At last, the esper exhaled slowly. "All right." He announced. "I think that's where we'll stop for today."

Shinza continued to cringe a moment longer. However, as the danger passed, and the difficult time ended, she quickly began to regain her confidence. Bahamut could already sense her fear subsiding, and she loosened her arms and looked up to him. However, her face was full of puzzlement again. "Stopping? Don't we usually go for another hour?"

"Yes…but not today." Bahamut answered, his voice still calm. He leaned back slightly in his chair afterward. "I'm expecting something to arrive shortly."

This intrigued the scientist. Bahamut rarely had any contact with the outside world, save through her. She finished loosening up and put her legs over the sides again. Her body leaned inward toward the man. "Really? You didn't tell me anything about that. What are you expecting?"

Bahamut hesitated a moment at this, folding his arms across from him. "…Do you remember the attack a year ago? The one that I intercepted?"

"Of course."

Bahamut inhaled slowly, and turned to level his gaze steadily at her. "I haven't told anyone about this. Probably because I didn't believe it myself. I had to think about it for a long time, but now I'm pretty certain. That day…subconsciously…somewhere in my heart…I knew that the Yalorian battleship was going to be there. I knew it was going to attack."

Shinza's face turned to confusion at this. She leaned back up. "I…I don't understand…"

"Remember when I received that sedative during the first operation? The Sominoft?"

"Yes…"

"Remember all of the crazy hallucinations I saw? All the strange things?"

"Yes…"

"That ship…" Bahamut spoke with a hard note, emphasizing this point. "That battleship… The moment I saw it, I knew I had seen it before. And I remembered where. It was in my hallucination…my dream…my vision…whatever. Only it wasn't a ship there. It was that giant fish-frog thing I was telling you about, the one that everyone in my dream called Sin."

Shinza hesitated when she heard that. She looked at Bahamut a bit uneasily, taking this in. "Are you sure?" She asked after a moment. "You didn't just see something that reminded you of it?"

Bahamut shook its head. "I swear it was the same thing. It wasn't alive in real life, but it was the exact same shape. I felt the déjà vu looking at it. That wasn't all. Before I even saw it, I saw a kid in the crowd with a balloon. That was what set it off. I remembered him from a crowd in my dream. That's why I paused at the beginning of my speech, because I had seen that before. And when I attacked the battleship…I didn't know what I was doing when I attacked the fins. I did it because I had seen some strange colorful ship attack them in the same way when I was dreaming."

The Ettecan looked at Bahamut silently for a moment. She took in these new facts, and began to realize what they meant when considered together. She trusted Bahamut. If he said it was the same thing, she believed him. However…if it was true, then what did Bahamut see?

"…What does it mean?"

Bahamut inhaled and leaned back, slowly exhaling as his expression grew thoughtful. He raised a hand to his mouth and stroked his chin slowly.

"…I didn't know for months. It seemed ridiculous. I thought I was imagining the whole thing. After all…how could it be true? How could I have seen in my delusion things that were real? The rest of my dream wasn't real…and as chaotic as it was, how could any of it represent reality? And yet…I couldn't dismiss it as a coincidence. Having seen all three events before…and seeing them repeat themselves…it had to be something. But I couldn't figure out what…or how it was possible.

"Then I began to think of myself again. My increased mentality. I had never truly meditated since I had gained my Neo form. But on gaining it, my mental faculties increased tenfold. My senses became much sharper and more defined. If I honed myself enough…I could see the nerve impulse leave a person's mind and react before it even reached their muscles. I could sense the thoughts and actions of a person a world away. I even was able to transcend time once in my old body, once it was reinforced. I was able to see into the distant past. But now…I needed no reinforcement. I was already equipped with the mental power and faculties.

"That's when I realized it. I have been developing my mental powers for centuries. And now, my 'hardware' has been maximized. I'm one of the greatest telepaths in the universe. That made me think… What if somehow my senses were able to go beyond their limits? I was already great at empathy and mind reading. Precognition is also theoretically possible. What if I achieved it? What if…I had actually seen into the future?"

Shinza's eyes widened. She didn't say a word. She stared blankly at Bahamut for a moment. The esper looked back at her, his own eyes wide. In truth, it sounded incredulous to him. Even in the world of espers, there was no such thing as an esper that could see the future. There was none who could make predictions about how things would be. Yet now…Bahamut was beginning to wonder if that was a universal truth. Perhaps yet another thing once deemed impossible was now possible. Perhaps he had awakened a new chapter in biology yet again, especially now.

"Do you actually think…that's possible?" Shinza asked.

"I don't know. And I won't be able to find out unless I investigate the matter further." Bahamut answered. "That's where today comes in. I have to try again to see if I can get a similar effect. I ordered a large shipment of Sominoft."

* * *

"I wish you wouldn't do this…"

"I'm going to need your help." Bahamut simply answered. Standing against a wall nearby was Shinza. She was holding one arm nervously and anxiously staring at the esper. She hadn't liked the sound of this plan since Bahamut announced it. However, the esper had been thinking of this for some time. He rarely acted without giving much consideration to anything. And he was certain that this was what he had to do. And so, he continued to move around the center of the room, making his preparations.

"Can't you meditate to achieve that state?" Shinza asked him anxiously. "It would be safer…"

"I agree." Bahamut replied, as he easily shoved a couch out of the way. He wanted the center to be clear and uncluttered. "But I've already been trying to achieve that for months. What happened to me when I was under the influence was an awakening of a new part of my brain, I believe. The same thing happened to me thousands of years ago when the Cetra gave me a drug to awaken another part of my mind. I'm so used to what I've been doing that I lack the youthful plasticity to investigate new areas of my mind now. I have to experience it again before I even know where to look. And this is the only way."

Shinza still looked uncomfortable about it, and rubbed her feet against the ground. As for Bahamut, he shoved the last article of furniture out of the way. The center of the room, the part that descended through tiers into the floor, was now clear. A comfortable pillow for sitting was already placed in the center. At this, Bahamut turned to the window, which still projected a bright, sunny day.

"Image off." He ordered. Immediately, it vanished. The black night sky came in instead. After that, he began to walk out of the pit and around the room, dimming the lights as he did so.

"You know…Sominoft is addictive." Shinza warned yet again. She was kind of earnest to say anything to get him to reconsider. "Some people get hooked on it. And it has side effects too…"

"Yes, yes, I've read about them long before I ordered this shipment." Bahamut answered, sighing a little in irritation at how Shinza was still pestering him about this. He continued to dim lights as he spoke, not looking to her. "It's a risk I'm going to have to take at least once more. I need to try and see this. I have to see if I'm really detecting the future. Besides…I'm not even going to go as severe as the last dosage that was prescribed to me. I'm not just planning on going on some sort of bender and then seeing what images come up. I'm going to have this structured."

Bahamut finished dimming the last light. When he did so, he turned and began to make for the center of the room. He only paused to look to Shinza and give a nod. The Ettecan opened her mouth to protest again, but then sighed. Much as she disliked this, she knew that Bahamut wasn't going to reconsider. There was no stopping him once he had his mind on something. Groaning a little, she turned and began to walk to the edge of the pit. There, sitting in the freshly opened case, were dozens of bottles of Sominoft. They had come with a hypodermic gun. To this, Shinza reluctantly approached.

Bahamut reached the center of the room by now. He had already changed into something more loose and comfortable. Now, he began to lower himself onto the pillow in a meditative sitting posture. "I'm only going to be out for one day. That's how long the typical dosage lasts before they have to renew. For a person of my power, I read they gave me 5,000 microunits for one day."

Shinza wheeled around to him in surprise. "5,000! They only prescribe 100 for us!"

"Well, I do have an improved anatomy." Bahamut simply answered as he adjusted himself. "In truth, my new body should treat it as a toxin. I'm tempted to go to 10,000."

"That's suicide!" The woman cried.

Bahamut sighed and groaned again. "…That's why I'm not doing it. But if this has no effect, I'm willing to try that next."

Shinza was very uneasy now. She looked over to the drug and gave it a downcast look before turning back to Bahamut. This all was bad to her. She tried one more time. "But you were out for three months last time, and you only received so many visions. What difference could a day make?"

"That's why I'm making sure I'm in a meditative trance before I go this time." Bahamut answered, placing his hands in the right position. "Hopefully, this will help me not only better isolate what part of my brain is becoming active so I can repeat it without the drug, but it will also help me to better focus on the visions I'm seeing, so I can get a more conclusive prediction."

Shinza frowned yet again. She winced and shifted again in her place. But in the end, she groaned and turned to the gun. 5,000 was a sure OD for one of her race, assuming they didn't die instantly. She hated the idea of giving this much to anything. Yet…she did trust Bahamut more than anyone else. Very slowly and reluctantly…she felt herself reach down and grab one of the bottles. She slowly turned it around and fixed it into the end of the gun, and then adjusted it to deliver a 5,000 microunit dose. That was as high as the gun went, she soon noticed. And it would drain the bottle she had just put in. None of this made her feel any easier.

"Now, I should be out for one standard day." Bahamut continued. "When it gets close to this time tomorrow, get a writing tool and some paper out here and place it in front of me so I can use it the moment I wake up."

Shinza slowly raised the gun, and turned to start walking to the esper. "What for?"

"I'm going to draw as many of the images as I can in as much detail as possible." Bahamut answered. "That way, I'll know for sure I wasn't seeing just a similar object, but that I was actually seeing the future."

The Ettecan continued to approach, until she was right in front of him. At that, Bahamut began to take in a few deep breaths and raise himself up a little. On doing that, he turned over to Shinza. The woman anxiously leaned down next to him, and her hand holding the gun quivered.

"Alright." Bahamut spoke. "I'm going to start now. Stay very quiet and don't disrupt me. I'm going to hold my hand up…" Here, he raised the front part of it off of his knee. "Like this. When I lower it, I'm ready. Inject me."

Shinza groaned. "Can I at least have a medical team ready for you in case something goes wrong?"

"You can call them, but I don't want them around here." Bahamut answered. "Remember, I can read minds. I'll pick up on their anxiety and thoughts and it will disrupt me. You need to get away from me too after you inject me."

The woman frowned again.

Bahamut managed a smile to her. "It'll be alright. I've never given you reason yet to doubt me, have I?"

Shinza didn't answer, but after another sigh she began to form a look of acquiescence. That was enough for Bahamut. He turned his head back out a moment later. His smile faded as his eyes closed. After that, he began to draw in deep breaths again, and started to relax himself.

Bahamut hadn't meditated in a while. However, he was as good at is as he ever was. In no time at all, he began to detach himself from his surroundings. The world became more malleable and distant around him. He began to feel himself dive deeper into his mind, clearing himself of all of his cares and worries, and reaching another state of being where he was more connected and transient. The world grew quiet around him, and everything that lived near him became more vibrant and alive. It became more distinct…more separate…individual and unique. He soon reached his center. He was away from his body, and deep within his mind. With that, he sent only one last signal to his body…making his hand fall. A few moments later, he felt something cold…and then it came.

* * *

_The effect was instantaneous. It was like a flood of color pouring over him. Vibrant hues and curves came over him. He was twisted in and out of existence again and again. The world turned and warped around him. Yet somehow, this time…he directed his course through it. He pushed on, and struggled to see more…_

_He saw Shinza again…this time flanked by two shadows…one light and the other darkness. He saw explosions and faraway lands… He saw great beasts rise and fall. He saw cats that walked like men… He saw great ships of color running through the sky… He heard voices come again and again, fading in and out into a cacophony of sound. Images of these three women…they kept returning and fading again…but never could he see their faces. He saw only Shinza…and the dark and light on either side…_

_Then he began to see it. In the pit of the world…far below in its Lifestream…surrounded by energy…there was the thing. It wasn't Sin. It was something else…like some gigantic cicada from Hell. It had the face of death, and when it spoke it destroyed half of the world. It crushed cities beneath it as it walked… But it kept fading and returning…and he saw more yet…_

_He saw chocobos running on a long road…and ending in its mouth. He saw strange men and women guarding a door that opened up into its heart. He saw the three women working their way through a great mass of tunnels that made up its brain…_

_Then he saw it. At once, a great colorful world spanned beneath him. And above it all, like gods dividing the planet amongst themselves, he saw a vision of three men. One was the engineer, who built the great works and weapons of the world. One was the monk, who guided people through wisdom and order. One was the leader, who fueled the hearts of his people with passion and determination. Together, they were invincible. But apart…they tore the world asunder. And through it all…he saw the thing…the great insect from Hell…_

_And deep within its heart…he saw something else._

_He saw…himself._

_He was just a child now. Little and inconsequential…and human. But when he gaped, it gaped. And when he reached out, it reached back to him. Then he became aware…that he wasn't seeing this world through his eyes. He was seeing it through another's._

_As soon as he realized it, it started.A voice cried out in desperation begging him not to wake up…not to let it cease to be… Not to send it back into the realm of nothingness… The chorus of the world joined it, and soon all voices began screaming out their own voices. But above it all…the One Whom He Saw Through cried loudest of all…clutched at him…tried to drag him back into the world. But he was already leaving… Fading away…

* * *

_

Bahamut's eyes opened in a flash, and he gasped. He felt like he had been holding his breath the entire time he had been in the vision. He buckled, and nearly fell forward and swooned. He didn't remember where he was right away. Reality, coming back to him, was too harsh and sharp to focus on. It overwhelmed him. But as he fell…the hand of a woman came out and grabbed him.

"Bahamut!"

The voice…the real voice…not a vision…somehow brought him out. His heart, racing until now, began to calm down. He started to breathe again. He blinked and let the sweat run off his brow. It all started to come back. Reality…touch…sight…smelling… His room…he was back in his room. He was back in the center, down where he had been meditating. The lights were still dim. Night lingered outside. He began to feel cool and warm again. He continued to breathe and steady himself for a moment, looking around and gaining control. Then he remembered. He had a vision, but it was over. He was back again.

The esper steadied himself a moment longer, and then turned to who grabbed him. It was Shinza. She held him now, again more conservative and contained than she had been in his dream. But she still braced him, as if somehow her hug was holding him together. He looked to her a moment, and blinked. He swallowed once.

"I'm…I'm alright now, Shinza."

The Ettecan held him a moment longer. But then, she leaned back and let him go. She looked up to his face, and stared longingly at him in fear. Bahamut blinked and looked back at her, still a bit muddled. The visions were still fresh in his mind…still circulating around and giving him thoughts and perceptions he never thought possible…

Then, he remembered.

_The paper._

Suddenly, Bahamut snapped out of it. He wheeled his head in front of him. The jolt was so strong, Shinza recoiled and gasped again, thinking Bahamut would do something. However, that wasn't the case. He merely looked in front of himself, and saw they were there. A small table, and paper and writing utensils. He didn't waste a second. Suddenly, he was like a man possessed. Fumbling over his fingers, he reached forward and seized the paper. He scattered most of it, but he managed to grab five sheets and nearly slam them down in front of him. After that, he reached over for a writing utensil. He fumbled through most of them, scattering them as well, but then he grabbed one. He quickly brought it back and began to sketch on one piece.

"I knew this was a bad idea…" Shinza slowly remarked. Bahamut didn't answer. He continued to work. After he had just begun to get a shape on one piece, he turned to another and began to sketch on that as well. "Toward the end…you changed. You started panicking. Your heart rate went through the roof. You started breathing heavy… I was afraid…"

Bahamut didn't answer. He turned to a new piece, again not finishing the other, and sketched on that as well.

Shinza began to notice this at this point. Seeing as Bahamut was ignoring her other concerns, she leaned in a bit. She was seated next to him right now, but still at a distance and letting him work. "What are you doing?"

"My memories are fading quickly." Bahamut answered in a hurry, as he moved on to the fourth paper. "The distinctions are vanishing. Already, I can only remember five. I need to put something down real quick before I forget all about them. Hopefully, they will remind me of the truth. If I don't do this now, soon my brain will start filling in the holes in my memory with false visions, and I won't remember accurately what it was."

Shinza blinked at this, but then drew back. She made herself relax a little, and let Bahamut continue. He moved to the fifth sheet, and after drawing a bit on that, he returned to the first. After adding a few details here, he moved on to the next and repeated the cycle. He continued to go around his drawings, each time adding a little more detail to each one of them. Shinza, on her part, soon realized that Bahamut's dream had to have been very vivid. She could never remember the amount of detail that Bahamut soon began to add to his drawings. To tell the truth, it wasn't really a dream though. It was a hallucination. And those could be far more monstrous and shocking. Slowly, they began to take shape as he went on. Shinza looked over them all, and looked to the first at last.

She pointed to it. "What is this…?"

"Don't tell me about it!" Bahamut, to Shinza's shock, nearly snapped. "If I focus too much on one, I'll lose the others!"

Shinza nearly recoiled at that, hearing the sudden viciousness in Bahamut's voice. After that, she calmed down and went quiet again. She didn't like this. She didn't like the change that was happening in Bahamut after this had happened. It made her fearful. However, she wouldn't leave now. She watched as Bahamut continued his movements of adding to each drawing. Over time…he began to slow down. And he added less and less with each pass. After a little while longer…he began to start looking confused. He winced a bit and furrowed his eyebrows, and tried to concentrate before drawing something else. However, that too passed as well. After about thirty minutes, it was done.

Bahamut slowly exhaled at that. Much more calmly, he put the writing utensil down, nearly drained of its fluid at this point. After that, he reached up and grasped his hand. It was sore and throbbing now from all of the drawing he had done. He held it for a brief moment, relaxing. But then, still holding it, he turned and looked to Shinza. She was calmer now, but she still looked to him anxiously. He exhaled, and then bowed his head slightly.

"I'm sorry, Shinza." He finally apologized. "It's just…my memories were fading rapidly…and I had to get as much detail as I could…to prove to you and to everyone that I saw the future. I shouldn't have yelled…but I couldn't tell you anything about them just then. I can tell you now, though."

The Ettecan stayed back a moment longer. However, she soon calmed down. She could understand what he was saying. And now, he was sounding like his old calm, controlled, and wise self again. That reassured her. With that in mind, she leaned back and straightened herself somewhat, and then pulled herself in closer to the table. Bahamut was glad for that, and turned away and back to his sketches as well. The truth was, he hadn't much time to focus on what he was drawing. He was focusing too much on the individual details, trying to preserve them and copy them. In the end, he would analyze more what he had seen. And that time was now. Both Bahamut and Shinza turned and looked to what Bahamut had done over the past half of a Gaian hour.

Five drawings rested on the table. Shinza looked over them for a moment. At first, she could make out little. But then, she saw something else. Three of them appeared to be in some sort of set. The other two were all on their own. She turned to the set first. These she looked over, while Bahamut slowly inhaled and folded his hands in front of himself.

"I saw many things this time…and they were different." Bahamut explained. "I tried hard to focus on where I was…and I tried to see as much detail as I could. I tried to make out the words…but they were all so confusing. And everything…it was warped. It had too many curves…too much light. I think that's the side effect of using drugs to get these visions. I think somehow reality is distorted. That's why I can't see these things exactly as they will appear, assuming I can see the future.

"One thing I really couldn't reproduce was the image of the three women. You were there again. You were dressed differently this time…somewhat more adventurous and bold, it seemed. But there were two people at your side… They were women too, but I can't remember much. All I can definitely recall is that one was light and the other was dark. I have no idea what they mean, and because I could never see their faces I didn't reproduce them."

At last, Shinza spoke. She pointed down to the set. "Who are these three?"

"People from my vision." Bahamut answered. "Leaders…people who dominated the world. Each one championed his own cause. This one…" Here, Bahamut pointed to the first. It was a somewhat wild and carefree looking man. The most distinctive thing was that he had a large, black patch over one eye. "He was some sort of engineer. The world's greatest weapons and discoveries belonged to him. This one…" He pointed to the next. He was far more reserved, his hair tied back behind a headband, and his eyes calm and cool. "He was a spiritual leader. People looked to him for wisdom and control. And this one…" He pointed to the last. This one was the oldest. His hair hung in a tail behind him with one strand in front of his face, and he wore a distinctive set of glasses. "He was the great hero. He was the man behind the great armies, and he had the character to drive people on. They were dividing and fighting over the world. Have you ever seen them before?"

Shinza frowned and shook her head. "Never. You didn't get any names did you?"

Bahamut groaned. "That was impossible. I couldn't make out anything over the din."

The Ettecan looked around for a moment, to the other two pictures, trying to make out what they were. She looked confused at the first one. "What is this?"

Bahamut sighed as he turned to it. It was mostly just a dark silouhette. The outline of some hair and clothing was present, but the face was gone. He shook his head at it. "This was the weirdest thing. You see…I wasn't the one living out these visions. I wasn't the one last time either, I just didn't notice it. I was seeing myself and the world through the eyes of this person. And when I was about to leave…you know, wake up…he actually begged me to stay. He said he wouldn't exist if I woke up."

Shinza hesitated at that, and grew a bit unnerved. "That's…a little strange. It's like your dream is taking a life and personality of its own."

"It could be a product of hallucination." Bahamut replied. "However…I think, for some reason, it is important that I saw him and interacted with him. I don't know why, but if it wasn't, I don't think I would see the world through his eyes and keep experiencing him. Something about him…draws me to him. I don't know what. Unfortunately, like this picture suggests, I never see his face. Just bits and pieces of him from time to time. I am seeing the world through his eyes, after all."

The esper and Ettecan went silent for a moment. They looked a bit longer at this picture, and mused over these new facts. After a moment or so longer, however, Shinza looked to the last one. On doing so, she grew a bit white momentarily.

"What…what is that thing?"

Bahamut turned to the picture. He too hesitated, and swallowed. "This was something I saw everywhere. It wouldn't stop coming. It appeared throughout all of my visions. I think that means it's something important…but I have no idea what. It looked like some gigantic demon cicada. It was destroying the world the last I saw of it. And it moved around underneath the other three as they bickered over the world's fate."

Shinza blinked. It was a ghastly creature to be sure. She began to hope that Bahamut didn't see the future…if this thing was in it. Especially if it was destroying the world.

"Do you…know anything else about it?"

"Actually, yes. Because I saw it so much, I tried harder than with anything else to hear its name. I managed to hear the name of Sin last time, so I tried to hear this one as well. It took me quite a long time to sift through the noise…but it's name was shouted or screamed more than once. And in the end, I did actually manage to catch what they called it."

Shinza looked back to the esper at this. As for Bahamut, he drew in a deep breath, and stared hard at the death's head at the front of the creature.

"…Vegnagun."

* * *

"…Is a failure!"

Bahamut had no idea at this point in time that the nightmarish insect from his vision was actually a reality. Far on the other side of Ettecan, five miles below the ground, contained in a great metallic sphere much like the one that Bahamut had seen in his vision…it rested. It was every bit as horrible and evil-looking as it was in his vision. Only now, it had lights and a shine to it. It was real here, and not merely the stuff of nightmares. Its dead eyes glared out at all that passed in front of it as its wings and legs rested against it.

However, this Vegnagun was not a living, breathing demon. Even now, Ettecans encircled it, welding some points, adjusting wires, or doing other operations on it. Ettecans in white coats ran around its legs and conducted tests. Every so often, a limb would move slightly as a joint was adjusted. It was no beast from the inferno…it was a machine. A giant, fearsome machine, but a machine. And yet…at the same time…the workers looked at it nervously. Every time it made the slightest unexpected move…hissed steam at the wrong time…or had a light flicker…they froze and recoiled from it. They would gaze at it in fear for a few moments, before slowly leaning back in and resuming their work. Everyone was far more delicate with it now than they had been.

A catwalk stretched in front of it with a metal support railing. This was where the latest yell had come from. In a decorated suit, towering over everyone else with his massive bulk and height, was a Yalorian officer. He appeared to be a very high ranking individual, and his face suggested he was one who ruled through his emotions and temper, and that it had been very effective in the past. However, it was not working now, and that only boiled his blood. He had a head of dark green hair, so green it was almost gray. A thick, bushy beard stretched down over his chin and face, but he had no mustache. His large mouth and heavy-set jaw, however, were dark and foreboding enough to look at, especially as he gnashed his teeth. As a fashion statement, and a trend among high Yalorian officers, he had his incisors sharpened into fangs.

Had Bahamut been here, and had been seeing him, he would have stared in puzzlement for a moment, before recognizing who this person was.

He was, in Ettecan form, the most aggressive of the cat-people he had seen in his vision.

Opposite him, perfectly calm and controlled, was the scientist he had yelled at one year earlier, when he originally commissioned the behemoth's construction. He was unmiffed by the anger of the officer. He simply stood straight and tall, and endured this latest insult and argument. To him, the whole affair was tiring at this point. In response to the accusation, he merely shrugged.

"You couldn't expect me to have success with a prototype, could you?"

"You stupid asshole!" The officer yelled in his face. "Vegnagun was worthless! You're damn lucky my commanding officer never showed up today! The damn thing blew away half of the testing field! It killed seven of my own men! You're damn prototype cost me an additional two billion and probably a court martial! _You were supposed to perfect this with Bahamut!_"

The scientist calmly sighed and rubbed the space between his nose. "There were…complications. Unforseen problems. With Bahamut, we had a brain to work with. Building one from scratch was more difficult than we thought. Artificial Intelligence is still a science in its infancy, after all."

The officer looked ready to boil over. He seemed like he would seize the man's head in a moment and rip it off his shoulders. "Do you have any reason…any good reason at all…why I shouldn't hand you over to your government to be tried for treason?" He nearly screamed.

"You mean other than the fact that I could hand you over to your own government to be tried for treason as well?" The scientist calmly answered.

The officer grit his teeth and boiled again, struggling to keep from screaming.

"The moment you signed on with me, our paths became intertwined, Garock." The scientist continued. "Don't ever forget that. We fall together if the other one does."

Garock tightened his fists and glared at the calm scientist for a moment longer. In the end, however, he straightened himself up and decreased in volume a little. "Fine. In that case, how about a reason why I should let you build another huge, embarrassing failure? Keep in mind that if I _don't_ pull this off, we both crash whether I want you to or not. Next standard year, my department is being audited."

"I'm sure you'll find some way to continue to fund me." The scientist went on. "You military types are always so good at finding the money you need when you need it. I wish we scientists could be half as resourceful. At any rate, I can still deliver. We'll just have to make some changes to our initial plan."

Garock continued to glare at him a moment. At last, he snorted and crossed his arms. "You have five minutes. That's all I can spare before I have to go back to trying to save my job and salvage something from this mess."

The scientist smiled widely in response. Confidently, he took a step inward while continuing to beam, and slipped in closer to Garock to speak in a quieter voice.

"Although, from the start, I never had full confidence in my ability to build a machine from scratch, I was absolutely certain I could build one from an existing body plan. I did so with Bahamut, didn't I? What we need now is another body from that world. Another esper. One that we can use as a building block to complete a new design."

Garock gave a snort in response, but then spoke more quietly. "And how do you plan to get one?"

"Quite simple." The scientist calmly answered. "You see, I read, unlike you. I've been an avid fan of Bahamut's novels. And I read in detail the reports from Dr. Shinza. And I'm not alone. As of 0300 this morning, my staff, working in a correlation with astrologists from my university, managed to take clues from the nature of how Bahamut was found in addition to how he described his last thoughts before death, and managed to calculate where he came from."

"Coppa shit." Garock spat back.

"We already confirmed it." The scientist calmly answered. "We managed to calculate a 95 confidence interval on the location where he came from. On using long range scanners to sweep that area, we found one planet capable of supporting life like Bahamut's. There wasn't any other likely candidate for parsecs, even when we increased the confidence interval to 99.9999. There is little doubt that we found Gaia."

Garock stared at the scientist for a moment. His face turned to some disbelief, but also to intrigue. He held for a moment, thinking about this. In the end, he frowned again and spoke out. "Alright…so you found it. What makes you think you can find another esper like him?"

"I already told you." The scientist coolly answered. "I read. And I've been paying attention to Bahamut's accounts. I think I've already found just the specimen we need…"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	39. Another Side, Another Story

_Three Years Later_

Unfortunately, Bahamut didn't have much success after this with his "new ability". He tried injecting himself again a few more times at first. But he just saw the same things. He never could see who the light and dark people were, and he never did see the One Whom He Saw Through. However, that didn't mean he stopped seeing him period. Every time he went in he saw him. And always, the visions would end with him nearly screaming for him not to go away. It became haunting after a while. He began to have regular dreams with him in it. They weren't as vivid or shocking, but they made him wake up out of breath just the same. He attempted again and again to try and get more from this person, all with no success.

After a year of periodic tries, Bahamut gave up on the drug. He began to form a hypothesis. The reason he couldn't see more in his visions was indeed because they were being distorted by the drug. They were warping his sense of reality, creating this alternate, bizarre universe. He knew he had to find it on his own now. Yet for all his attempts, he couldn't reach that state. He believed he finally had the place isolated in his brain, but for all his attempts to focus on it, he could do nothing to access it. He still felt hampered and chained somehow…being kept from it. Only the drug gave him the push he needed. But he could no longer try it. It ruined his attempts too much, and he began to fear that he was beginning to develop an addiction as Shinza had warned. He needed to find another way…

On the plus side, Shinza had been doing well. Bahamut continued to work with her every day. What truly helped, as it turned out, was placing her before a mirror, and forcing her to look herself in the eye and say something positive about herself. This simple method, a bit childish as it seemed, actually worked. He gave her "homework" to do, to do something like this to herself several times a day. And as she did it, she gradually began to train her mind not to respond with fear or criticism when thinking of herself, but with positive thoughts. And as she started thinking of herself in a better light, she began to realize more about herself that was good. Her confidence began to improve. She at last began to have self esteem.

Other changes began to follow. She reported less and less incidents about feeling uncomfortable around others. She was able to be in more social situations with males. She was able to dress more loosely and attractively without feeling embarrassed. In short, Shinza was becoming more well adjusted to the world around her and to other people. She began to fear them less and less. She probably would never completely lose her fear, but she was controlling it, and each day it became less of a problem. And now, in spite of everything, she felt that she was worth consideration and true love.

And on that note, today had finally come. At long last, Bahamut had managed to convince her to see her father.

* * *

For once, Bahamut found himself outside of Shinza's door, instead of the other way around. He had already arranged everything. It was little trouble for a celebrity like him to be able to gain access to a prison visit. They already had atransport outside waiting to take them there. Bahamut himself was still in Ettecan form, and had dressed himself in his normal attire. The time was when they had scheduled to go, and so he had gone to pick up the scientist. He reached up and gave a knock on the door, and then folded his arms behind him and waited.

Moments later, the door slid open. Shinza, dressed conservative again (for she had no desire to show anything to her father), was there. However, she was eager looking. Far more eager than Bahamut had thought. It actually puzzled the esper a moment.

"Um…Shinza…"

"Bahamut!" Shinza cried out. Her voice was excited and full of joy. Immediately, she reached out and seized him by the arm. "Come in! Right now! You've got to see this!"

Bahamut didn't have a chance to protest before Shinza reached in, snatched him by the arm, and nearly dragged him into the room. While he was still dazzled, she proceeded to drag him across the floor of Shinza's own apartment. It was much the same as his, with more details that Bahamut deemed superficial. He opened his mouth to try to say something, but Shinza wouldn't listen as she pulled him across the chamber and into the living room. The outside projector was displaying the light of a morning, although it was still dark out. However, her hologram projector for media was also up. Bahamut never wasted time with that. He had no interest in the things that this world called "sitcoms" or "show operas". Yet none of that was on right now. It was the news instead, and it was showing footage from earlier. Shinza dragged him in front of this screen, and came to a halt.

"What the-"

"Look!" Shinza cut off, pointing at the screen.

The esper blinked a moment, but then turned and did as he was told. The volume was on, and soon Bahamut began to hear the newscaster as he saw the corresponding images on screen.

_"…The election season officially began last night for the next Regent. Three promising candidates all made their opening speeches on the same night…"_

At this, the view changed to some sort of technical factory. There was a crowd of Ettecan workers there, and before them all was a man…a man with one eye and work clothing. Bahamut looked him over…and soon recognized him. It was the first man from his dream.

_"Lapgip Ahlbed declared his candidacy at the machinery plant in his hometown last night, promising industrial law changes and better policies to cut dependence on foreign labor."_

It changed soon after. This one was to more of a formal assembly, one located in a speaking hall somewhere. Here was another candidate. He was dressed differently…but it was the next man from his dream.

_"Praetor Ralaiab, a renown public speaker and philosopher, and advocate of Gaiaism, announced a similar claim in his assembly last night, promising to crack down on acts of immorality and materialism in society."_

Again, there was a change. Now, it was too an outdoor gathering, in front of what looked like a hydroponic farm. In front of this stood the last man from Bahamut's dream. He had artificial limbs just like he had in the dream, but he also was a very decorated officer.

_"Lastly, General Joon, renown Cybeperian War hero, declared his intentions at a Farmer's Union gathering that he was speaking at last night. If elected, he promises to promote more Ettecan defense and take a harder stance against Yalori. There is no word yet if Regent Stone will run for reelection. In other news…"_

Shinza switched it off at this. She turned and looked to Bahamut. The esper himself stared at the blank wall momentarily, his eyes wide and taking this in. But after a moment, he turned and looked back to the Ettecan. She greeted him with a somewhat enthusiastic smile.

"You were right, Bahamut." She told him. "You could see the future. You saw these three men deciding the fate of our land…and look. They're the three candidates for Regent. Any of them could rule our province within a year, and they'll all be fighting each other politically to see which one will get it."

Bahamut blinked for a moment, but then began to realize it. At last, it seemed his hypothesis was confirmed. He had to wait a few years for certain, but now he knew that he was indeed seeing the future. Rather…he had seen a warped version of it. In his vision, all had been wildly dressed and colored, and they were ready to go to war with each other for the future of the world. Here, they were dry politicians, vying for the position of a leader of the country. He was right about his visions being distorted…but not about his original hypothesis. Somehow, he had seen them. Somehow, he knew that they would eventually run for office. And now, this was the proof. Just as he hoped…they matched their drawings in too much detail to be simply coincidences. It was all here…

"This is amazing!" Shinza continued, her voice eager and excited. "I knew you had powers…but never have we documented anything as incredible as precognition! This reopens your file entirely! We could do a whole new report on it…"

"No."

Shinza froze at this. Bahamut, for all of her excitement, hadn't changed much in expression. The woman became confused. There was nothing that Bahamut hid from the world or her. But now, his face was stark and resolute. She blinked for a moment at this, wondering what was wrong. Bahamut, on his part, hesitated for a moment longer, but then turned back to her. His face was dark, but it wasn't hostile. He inhaled slowly and shook his head.

"That's not going to be possible just yet, I'm afraid." He responded to her. "This confirms that I am seeing the future…but for now, it shows little else. I saw many other visions in my dreams too. None of them have come to fruition. So for now, I don't know if I am seeing truth or possible futures. What more…none of these people are exactly how I saw them. In my vision, they were all distorted…with too much color and detail. Again, I don't know if I saw a possible future, or if I saw them as a result of the drug. I don't really know how much of what I saw was hallucination, and what was real."

The Ettecan paused for a moment. Bahamut did have a point, after all. She had brought it up herself in the past, when the visions didn't immediately appear. And she had wanted him off drugs for quite some time to test it. However, until now, neither of them had thought of a solution. And as far as she knew, Bahamut still didn't have one. She looked a bit troubled, but then gave a shrug. "So…now what do we do?"

"There is one thing I haven't tried yet that looks promising." Bahamut responded. "I'm having it installed today while we're out. When we get back, I'll show it to you. For now, let's just put this aside. Today is supposed to be about you. Let's get down to the penitentary."

* * *

A few hours later, they were there. After checking in and going through the proper channels of clearance, both of them were issued ID badges and allowed into the prisoner conversation areas. Of course, given the special circumstances, it was going to be heavily guarded. Two armed police in the room…and the prisoner would be restrained to his chair. A required minimum of ten feet distance was to be kept at all times. After finally getting through all of these channels and procedures, Shinza was nervous. It had taken time to get here and get through all of this. And the time lag had only made things worse for her. However, when Bahamut offered to call it off, she shook her head, and consented to it. Soon, the warden was leading them through a locked checkpoint, and began to take them through a hall in the prison.

It took some five minutes of walking through the blank, whitewashed halls before they finally made their way to the designated room. Once there, the warden produced his key card to open the area. Bahamut watched as Shinza slowly inhaled and exhaled, staring ahead with an empty look. He could feel her anxiety and fear grow, but she controlled it. She didn't regress or back down. After what seemed like an eternity, the warden finally opened the door. The threewalked in.

The room was very basic. It had windows with artificial light, but not much else. Just two chairs had been set up, one for Shinza, and the other for her father. Across from themwas a locked and reinforced door. Shinza breathed uneasily as she saw it, knowing what was going to come from behind it. She stood there silently for a moment as the warden locked the door behind them and moved in front of it. Bahamut himself watched her…saw her stare blank and empty in front of her at the door. After a little while, he moved in close to her and spoke.

"…Do you want me to leave the room?"

Shinza hesitated for a moment. But then, she merely shrugged, although she didn't look away. "There's no reason… You know everything too now."

Bahamut paused at that. However, he gave a nod soon after. "Alright. I'll just be standing in the back."

Shinza didn't reply. The esper lingered on her a moment. In his mind, he silently wished her the best. Then, he turned and walked to the back wall. He turned and put his back against it, crossed his arms, and waited. Shinza herself continued to stand silently a bit longer. But then, she inhaled deeply, and made her way over to the chair. As calmly as she could, she turned and sat down in it. He eyes looked up and focused on the door, and she waited.

The room was silent for a few minutes. It seemed like hours to Bahamut and Shinza. He wanted to see her be done with this as much as she did, after all. This was the last door to her old life she had to shut, the last restraint she needed to free herself. And the esper hoped she could do it.

At last…he came.

The door slowly opened across the room, making Shinza stiffen. Two guards walked in. Behind them, backed by two more guards, was an Ettecan prisoner. He was dressed in the bright yellow colors they made the inmates wear so that they were easy to spot if they tried to escape. He had binders on his hands and ankles, and both of these were chained together. He could barely move forward. His head was bowed, but Bahamut could make features out. He was one of the oldest and roughest looking Ettecans he had ever seen. Ettecans did not grow facial hair, but they did groom themselves to remove excess peeled skin during night times. This man did not, and it hung off of his lower face in what was the Ettecan equivalent of not shaving. His ears weren't as upright and springy as normal Ettecans either. He was overweight and unattractive, and his face was wrinkled from age and time. His hair was graying, though it still had some black in it. Although he didn't look up at first, Shinza still stiffened as she saw him. It was only after a few moments that she was able to somewhat relax.

The guards led him over to the chair and sat him down in it. Once there, they surrounded him and braced him, keeping him from being able to escape or move. Then, they temporarily undid his restraints. He didn't attempt to run or break free at this point. He resigned himself to his fate. Once he was undone, his arms were twisted behind the chair and chained to it. His legs were chained to its posts as well. He was made so that he couldn't possibly get out once there. Once that was all done, the officers moved to the side. They kept an eye on him, but did no more.

Silence lasted in the room for a short time. Bahamut kept his arms crossed, and patiently waited. The man kept his head down. Shinza managed to look at him. Now, it seemed as if she couldn't look away. She just stared at him, her face blank and expressionless. The esper looked back to the man. This was the infamous character in all of Shinza's horror stories. This is the one who had ruined her life. Bahamut, ever since finding the Dragoon, lacked any compassion for sex offenders. And the truth of the matter was, he wanted to slaughter the man before him with his own two hands more than once. However, he controlled himself for now. And part of what helped him control himself is that this man wasn't the normal proud, arrogant individual that he constantly found himself pitted against. This man…he was so much smaller and weaker…more mortal. This monster that haunted Shinza…this thing of evil…on seeing him in real life, he quite honestly didn't think him worth his time. He only hoped Shinza reached the same conclusion.

The silence was at last broken. But it wasn't by his friend. It was a much lower, rougher, and slang-accent-laced voice, that came from the bowed head of the inmate.

"…Hello, Shinza."

The scientist didn't answer. Shestared back at him without a word. As for the man…he didn't look up at all. He licked his own lips now. On seeing that, Bahamut wondered if he was the one who taught her that… The man was clearly nervous. He wasn't arrogant or domineering. He was quiet now…withdrawn. Compared to Shinza, it looked like he was the one in fear. He nearly cringed before her, refusing to look at her. Was he afraid that her testimony could give him a longer sentence? Or did he actually feel remorse for what he had done? One thing was certain…he knew why Shinza had come.

"I…heard about…you on the news…when I had my HP privelages…" The inmate continued, slowly and hesitantly, making the feeblest attempt at sounding enthused. "You and that…that alien critter… I guess you've done pretty well with yourself…"

Shinza didn't answer. Her face never changed. At last, the man risked a look up for a moment. When he saw that her face was still expressionless, any attempt at being positive was crushed. He bowed his head back down, and looked twice as small and low. Now, he breathed uneasily. Bahamut looked over him, and smelled his scent. It was laced with fear. But fear from what?

"Listen…" He finally spoke up again. "I…I know it probably won't do any good…but I have to say it… I told the…the prison therapist about what I did…back when they put me in for anger control or something… And…and I'm wanting to get better…and…"

"I came here to say one thing to you, dad." Shinza finally stated. Now that she spoke, her voice was cold and sharp, though not emotional. When the man heard it, he immediately went silent. He seemed to grow small again. But Shinza didn't care. She glared at him just the same, as if her face could radiate that same voice. There was a moment of silence in the room, seeming to put an end to her father's pandering.

"What you did to me…" She finally spoke aloud. "It didn't end when you put your clothes back on and left the room. And it didn't end when I ran away from home either. It kept going. I saw it in all of my nightmares. I felt it whenever I saw a man looking at me. No matter where I went…no matter what I did…I could always remember those days. I could always remember how I felt…how low…how dirty…how filthy…how worthless. And I kept feeling that way until that was what I believed I was."

The man licked his lips again. He bowed his head lower.

"I lost most of my life because of what happened at home. It nearly ruined me. But I managed to get out. I managed to make something of myself. I managed to see my problem and overcome it. I managed to love myself as a person and let other people love me. I learned what love _is_. And I finally gained the strength to come here and talk to you again for the first time in twenty years."

Shinza hesitated a moment here. Then…she slowly leaned off of the back of her chair, and toward her father. She lowered her head and extended it, but kept his eyes facing forward. This was just to get closer.

"…So the least you can do is be man enough now to look me in the eye when I tell you this."

The man swallowed. Bahamut sensed something in him…something he didn't expect. Pain. Sadness. However, he managed to slowly exhale, and then did what Shinza asked. He looked up, and he managed to look her in the eye. While his gaze was quivering and weak, Shinza's was strong and irresolute. She never batted an eye as she looked to him, and she never looked away. He was the one who had to struggle to not break down.

"I've carried you for over twenty years, dad. Today, I'm putting you down. I'm laying this to rest. I am shutting the door on that part of my life, and the rest of it I make for myself. That's my responsibility. It always was, irregardless of what happened to me. I didn't ask to be raped by you, but it was always my duty to free myself from the consequences. I've done that. Those days don't have a hold on my life anymore.

"And because of that…I came here to say I forgive you for this. So you don't have to live thinking that I am festering a grudge for what happened, or that I want to see you suffer for it. I didn't come here to add more charges to your record. To me, it will be like it never happened. You don't need to fear me for that.

"But I also came to say this. You're no longer a part of my life, regardless of who you are now or what you become in the future. I'm placing you behind that door and locking it. Because even if I forgive you…I'm not foolish enough to think that we'll ever be a real family. And I'm not going to try and attempt that. There is no place in my life now for you. The most loving thing I can do for both of us right now is to make sure we never see each other again. And if you think about that for a moment, you'll know it is the truth.

"I'll be happy for you when something goes well for you and you do something praiseworthy. I'll trust you're doing the same. When you die, I won't desecrate your ashes or tell the people at your funeral how horrible of a person you were. But if you think that you're ever going to get the little girl back who ran away from home…I'm sorry to tell you she's still a missing person."

Silence after this. Shinza and her father continued to look to one another. Shinza stayed calm and cold. Her father continued to swallow and tighten his throat. In the end, he licked his lips once…and then finally bowed his head and looked away. As he did…Bahamut and Shinza both saw it. A tear dropped from one of his eyes on his now hidden face and splashed against his pant leg.

The scientist never reacted to it. She merely turned to the warden and gave a nod. They were finished.

The guards moved forward, and moved to surround Shinza's father to unhook him and take him back to his cell. As they did so, something came over him. Bahamut thought later…it was a rare insight. A moment in one's life when someone knew this was their last chance to ever do something, and with all the bravery they could muster they forced themselves to do it in one burst. So it was with Shinza's father. Just before they surrounded him again, he managed to look up to her one last time. His eyes were filled with tears.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry for everything…"

Shinza never changed.

The eyes of her father pleaded with her one last time, before he bowed his head in futility. He let the guards undo his chains, stand him up, and then restrain him once again. Once he was tied, he was turned away and led back out. He moved slower this time, and had to nearly be dragged by the officers that guarded him. But they finally managed to pull him back out. His head stayed bowed the whole time. As he went through the door, Bahamut heard a few fading sobs before the door was shut behind him, and all became silent once again.

No one moved. The room was silent and quiet. Shinza still looked up and at the door without moving. Her face hadn't changed. Bahamut stared at her. That had been nothing like he expected. He was a bit surprised it had turned out the way it had. He hoped that it was positive in the end. At last, the warden began to move again. He was ready to leave, after all. He walked down to Shinza's side, obviously to tell her it was time to go.

On seeing this, Bahamut moved first. He quickly went to her side, beating the warden to it. Once he was there, he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. His face turned to concern and looked down to hers. The warden saw this, and immediately withdrew. He felt Bahamut was better at handling this. As for Bahamut, he bent down slightly.

"Shinza…it's time to go."

The woman didn't answer or look away. She continued to stare forward silently.

"…Alright."

"Will you be alright?"

Shinza again was silent. Bahamut stared at her. Then, slowly…he saw a single tear come from the corner of her eye and roll down her cheek. Without changing her cold expression…she raised up a finger and wiped it away almost instantly.

"…I'll be fine."

* * *

They were back a few hours later. The entire visit had only taken about ten minutes. However, the impact was long awaited. Shinza needed a bit more time to steady herself, but she did not cry again. After she relaxed for about a half hour, she was composed enough to leave. Bahamut took her back out and back to the transport, and he drove them back to their apartments. After worming their way through the usual crowds, the two of them managed to reenter the hall they lived in, and returned to Bahamut's room.

As they arrived, Bahamut noticed that a message had been left for him on his doorway. He came to a halt when he reached it, and looked it over. After doing so, he gave a smile. Shinza moved in a bit closer and looked at it, and then back to him.

"What is it?"

The esper turned to her with the same smile. "It's here."

With that, he turned back to his door, swept his key card, and then opened it. He readily walked in, and Shinza followed after him. Once they were in the room and the door slid shut behind them, they only had to move a few feet forward before they saw the device that Bahamut had ordered. Both of them stopped, for both were a bit surprised at how it looked, although Bahamut did in fact know what it was.

In the center of the room, installed in the same place where Bahamut had meditated at the onset of his new discovery, was a long, black capsule. It was about eight feet long, and three feet in diameter. It looked rather simple in structure. All that it had was a hinge and crack alongside of it, where it would split in half and open up. It was a rather ugly, misshapen addition to the otherwise picturesque room. Bahamut beamed at it in pride, eager to see it where it was. Shinza, on the other hand, was a bit puzzled as to what its purpose was. In the end, she turned to Bahamut again, pointing at it.

"What's this?"

"A sensory deprivation chamber." Bahamut responded. "Inside, you lose all five of your senses. It becomes nothing but your mind floating alone in an endless void. I read about Ettecans using them. Because the only thing in it is yourself, the only thing you can focus on is your own mind. Some have reached totally new insights while inside them. Others were shown to use parts of the brain that were supposed to have atrifuted long ago in infancy. It's the best way, in my opinion, to reach a new part of my mind that I've been unable to contact using meditation alone without the use of drugs."

Shinza turned back to the chamber at this. She looked at it a moment. With its smooth design and black color, she had to admit she felt a bit uneasy about it. She always felt uneasy when it came to matters like this. Bahamut was already on a level she didn't understand, and things like this were so mysterious that they frightened her a little. A part of her wished he would drop it, even after seeing the success that they had this morning, knowing that it meant yet more discoveries for their race. However, most of her was still eager to see this thing through. And she was happy that this wasn't a drug, after all. She still hesitated a little, but in the end she turned back to Bahamut. "So when will you try it?"

"Right now." Bahamut answered, his voice growing a bit earnest. Immediately, he reached up, seized his clothing, and began to remove it starting with the torso. "I was going to wait a while, but after what I saw this morning I'm eager to master this. I want to get underway immediately."

Shinza hesitated again. However, Bahamut was already moving toward the chamber, finishing his torso as he moved and going down to his pants. He began to take them off as well. After a moment, Shinza began to walk toward him again.

"...Why are you in such a hurry?" She finally managed to ask. She was a bit surprised she had asked that question herself, yet it stood. And it was a concern of hers. She hadn't seen Bahamut eager about anything in a good long time. But he was enthusiastic now. He was actually moving quickly to get in there, and he seemed somewhat excited about it. "Why don't we call in Dr. Folle? Or Dr. Maester? He probably wants to see the potential effect of your new neurons. This could be documented...or... I mean, why do you want to see the future so badly?"

Bahamut hesitated for a moment at this. He had finished with his shoes and pants and was at the capsule. However, he turned back slightly to Shinza at this, giving her a profile. He paused as well, breathing slowly. In the end, he spoke up with far less earnest and more thoughtfulness.

"...There's something about what I've been seeing." Bahamut answered. "Something about my visions. Something about that one I keep seeing the world through the eyes of. He has something to do with me. I know it. If he didn't, then I wouldn't be seeing the world through him. Until about four years ago, I thought my life was over. I thought I had nothing left. I thought I was just some leftover relic who hadn't faded yet along with my age. But then I started seeing this. Then, I started seeing the future. I started seeing this person. And when I saw him..." He hesitated here, and swallowed. He shook his head. "...I knew I had something else in my life. I knew I had a new purpose. But now...I have to know what it is. I have to find it out. I have to know who that person is and why I keep seeing him. This might be the only way."

Shinza paused after hearing this. Bahamut himself hesitated, still turned partially to her. Neither of them said anything for a short time. There was nothing that Shinza could say, and there was nothing more for Bahamut to say. However, the Ettecan did understand him more now, and why this was so important to him. This was his ambition and desire just as hers had been to end things with her father. She had to move on with her life, and make it her own. But Bahamut was still seeking his purpose...still seeking his reason for being. And he still had to find it. This was his only alternative now, the doorway into the next part of his life. In the end, she knew there was no way she could dissuade him. She bowed her head slightly and held for a brief time. But after that...she managed a slow nod to him. She said nothing else, just silently acquiesed.

Bahamut saw her do this. Once he was certain she did, he looked up and away from her again. He finished removing the last of his clothing. After that, he opened the capsule. Shinza looked up again and watched him. He turned back to her again, and stared at her once more. She looked silently back, but said nothing. In the end, he turned away and back to the open capsule andclimbed in.

The interior of the capsule was filled with liquid. It was water like, but Bahamut wasn't sure if it was water exactly or some other loose fluid. This was what he would float in, robbing him of his sense of touch. Once shut in the capsule, he would be robbed of sight, smell, and hearing as well. Taste was a given. Bahamut hesitated himself. After all...this was a bit nerve wracking for him too. He had never tried something like this before...and he hadn't fully recognized his need to do this until now. But now, it was clear in his mind, and he realized his true purpose in finding this new power. He had to be able to see what else there was for him. He had to find out if there was nothing more to his life. In the end, he stepped into the capsule. The cold water made his Ettecan body tingle. However, he adjusted quickly, and slipped the rest of his body inside. He adjusted himself and went down into the water, and shifted so that he was now floating. With that done, he slowly breathed, and looked back up through the open capsule.

He saw the ceiling of his room for a brief moment. But then, Shinza moved to tower over him. She looked down on his body for what had to be the first time in her life. Even when in the tank, Bahamut had always looked down on her. But now, the roles were at last reversed. He looked up to her now, and slowly gave her a nod. When he did, she moistened her lips once more, and then reached up and took the lid. Very slowly, she closed it down on him. He looked out and watched the light slowly be narrowed...and shrink down into afine line before blotting out and being swallowed into darkness.

With that done, Bahamut found himself immersed in a black, silent void...floating through nothingness for eternity.

The esper slowly inhaled and exhaled. He didn't do anything at first. He just let his body adjust to the temperature of the water. That took a few minutes, but once it was complete, he truly began to feel like he was weightless and floating. Once there, he was truly nothing more than an entity in a world of nothing. He truly was just alone with nothing but his mind. His essence...his consciousness...that was all that existed. All else was gone, and all else didn't matter. Only he did.

Bahamut was used to spending considerable energy and effort separating himself from the world. However, that was no longer necessary. Here, he was already alone. He was already a unit. It was almost as if he was forced into meditation without even trying. This helped. This gave him far more power to work with. And now that he had it, he was ready to get underway. With his mind isolated, he began to focus on it and started to concentrate, slipping into his meditative trance again.

It came much easier this time. In no time at all, he was in a position to reach out and touch all people around him. He continued to focus. Now, if he wished, he could see the individual moves, features, and thoughts of each individual for miles. He continued to increase his power after that. But he did not turn it outward. He turned it inward, toward his own faculties. He appealed his keen intellect and power solely onto his own mind, turning his introspection to focus only on himself. Once there, he easily delved into the portions he was more familiar with. His integral knowledge from the Planet... His history... His subconsciousness... All of these he had been in before. He filled out every corner of his mind, going into each part and parcel it was subdivided into. He continued to push, until he was everywhere within it.

However...he still hadn't found it. He still wasn't in the part where the visions lay. That eluded him. Focusing again, he forced his control farther, moving it through his mind more vigorously and fiercely than before. He tried to push out into new areas, expand his consciousness into somwhere new. But it didn't help. He had tried things like this before, but it didn't work. He had more power this time, so he tried to push harder. He tried to increase his strength and move out into new portions. He tried to break through the blocks he had been through before. But still, he felt nothing. He went nowhere else, and didn't expand into any new section of his mind. No matter how hard he tried, or how much he worked, he couldn't do it. He was frustrated again.

Bahamut hesitated a moment. He had to try something else. Everything had begun when he had seen the dreams...when he had taken the drug. The crazy visions came from there. He considered that a moment... At last, an idea came to mind. What if he could remember the dreams? Trace them back to how they originated? Where they originated? It was worth a shot. Perhaps he had the power to do so now that he was in here.

The esper focused again. This time, he focused all of his attention onto his memories. Specifically, the visions he had seen before. Some of them were now fixed in his memory after what had happened, and now he concentrated only on them. He drew on them totally, and let them fill his mind. He recalled every detail he could about them, tried to immerse his consciousness totally in them. After a few minutes, it filled him. With that done, he hesitated a moment, building his strength, drawing on all of the new powers that he had to bear. He focused them all together for one gigantic push. Once gathered, in breathed in deeply, and then acted.

With all the effort he could muster, Bahamut forced his consciousness deep into his dreams and visions. He aggressively drove into their center...tracing them back through time to their source. He forced himself to be filled even more so with the memory. He twisted his own mind and autosomic reactions, all to the one goal of totally reproducing the response. Feeling the effects of the drug again. It didn't work at first, but Bahamut didn't give up. He kept pushing harder and harder. He concentrated until he began to sweat, struggling to get more from the vision.

At last...he began to feel it. He felt his head become lighter. Feeling this, he pushed even harder. He began to feel his body swimming. He continued to focus, gritting his teeth and straining his mind. The visions...slowly began to come to life. They started to move randomly through his own random neural firing. They began to distort. Their colors became more vivid. Yet he kept pushing through them. He pushed himself...forcing himself by them even as they came to life. He went deeper and deeper. The dreams continued to come to life around him. They continued to grow more real. They took over his reality. They started to paint his world. But still he went on. He warped his body. He made his hair grow spiked. He made clothing appear around him. He started to hear the voice again...and it joined in with all the others. And through it all, he pushed harder into the heart of this world...the source of it all...where it all came from. As he yanked more of it out...his mind slipped more into that new realm. He pushed harder and harder...forcing it out...forcing himself into it...

Then, it happened.

Bahamut gasped as suddenly his senses returned. He could hear and see...and he saw as the world around him shattered like glass. As if everything was in slow motion, the world around him fractured and slowly flew apart. The glass shards that surrounded him slowly rotated around themselves as they flew away into the black surroundings. The sound of ringing and breaking echoed sharply in his ears as the world gave way into chaos...

Suddenly, he was falling. He felt the wind slap against his face and push up along his body as he fell down into the black oblivion. The glass shards were blown away behind him as they flew off into nothingness, and he continued to plunge headfirst down into the darkness. He looked down over his body, and was surprised. He could see himself again. And he wasn't nude anymore. He was wearing his regular clothing. And he wasn't an Ettecan anymore. He had turned into a human. He looked up again, and he felt the wind on his face as he fell. It was growing in power as he plummeted into the blackness. As he continued to fall, he began to see the world ripple around him...as if he was cutting through the air... He moved faster and faster, and yet he did not see where he was going. He only went deeper and deeper into the empty darkness.

Then, he saw something up ahead. He was moving fast now, the peak of a free fall. But he saw something in the blackness ahead. Though he wasn't anywhere near any light, he saw a ripple in front of him. Water...a layer of water... He was falling into a sea...a sea that stretched infinitely in all directions in this black world. He winced, and braced himself for the painful impact and the icy feeling of the cold water. Moments later, he struck it and plunged deep into it. However...though water went up around him...and though he felt the medium in which he fell grow slower and slower...he felt no water against him. He didn't feel cold. And when he breathed, he could inhale and exhale as if he was in air. He didn't know what was happening or where he was... All he knew is that he was still falling now, and that now he was falling as if he was falling into water...slowing down as he went deeper and deeper.

At last, there was a light in the darkness. Far below him, he saw a blue disk of light. He began to fall to it rapidly, although he was slowing down still. He saw other colors show up on it as he fell, indicating that there were designs or some pictures on the disk. However, he was falling too fast. Despite the slowing of his descent, despite feeling like he was going to come to a halt, he was still too fast. He was going to crash. He was going to land headfirst on the disk. It was coming too quickly...

Bahamut at last tried to stop himself. He tried to right himself before he hit it. The moment he tried...something unexpected happened. His body flipped in midair, his arms stretched out, and his toes pointed. His whole body altered to intercept the ground as best as possible. Not only that, butdespite the feeling he was slowing down in liquid, it slowed down even more now. It was like an invisible parachute had spread itself out and halted him. Now, as if he was a leaf slowly floating to the ground, his bodytouched down on the blue disk. His feet clicked as they both went into place, and then went down torest as their sound echoed through the empty void. He had arrived in a new place.

The esper was stunned. What had happened? Minutes ago, he had struggled to unlock a new area of his brain. And now...he found himself here...lost in some dark place in a different form. Had he succeeded? Was this a new area of his mind? If it was...he had never experienced anything like it. He didn't feel like a simple mind anymore. He had his senses. He could move and act and feel. He felt he had gone someplace, not just found something. And that...that was the most bizarre sensation of all. Had he gone into a new world? If so...where was he? What had happened? How had he gotten here?

The esper looked down to the floor on which he stood. It was the blue disk. But now that he had a better look at it, he saw that it wasn't just a disk. It was a large, circular pane of what looked like stained glass. And as he had seen from above, there were images on it. Not just any images either. The one in the center of the glass was the symbol of Bahamut's wing, the symbol of his own wing in all of his hallucinations. Not only that, but it was surrounded by images of other people...all of them from his dreams. Shinza...Dr. Maester...the three candidates...and even the person who he saw the world through the eyes of. Sadly...he was no better than a stain glass version of Bahamut's sketch. He could see nothing else of who he was. The esper studied these images for a moment, and looked around him. The blue disk was much larger than he thought. It was about a hundred feet across at the widest point...

"So there you are at last."

Bahamut snapped up immediately to the sound of the voice, and tightened himself for a fight. He soon received a surprise. A moment ago, he had looked around the window and seen only himself. But now...another had joined him.

A young boy stood with legs crossed and arms folded behind his head, smiling at Bahamut. He was dressed in somewhat unusual clothing...too much, in Bahamut's opinion, with reds, whites, blacks, and oversized yellow shoes. However, his clothing was far closer to the kind that would be found on Gaia, not on Etteca. Another look up at his face confirmed he was a human. His hair was sharply brown spiked, and spread out in all directions.He had blue eyes, full of youth, energy...and some sort of inner light to them that Bahamut was not accustomed to. He had never seen anything like it before. On seeing it...he wondered if the boy was human. If he was, then he was not one of the average throng. Yet he doubted he was. He looked different. He looked...like he was of some other world.

The boy calmly uncrossed his arms and legs, and began to walk forward. He smiled at him, and let out a small laugh. "You've kept me waiting for nearly 5,000 years, Bahamut. I was wondering when you'd get here."

Bahamut stared back for a moment. His face stayed expressionless and cold. "How do you know my name?"

The boy chuckled again at this. "I should, Bahamut. I've been inside this part of your brain ever since the day you were born. I've been watching you since then...and it's been quite a while. This whole time I've been waiting for you to come to me, and I was wondering if you ever would."

The esper didn't change. "And who are you? Or what are you?"

"That I can't really say." The boy answered with a shrug. "You see...I don't know how I got here. And as far as you're concerned, I only know that you're not in my plain of existence. In the realm of what you call the real world, I'm not a real player. I'm on a different level. Perhaps I was born when you were born. Perhaps I share the same mother. Or perhaps I am a different race of creature all together. Perhaps I have little to do with you, and what I am merely goes from person to person like I came to you. Perhaps a greater power brought us together. Asking me who or what I am, therefore, is useless. And pressing the matter is the same. All I can tell you is that you succeeded in your goal at last, and came to the part of your mind that you left locked for centuries."

Bahamut hesitated again. He looked over the young boy. Externally, he didn't appear to be capable of anything, special knowledge or technique or anything else. However, Bahamut didn't truly understand where he was right now either. From what he heard, it sounded as if he had succeeded in his goal. But where was he now? What was he now? Why was this place different from the rest of his mind? And why did it have this boy here at all?

"You appear to be a befuddled as I am." Bahamut finally responded to the boy. "Do you have any idea _why_ you are here?"

"Well of course I know that." The boy responded. "I wouldn't be waiting for you if I didn't know that."

The boy was silent after this, and continued to smile at the esper. Bahamut waited for a moment, but he said nothing else. After a short time, the esper crossed his arms and frowned. "Well...are you planning on telling me?"

The boy kept smiling. He leaned a bit forward at this, and crossed his own arms in front of him.

"Let me ask you something first...do you know why _you_ are here?"

Normally, Bahamut would have considered this beating around the bush, and would have responded with an appropriate amount of irritation. However, in the silence of the chamber, and the sudden sharpness of the voice of the boy, the esper found himself startled. The response seemed so uncharacteristic of this boy...that it did manage to catch him off guard. Yet in the pause that followed, the boy stared at him and looked to him challengingly. He kept his carefree smile...but his eyes were far more fierce and focused. The esper hesitated, but in the end drew himself up as well. His own look became hard and focused.

"To see the future...and to find out what my purpose is."

In response to this, to Bahamut's surprise, the boy smiled wider and snickered. It seemed as if he almost thought the idea was funny. He drew himself up again from where he was, and began to walk. As he did, he made his way around the glass window, but kept away from Bahamut. He folded his hands behind him and continued to smile at the esper.

"Let me show you something, Bahamut..."

With that, the boy brought his arm out from behind him, revealing a small fist sized rock in his hand. The moment he brought it out, he flung it right at Bahamut's forehead with considerable force. The esper was surprised for the briefest fraction of a second at this sudden act. However, his senses were far too sharp to be able to be caught off guard so easily. He never even showed any sign of surprise. With a calm face, he reached up a hand long before the rock reached him, and snatched it out of the air. With a dark frown, he lowered his hand and let the rock fall to the ground, glaring at the boy all the way.

The boy raised an eyebrow to this. "Very good. Now then...a rock will hit you in the back of the head in two seconds."

Bahamut stopped frowning at this, and blinked in confusion. "What...?"

Even as Bahamut was puzzling over this statement, as the message was registering in his brain what this meant, he sensed something approaching from behind. He heard it whistle through the air, and he sensed the impulses and vibrations on the wind. However...it didn't matter. The sentence that told him it would come, and his moment to recognize what was said...was all the delay he needed. He was unable to stop the rock before it sailed to the back of his head and connected, producing a nice smacking sound.

The blow, for his human body, was quite painful. A stunning jolt rippled through his brain, and agony filled Bahamut's head. He cried out and grabbed the back of his skull in pain. He held a moment, before recovering enough to growl angrily and spin around to see where it had come from. To his surprise, when he wheeled around...the boy was standing right behind him, one arm crossed behind his back, and smiling and waving with the other. Bahamut's face turned from anger to surprise again. He turned and looked back to where he had been facing a moment earlier...only to see that the boy was no longer there. He turned back once more, only to see the boy still smiling at him and waving. Bahamut's frown returned, but he stopped rubbing his head and turned fully to glare at him.

The boy was unmiffed by this. "Now then…do you understand the point I was trying to make?"

Bahamut glared at him a moment longer. However…he was already considering the things that had happened in the past few moments. As he did, he did begin to see something in them. Slowly, his anger faded. His frown melted into nothingness. He straightened himself up once again, and looked back to the boy.

"The first time you didn't tell me what you were going to do, but I stopped it from happening anyway." The esper responded. "The second time you told me what you were going to do, but it didn't make any difference."

"Close." The boy answered, beginning to walk forward slowly to Bahamut again. "But not quite. Consider yourself. You are a picture of sensory ability. You can see intentions before they happen. You can read muscle impulses before they move. No doubt, you knew that rock was headed straight for your head before it landed. So why didn't you stop it?

"The answer is that you didn't stop it because _I_ told you it was coming. I told you the future. If I hadn't have said anything, you would have sensed it before it arrived and stopped it. But I distracted you when I told you the future, and as a result you were hit with the rock. In other words…my prediction that you would be hit with a rock only came true _because I told you that you would be hit by a rock._"

Bahamut hesitated and thought about this for a moment. However, the boy spoke the truth, and he slowly began to realize that. He had known that the rock was coming, but he had been so preoccupied with what the boy said that he hadn't done anything about it. As a result…it had become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The future only occurred because he knew that specific future would occur. And on hearing that…Bahamut began to realize what the point was.

The boy merely smiled again and turned away, and began to patiently walk around the stained glass, slowly circling Bahamut. "You want to see into the future, Bahamut. But time is like a river. On one hand, you can throw an unmanned boat into a river, and then go ahead to see what rapids and twists it will follow. On the other hand…a river is branched. And time is the most branched river of all. Water is not a constant, but it is always changing. Winds and animals living in the river affect it as well. Even putting the boat into the water itself changed the nature of the river in a small way. And all of these small changes sum up to a different course and a different path. Ironically, it is not the nature of ordered things to be orderly, but chaotic. For all your wisdom, there are even smaller and even larger forces at work you are scarcely aware of frustrating all of your attempts to place the world into an easily examined lab table."

"So you're saying that if I see my future, I'll make it happen. That I'll alter my own destiny just by trying to look at it." Bahamut asked.

"I'm merely describing to you all of your options, Bahamut. You were able to stop the first stone because you didn't know it was coming, and you failed to stop the second because you knew it was. Not knowing the future doesn't necessarily lead to a negative impact. On the other hand,there is no one here, not you, I, or anyone else, to say that a future you would make for yourself would not be better. Self-fulfilling prophecies are double-edged swords, after all.

"To every decision, Bahamut, there are consequences. We make choices to direct ourselves on certain paths, and hope that we can live with the consequences. If you truly wish to know the future, your consequences will be giving up your current future to obtain another. It might be good. It might be bad. But you cannot unsee what you see. You sentence yourself to your fate even by trying to dabble in these matters. But if you are truly willing to take that risk…then I am here to give you your choice and consequences."

With that, the boy froze. He turned and faced Bahamut entirely. On doing so, he extended his arms out to either side.A blinding white flash came from either side of him. Bahamut winced as he saw it, and recoiled back slightly. It hurt his eyes for a moment, but did not last. Soon after the flash occurred, it died down again. And as it did, Bahamut, still shielding himself with one arm and holding back a little, slowly relaxed and looked to either side of the boy. He had something new now. Two giant white sets of doors were on either side of him. Both appeared to go nowhere, and both were sealed and locked tightly.

Yet that wasn't all. Bahamut suddenly realized his hand felt heavier. He looked to his body, and slowly unshielded himself. To his puzzlement, one of his hands now held a gigantic key. It was fashioned almost into what looked like a sword. The esper raised it and turned it in his hands, looking over it. After gazing at it a few moments, he looked back up to the boy, who was still smiling and staring at him plainly.

"What is this?"

"The Key to All." The boy answered. "The reason you have come here. And now that you are here…my time has come. After this, there will be no changing your destiny. Here is the critical choice. You wish to know the identity of the boy in your dreams. You wish to know why you need him, and what you must do with him. "

The boy gestured to the doors again. "Open one of these doors. The door on the left will show you a glimpse into the future. You will learn the identity of the young man, and you must then find him. The door on the right takes you back to the sensory deprivation chamber in the real world, and you will never experience a vision of the young man again."

Bahamut looked again at the key in his hand. Then, he lowered it, and looked up to the doors. Neither of them betrayed anything. They looked identical in every way, with neither one looking any better than the other. The esper looked at both for a moment. Then, he began to raise his key to point at the left door…

"However…" The boy sounded, his voice sharp and warning. It made Bahamut freeze when he said it. "As I said before, there are always consequences. You have another two choices before you that come with these doors. If you open the left one, you'll have the life of Gaia. If you open the right one, you'll have the life of Etteca. Now choose."

Bahamut's face nearly turned to shock. Those last words were chilling and hard. The boy was perfectly serious with them. Suddenly…this whole affair had turned into something dark sounding. Each word that the young man said was a fierce warning. And he made it look with each new phrase as if there was no right answer to this game he suddenly found himself in. Bahamut didn't even know what all of these riddles meant. What did he mean the life of Gaia or the life of Etteca? Who was this young man from hisdreamsthat he would change his life so?

The esper didn't know. But he knew the boy spoke the truth. His life would be changed after he opened one of these doors. It would determine his fate and destiny. Right now…he wished he had never started pursuing this. He wished he had remained unaware of his future. Then, it would have been easier at least. But now, he had the future spread out before him, and there was no answer he could give that would mean a perfect answer. There was bad and good to each one of them. He wished he knew what it meant. He wished he knew more of what would happen. But he knew better. The boy had told him all he could. Any more would commit him to one fate or the other, regardless of his desire to choose.

Bahamut looked again at the left door, and again at the one on the right. If he was more of his old self, he might have picked the door on the right. It was the closest he could come to pretending he had never been here. He could try to live his life in search of his new purpose and forget about a way to see them through precognition. And it did seem to be the safest choice.

And yet…the very thing that had driven him to this choice was the young man he sought. It was the person who was in that vision he had to find. And if he said no now, if he abandoned every finding him…then he'd regret it forever. There wouldn't be a day he would wake up and wonder how his life would have been different if he found out who the mysterious man was. He wouldn't be able to deal with that. He had come here for answers, not to learn how to go without them. And in the end, Gaia was his homeworld. It was his mother. And he didn't honestly believe that anything bad could happen to a world, especially not one like Etteca. In the end, he finally could reach only one decision.

Bahamut turned to the door on the left and aimed the key at it.

"You've made your choice, Bahamut." The boy simply answered, his smile gone now…and just a somber look on his face. "Know that when you must deal with whatever comes."

Bahamut didn't answer. He didn't even really hear him. Instead, he saw the end of his key. Suddenly, it began to glow brightly. A bright white spark appeared on the end of it. When it did, the key appeared to take a mind of its own. He felt an invisible force on it pull it up, and precisely aim it right at the door. The esper was stunned at this, and looked to it in puzzlement for a moment. But it was already too late. Once the key was aimed at the door, the spark on the end suddenly exploded in a white burst, and a ringing sound came forth. A thin, bright white beam of light shot out from the end of the key, and fired itself straight at the doors and into the keyhole on them.

As the other door vanished back into the void…and the boy began to fade away with it…Bahamut heard the sound of some cosmic lock all around him being unlocked. As it did, he saw the beam fade…and the two white doors began to slowly open. Bahamut dropped the key to his side, as radiant, pure white light began to pour out from the entrance. It grew brighter and brighter as the doors continued to swing open. The white light filled the darkness and drove it off, and bathed Bahamut in its glow. Soon, he too was glowing, and vanishing into the white light that poured over everything.

And through it all…Bahamut looked steadily forward to see the truth at last.

* * *

The door to the capsule suddenly flung open. Shinza cried out and jumped back. She had heard nothing from it a moment ago, and now it practically exploded open again. The moment it was open, water flew everywhere as Bahamut suddenly rose into a seated position. His eyes were wide now. He was heaving and staring blankly ahead of himself. He looked out of breath, and struggled to regain it.

The Ettecan was nervous for a few moments, staying recoiled and looking to him fearfully. But then, she managed to lean forward again. She hesitated a moment, but then placed her hand on Bahamut's shoulder. He didn't react. He continued to pant and breathe hard, staring out. He was wet, but not just from water. His body felt warm and sweating. The woman looked uneasily at him at this.

"Bahamut…what happened?"

The esper continued to breathe for a moment. He looked apoplectic…or possessed by something. However, it didn't last. He finally started to breathe slower, and he began to blink again. His body slowly began to calm down. When it did, he at last was able to turn and look to Shinza.

"…I saw who he was." He stated in an almost whisper. "…I saw what I need to do."

* * *

_To be continued..._

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This part of the story marks a major division point. Until now, things have been going along in sort of a retrospective, which is why there have been giant leaps between sections, and even from chapter to chapter. There's going to be less of that very soon as the story moves into "the present".

The person from Bahamut's vision makes an appearance in the next chapter, which also marks the beginning of the FFVII part of this story. From here on in, a lot of"The Servant"is going to be told from the perspective of the person in Bahamut's vision. However, it is still Bahamut's story, and he will continue to be a major part of the plotline, even if he appears to fade out from time to time.

Also, regardless of what you just read above, we are still in the portionof The Servant, "The Wyvern Battles". (I warned you it was going to be long, possibly the longest.) However, the next chapter will open the last "mini-storyline" within the overall storyline of The Wyvern Battles, and after it is complete I'll move on to the next section.

See you then!


	40. The Great Escape

As I mentioned in the last chapter, this chapter marks the beginning of the "Final Fantasy VII" portion of The Servant, and will be, by far, the game that gets the most time in it. (This is because the middle portion of The Servant was originally an FFVII sequel I wrote years ago.) Although it won't matter for a few chapters, this part of the story takes into account the events of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. So if you haven't seen it yet, you may get confused or have some things spoiled.

* * *

"Can you tell me again what you saw?"

Bahamut didn't think this would make things any easier on Shinza. Already, she was nervous about this. It was obvious she wasn't going to get accustomed to the idea of Bahamut acting on this vision that he had seen, no matter how many times he told her about it. However, his mind was made up. He hadn't made this decision lightly. He considered this vision a gift. He wasn't going to toss it aside so easily, regardless of his fears.

Currently, the esper and his friend were back in the transport. They were being taken out to one of the launching pads at C'Kardenell. The entire movement was secret. Bahamut, for once, used their personal communication devices to organize the whole thing as quietly as possible. He didn't need fans or reporters knowing that he was going to be leaving Etteca. Aside from Shinza, the only other people who knew anything about it were the people he had called to have a personal navigation device delivered to him, and Dr. Maester. The latter he had called to find out exactly how his new body would work in space. With all of that done, he and Shinza found themselves here, rushing onto the campus of the University.

"When I found that part of my mind, I saw the person at last." Bahamut explained. "I finally got a look at his face. Everything I knew about him until now was bogus. He looked nothing like what I was led to believe. It must have been another distortion based on the drugs. But I saw him now. He was a young man…almost a boy. He couldn't have been older than 20. He was in a city made of shells and white trees. And I heard his name too…Ragnar Vice."

Shinza still looked puzzled, and gave a shrug. "But who is this guy? Do you know anything about him at all?"

"Not yet." Bahamut answered. "But I knew he was a human…and I could have sworn I've seen that city before…ages and ages ago… He's on Gaia. I have to go back and find him. As for more about him…the Planet will reveal everything to me. Now that my abilities have increased, I'll bet I could look into his past and his mind."

The Ettecan sighed. She turned and looked down at the ground of the transport uneasily. "I still don't like this. Not for a minute. You haven't been anywhere near Gaia for years. Why would you have to go back now? What's so important?"

Bahamut's eagerness diminished a little at this. He took in a deep breath and stared out. In reality…he was a bit nervous about that too. He hadn't planned on returning to Gaia. There was nothing for him there. The self-fulfilling prophecy that the boy spoke of echoed in his mind…how he might not have ever gone back to Gaia if he didn't know that he had to go there. What more…Shinza's unease made him uncomfortable too. He knew why she was upset. Much as she had recovered, Bahamut was still her only true friend. Seeing him leave would disturb her. And Bahamut kept remembering the choice he had made…and wondered what the consequences meant…

At last, he looked up and back to Shinza. "…You remember what I said before, right?"

The Ettecan sighed again and bowed her head lower. "I know…but…"

"I have to do this, Shinza. Just like you had to do your duty. This is mine. This is a goal for my life. This is an objective…a purpose. I can't let it just slip me by."

Shinza continued to look down at the ground for a few moments. She kept seeming downcast. Her hands clasped together and wrung themselves uneasily. "…I know." She finally admitted, ruefully doing so but forcing herself to acquiesce. "I know this is what you have to do…and I do want you to have a purpose in your life. I trust you more than anyone, and I know you're doing the right thing… And I don't want to get in the way of you and your goals. But…" She hesitated here. She slowly exhaled, and then looked back up to the esper. Her soft eyes pierced his strong ones.

"…I'll miss you."

The esper hesitated, looking back at her. A twinge turned in his heart, and he formed a rueful expression as well. Currently, Shinza was his only friend too. He was used to being a loner, but he still wanted companionship. There was no one waiting for him on Gaia. No one who even thought he still existed. He had a place here. It had taken time to forge, but there was a place on this world for him. There was someone for him. He'd miss Shinza and dislike going back to Gaia alone. In the end, he managed a small smile, and gave her a shrug.

"It's not like I'll be gone forever." He responded. "I'll come back. I promise."

Shinza forced herself to smile a bit at that, and looked up to him again. The two looked to one another for a moment, but then looked away and back outside. The rest of the trip was silent.

They were emerging onto the launch field right now. The transport stopped only at the gate to swipe clearance, and then was allowed in. All around the field were launch and landing towers, jutting up into the air. It was into one of these that the ship had landed years ago, when Bahamut had first arrived on Etteca. Seeing it now brought back a few memories. It was night right now. The sky was black, as it would be for some time, and the field was empty just as they had wanted. Their story was that they were going to a book signing, so the media wasn't out there right now. Bahamut was glad he hadn't put out any reports of his new ability yet. That would only make him a new highlight in the public eye.

The transport continued to move out until they were in a wide open space in the field. Much of it was still open, after all, to protect against threats of explosions or to allow more construction and work crews in. Most had put up for the "night" at this point. The workers wouldn't be there for another hour, leaving Bahamut and Shinza alone. Once they were there, the hovering ship slowly came to a halt. The craft powered down, and slowly it lowered itself to come to a rest against the stone substance that made up the floor of the launching area. Once it was there, the side doors on the craft slowly opened up and extended down to form a bridge to the ground. A moment later, the esper came out, followed closely behind by the Ettecan.

The two put a distance between themselves and the transport. One of the reasons for starting out here was the inevitable shockwave that Bahamut knew he would produce when he took off. He had been advised about that by Dr. Maester. However, it still seemed pretty simple. He looked down to his hand and saw the navigation device. By now, the Ettecans had managed to deduce the location of Bahamut's homeworld. They had programmed the coordinates into this, which was a simplified version of the navigation computers inside their vessels. Like a cosmic compass, it would point Bahamut in the right direction of where he needed to go, and would signal him when he went too off course. After that, it was just a matter of moving through space. His new wings incorporated a "solar sail" model that could harness the power of the "solar winds" in space to generate thrust. And they were rather efficient at it too. The trip was estimated to take at least a month. However, that was no problem. Dr. Maester informed him that so long as he was doing nothing more than traveling through space, his efficient body could survive on a single deep breath for two months. It was still a long time…but Bahamut was the very picture of patience. It was no problem to him.

And now that he was actually here…actually about to go…a thought occurred to him.

_I'm actually going back to Gaia…_

Now a good distance from the craft, both people halted and turned to one another. They stared into each other eyes, and moved a bit uneasily. This was the moment. And now that it had come, both of them began to feel nervous anew.

"Well…" Shinza finally said. "I guess this is it."

"I'll be back as soon as possible." Bahamut assured her again. "But while I'm gone, I'd like for you to do me a favor."

The Ettecan looked up at this with more interest. "Really? What?"

Bahamut paused a moment, but then smiled softly. Slowly, he raised his hands, reached them over to Shinza's face, and touched her glasses. Shinza blinked in confusion, but didn't move. Slowly, the great esper pulled them up and off of her face. Her beautiful green and blue eyes were revealed. The woman swallowed a bit, and started to turn a bit red. But Bahamut continued to smile softly back.

"…I'd very much like you to show your eyes more." He finally responded. "They're beautiful."

The woman blushed more at this, and bowed her head and raised a hand to her mouth shyly. However, she did manage a smile as she did this. Both of them snickered. However, Shinza eventually looked up and back to Bahamut. She hesitated and licked her lips again. But after a moment, she merely snorted and gave a shrug while still smiling. "What the heck." She said aloud…before bending over and giving Bahamut a kiss on the cheek.

The esper's eyes widened as he too turned red. He hadn't expected that. However, it was just a short peck, and soon Shinza leaned back and looked at him with a smile again. Bahamut smiled a bit nervously too, trying to suppress his sudden embarrassment. However, after another pause, both of them inhaled and exhaled. It was time to depart.

"Take care of yourself, Bahamut."

"You too."

Shinza stared at the esper for a moment longer. But then, she turned and began to walk back to the transport. After all, she had to get clear as well. Bahamut looked to her and stared for a moment. His smile slowly faded, and he watched her walk away with a bit of pain inside him. However, it did pass eventually. When it did, he turned back, and breathed to steady himself. Then, he balled his hands into fists at his sides, and let it go.

In a flash, Bahamut ZERO exploded out of the puny Ettecan. The wings ripped off his skin and unfurled, and a great scaly body shimmering in the dim light on the field emerged. Bahamut cracked his new extended neck and craned his head to the sky. His flexible antennae-like crest swished in the air. He felt tremendous power coursing through him, and it felt good. He had been an Ettecan so long, he forgot how great it felt to be in his true body. Once he had stretched, he turned and looked back to Shinza. She had stopped now, back at the transport a distance away. She raised up her hand and waved to him again, smiling all the while.

Bahamut ZERO smiled too and waved back. Then, after that was done, he turned back to the sky, and let out a long breath of air. Lightly, he leapt up into the sky. He spread his wings out afterward, and the airfoils immediately made him hover. He hovered up a bit more now, getting about fifty feet off the ground. After all, he didn't want to fracture the pavement on takeoff. Once that was done, he stopped a moment. He turned and looked back to Shinza, who was still smiling and waving. He stared for just a few moments more, and then turned back. Opening his mouth, he inhaled a deep breath. He filled his lungs all the way to capacity as he did so, and he was so powerful that he actually created a vacuum briefly around himself. But once that was done, he closed his mouth, stretched out his wings, grasped the navigation device tighter…and launched.

Like a crack of thunder, Bahamut ZERO exploded from where he had been, leaving only a clap of thunder in his wake…and a shockwave so strong that Shinza felt the clothes nearly ripped from her body. Despite his intentions, the pavement below him did fracture and press into a small crater. But Bahamut could no longer see that. Within one second after launch, he had vanished into the night sky, and all he could see below him were the gleaming lights of Etteca far below, partially obscured by the clouds. He continued to push, however, feeling a slip stream of air generate around him. The air grew cold, but his body was more than resistant enough for it. It grew silent except for his own movement, but he kept looking up and into the heavens. The stars became clearer and clearer as he ascended, and space seemed much bigger and darker. Still he pushed on and on…

At last, the air around him seemed to vanish all together. Some sort of ripping sound was heard for a moment, and then Bahamut found himself rushing silently into space above him, without any ripples or gasses around him. This puzzled the esper for a moment. He continued to push a bit farther, but then halted himself. Despite his blindingly fast speed, his body readily halted. He hovered where he was now, and turned and looked back behind him. Could he have said anything, he would have gasped.

Below him loomed Etteca. It was the dark side, but his eyes could see everything. Billions of lights dotting the continents. All of the landforms slowly changing on their plates through eternity. Clouds sweeping around the planet, twisting and churning in massive forms. He could see it all. The massive orb of this world was something that could be grasped only by his eyes. And all around him…space. Vast and empty…but filled with billions of stars, clouds of gasses, nebulas, and everything else. Bahamut hadn't risked a look back when he traveled to the Lunarian Moon. He had never been able to look out when he was on Shinza's vessel. For the first time…he saw the majesty of Etteca framed against the universe. It was breathtaking…if there was any breath to breathe. And now, he was able to see it here, without feeling pain or strain, but able to enjoy it himself.

Bahamut looked at it a bit longer, marveling at its size and majesty. But then, he looked down and looked at himself. He could hear nothing. After all, there was no medium in space's vacuum for sound to travel in. But he was there. He was no longer in agony. His body moved freely and held strongly against the pressure loss in space. He felt neither the tremendous heat nor blistering cold. Even his eyes were reinforced with organic polymers that kept them from bending at all in this environment. He was now a creature of the cosmos…the first living thing from Gaia that could travel through space without fear.

It was quite a lot to take in, but Bahamut didn't indulge it forever. He finally looked back to his navigation device. It showed the directions he needed to go. He would have to circle Etteca a bit before he was in the right direction, but then he could take off in a straight shot. After that…in a month…he'd see this same breathtaking view over his own world, from his own moon.

Keeping that in mind, Bahamut looked back to the planet. He waved one last time far below, to wherever Shinza was waiting. Then, he turned and took off at full speed to get to the right position, and begin his long journey home.

* * *

Far to the north of Gaia, in the middle of an icy plain, surrounded for miles by sentries, security robots, and a wasteland of snow…was a fortress. None had seen the like of it yet in this world. Few were around to report its existence to others. However…it was large. Easily fifteen to twenty stories tall. It spread out even farther, easily encompassing an area of a small town. However, the most incredible thing was its incredible simplicity. The fortress was essentially a giant dome rising out of the cold wastes that surrounded it. It was metal when one got close, but from a distance, no one could tell what it was made of… Perhaps it was some great ball God had been playing with and dropped on Gaia. Only when one was much nearer to it did they see that, in fact, there was a rather great stone pavilion built in front of it. It was kept clean dispite the constant snowfall, and it stretched out for a square mile in front of the dome. Looking closer to the ring around the bottom of the dome, one could see that it was indented slightly, revealing an area that was concealed from the heavy snowfall and storms. Here were the docking bays. This was where the security robots and other vehicles came and went. There were a few main entrances, but nothing that betrayed much else.

Inside the dome, there were hundreds of halls and chambers, and thousands of security measures keeping them safe. For now, this early in the morning, only the night watch was out. The rest of the soldiers were still asleep in the barrack areas. The mess halls were just firing up. Lights were just starting to come on in key areas of the efficient military machine that had been constructed. However, many of the soldiers were awakening, dressing, and getting to work. Dawn was coming soon.

And for one small young man, deep in the bowls of this cold fortress, that meant his time was running out.

Toward the bottom of this fortress, inside one of the sub basements, was the prison level. This was the only place not modern and advanced on the dome. It was made on concrete foundations painted black. Dimly lit…iron barred…leaky…and, of course, rat infested. It was dank and cold…far too cold for the health of the prisoners who were unfortunate enough to be put here. However, no one cared what the prisoners thought. As for the higher officials, well…prisoners who came down here were just "passing through" anyway.

There was only one here right now. Only one who had caused enough trouble. Shivering in his cell in his flimsy, dirt-stained clothing, which was only a tattered "wife-beater" and loose, torn pants with threadbare boots, was the proverbial "man-of-the-hour". Deep in his dark prison, nearly choked by the smell of rot and his own feces (for they didn't give latrines to prisoners, just drains), he rubbed one of his grimy hands where it had been burned yesterday. He had been branded like a cattle, adding another number one to the other four that were already there. Five marks. Five marks would have meant death anyway for him, but considering what he did the mark system was pointless. He was sentenced to death already. That was the penalty a slave paid for having committed his atrocity. Now, after having lived through three long years of hell, he was going to finally get away from it. Death was going to be his way out.

However…not if he had anything to say about it.

The boy was not stupid. He was rather clever and intelligent, and he used his wits frequently. It had helped both him and his fellow slaves in the past. He had been complying the past few times he had been thrown into this grimy cell. He had done as he was told, submitted to the beatings (which he was still scarred from), and been treated like a human piece of garbage. But that was all so that he could be free to examine his surroundings…listen in on what happened…decipher the radio noise…and commit all to memory.

All for the one chance that he was going for now.

Ragnar inhaled slowly and exhaled. He was scared. He knew he was going to die if he stayed here until dawn, but the first part of his plan could kill him as well. This seemed to literally be suicide to him. Nevertheless…it was the only way out.

The youth flexed against his bonds for a moment. The guard had left him hog tied on the floor since last night. He had been making trouble, after all. Now, he lay on the ground in the filth of the cell with his dirty face pressed against the ground. However…he wasn't completely without means of movement. Although he could only wriggle like a worm, he could move. And that was what he did. First, he felt out with his hands behind his back to see if the capsule from last night was still there. It was. Now, he inhaled sharply, and wriggled as noiselessly as possible down to where it was. It took some time, but it was at the back of his head. Grunting, he lifted his body up and threw it back, so that he could get his head behind the capsule, and put his mouth in front of it. Moments later, he went back down, and saw it. Hovering just ahead of him in the darkness, resting on the ground, was the white capsule.

_It's now or never._

Ragnar inhaled sharply. Then, as best as he could, he formed a gruff, unruly voice in his throat. With that, he called out snidely. "Hey guard!" He barked. "Where's my breakfast in bed?"

There was no answer in response.

"Hey! Wakie-wakie! Eggs and bacie! Don't I get a last meal?"

Still no answer. Ragnar swallowed. He had to do worse.

"Hey dumbass! What's the matter with you? You too stupid to answer one of my questions?"

Still nothing. Ragnar began to sweat. It would be just his luck to get an obedient guard. He needed to do more. He had to try something more serious. Making himself even more snide, he called out again.

"I didn't see you in here last night! Guess once the boys are older than 18, you just lose the excitement, eh? Was that you I heard banging around in that cell next door last night? Were you looking at me through a hole in the wall? Or were you just picturing your mother? You know, I was thinking about your mother last night. I mean, I'm going to die anyway, might as well live it up, you know? And your mother…whoa… Hey, if she was mine, I'd feel the same way…"

_Click._

Normally Ragnar didn't enjoy talking like a pervert, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And it seemed to be successful. He heard the key in the lock. However, that nearly made him panic. The capsule! Quickly, he reached out with his lips and sucked in air. The result pulled the capsule up to them and held them. Then…moving as carefully as he could…Ragnar put his lips around it and held it in between his teeth. He tried to keep it as dry as possible. He didn't dare break this thing open in his mouth…

An instant later, the cell door swung open. A dark silhouette, wearing a helmet and uniform…and brandishing a nightstick…glared at him from within it.

"…Alright, jackass." His dark voice sneered. "You want me to beat the hell out of you so badly? Fine by me."

With that, the man began to stomp forward. He was on Ragnar in a second. When he reached him, he leaned over and seized him by the neck of his shirt and yanked him off of his feet. Once he was at eye level, Ragnar saw him in the darkness. His eyes blazed violence, and his jaw clenched as he glared at him. He could smell his foul breath. The man yanked back the nightstick and prepared to bring it down.

That was when Ragnar acted.

Suddenly, he threw his head forward, and kissed the man on the lips.

Just as planned, the man was shocked. He ripped his head back and opened his mouth to cry out some obscenity. That was what Ragnar had been waiting for. Now, he opened his mouth fully, and with a thrust of his tongue launched the capsule out of his mouth and into the man's mouth, as close to his throat as he could make it. The soldier was shocked. Immediately, he dropped Ragnar and let him fall to the ground painfully. He gagged and reached for his throat. However, it was too late. The capsule was already thinned out by Ragnar last night. It dissolved and dumped its contents down the man's throat in an instant. He gagged and grasped for his neck for an instant, stomping around the room. However, that only lasted a moment. He gagged again soon after, and then began to stumble. He groaned once or twice and finally collapsed to the ground. He moved no more.

Ragnar sighed in relief. He had no idea whether or not that was going to work. He had nearly killed himself planning it. Before being sentenced and dragged into the dome's prison, he had the foresight to go by the doctor's dumpster. Along with assorted medical waste he found empty capsules that had been malformed on arrival. Ragnar had taken one of these and hid it in his teeth, using his nose to pump air through his closed mouth to dry it out. Once he was thrown in here, he remembered that there was white powder in here from last time. That was some sort of rat poison they were using, now that it had gotten so bad that the guards complained. He had first used his tongue to erode the capsule until a slight bit of moisture would make it break. Then he manipulated it back into his fingers and filled it with the white powder. After that, it was a matter of waiting until now.

He had been as sparse as he dared with it. He hoped the man was merely knocked out and not dead. Despite all of the anger he felt to these people for what they did to him and his town, murder didn't set well with him. That had been a spur of the moment killing that got him in here. And he had no choice anyway. At any rate, now was not the time to be debating morality. He had to go.

Ragnar inched himself over to the fallen man's side. The keys were right there. Luckily, he had paid attention to the keys when he had been locked up, and had noticed their texture. Using only his hands he was able to move along them until he found the one that matched the texture in his memory. Just another clever little trick the youth was good at. Once he found it, he drew it out and began to insert it into his cuffs. He had practiced this too, late at night in the quarter beds. He had to make sure he could do it one day. It was hard if you hadn't stretched your wrists and muscles, but he had, and so after a minute the cuff was undone. He quickly moved around and undid his other arm, then bent forward, drew his legs up to him, and did the same.

Ragnar was stiff and sore from his night of bondage, but there was nothing for it now. He quickly stripped the fallen man of his clothing, particularly his blue uniform. Once it was off, he quickly took off his slave clothes and dressed himself in his. They were baggy on his thin frame, but he had no choice once again. He just tightened the belt as best he could, tucked in the uniform shirt, and put his pant legs in his boots. As for the now nude man, he dressed him in his clothing and hog tied him the same way he had been. With that done, Ragnar felt in the man's pocket for a tool he had seen him use before: a pocketknife. He drew it out, opened it, and then went to the man's side. He quickly made ragged cuts along it in order to make it look more messy and unkept, like his. He then took it to his own head and cut off some of the longer strands so that it would all fit under the helmet. At last, it was done. He replaced the knife, put it in his pocket, lowered the visor on his helmet, and then turned and left the cell. He hesitated only to turn back and lock the cell behind him. With that done, he stayed as calm as he could and walked back to the guard post. Once there, he stood and waited.

The youth hadn't always been a slave. Up until he was seventeen, he had a fairly good life. He lived in Icicle Inn with his mom and sister. His dad had never been there…but he hadn't minded much. The town wasn't mean spirited enough to go around calling little kids "bastards". Most people didn't live in a year-round snowdrift because they wanted to…but because it was the only place they could. They ran the clothing store in town. The money wasn't great, but it was consistent. Everyone who went up there, even in the middle of summer, needed new clothing when they got there.

The summer of that year had been eventful, to say the very least. It had started the day that all of the Shinra types started showing up. They didn't interfere with the townspeople at that point. They just ran around poking their noses in things and making themselves a nuisance. Then…they showed up. Eight of the oddest people anyone in Icicle Inn had ever seen. Ragnar had no idea who they were…but something about them attracted him. There was something with them that seemed more than ordinary. They didn't stay more than a day in town. On their way out, Ragnar managed to overhear that they were headed to Great Glacier. At that point, he told them they should stop by his store first if they didn't want to freeze to death when they got there. The more gruff ones among them shrugged him off…but the older woman in the group was nice and thanked him for the advice before going on. After that, Ragnar assumed the people were dead.

But then everything changed. A few days later, one night, the Great Northern Crater erupted. Lights and eruptions shot into the sky that could be seen from hundreds of miles away, including in Icicle Inn. The ground quaked, and it felt like the world would end. Five beasts came out from the ground and shot out to every corner of the world. Shortly after, worse happened. That was when Meteor showed up. No matter where you were on the Planet, at some point you could see it in the sky. It didn't rush into the world like a regular Meteor. It just hung there…very slowly making its way down. It was almost as if it was trying to draw this out…wanting to drive the people below into panic and fear before it killed them all.

Things went crazy all over the world, and Icicle Inn was no exception. People started preaching to repent. Others gave away their possessions, knowing it wouldn't matter soon. Some began to riot or take up a crazy, carefree, lawless existence. Others just spent their days praying. But Ragnar? He watched it. He wasn't eager for it to fall. Of course not…that idea terrified him. But somehow…he felt he had to watch. He felt he had to wait for something…that something was going to happen. And so, every day, he sat on the roof of his house and watched it as it slowly made its way to the ground.

Then it happened. The night it was to strike and annihilate all life, Ragnar could see it from across the ocean. It looked as if the moon was going to touch the ground. That was when he, along with millions of people all over the world, saw it happen. Strange ribbons of green light came from the world. All over they burst forth, and all of them began to interconnect and swish together. A faint tinkling was heard on the sky, and everyone who saw the light felt peaceful and happy. Ragnar, unable to resist, stood up on his roof and touched one as it passed. It felt warm and light…and for the briefest moment…he thought he heard a woman laughing in his ear… All of these strands gathered together overwhere the Meteorwas landing. And then…something happened. Meteor was just swallowed up by the light. It fractured and broke into pieces, and they evaporated like dust in the wind. After that…the light ceased just as soon as it had come, and all was at peace. Ragnar called out to his terrified family and his neighbors and told them to look and see. They did at last…and everyone praised this event as a miracle.

Their joy lasted all of thirty minutes.

That was when _they_ arrived. Ragnar saw them coming for miles away. The whole town did. He was still thankful at this point that his mother and sister and a few other citizens had decided to get out of town before they arrived, taking one of the secret mountain trails. The others weren't so lucky…or prudent. They spread across the valley up to Icicle Inn like a carpet of ants. All of them were headed up toward the village. When they came here, they marched through the streets in numbers far greater than they had in town. Tanks…sweepers…and thousands upon thousands of troops. And over it all, Ragnar saw one insignia. He never saw it again after that, because it changed, but he remembered well what it was.

Shinra.

It wasn't until much later after that night that Ragnar found out why they were there. The President had ordered a weapon to be fired on the Great Northern Crater. He never knew why. There was a shield or something there that they had to break in order to get to someone… At any rate, this army had been deployed to move on the Crater. However, Midgar was blasted by something right after the shield was blown up. The President died in the attack. So they had been stuck there for a week without orders, before their Colonel, some man named Leers, had taken control. He was the one who marched them north.

He said that since their leaders were dead, he was naming himself the Heir to Shinra, being the highest ranking officer left in the military branch. He wanted his troops quartered in Icicle Inn. Realizing the obviousness of the threat that this posed, the mayor stepped forward and refused, telling them to go back and take the matter up with the rest of the company. In response, the Shinra Army did whatever it did whenever something stood in its way. Leers shot the mayor in the head and had the town taken control of, saying that in the wake of the disaster at Midgar, it was necessary to "procure" a "temporary new HQ".

After that day, Ragnar didn't know what happened in the rest of the world. That was because he wasn't allowed to leave, and neither was anyone else. Everyone was put to work for them under supposed "temporary impressment". So far…it had lasted three years. Essentially, the people were made slaves in their own town. The first thing they were ordered to do was construct a temporary landing strip. After doing so, planes began to arrive almost continuously. They seemed to carry other officials, ones that had fled being lynched in their towns by the populace. They also carried even more troops. This continued for about two weeks until they stopped coming. But the townspeople weren't finished yet.

That was when they had to build this. The official name was the New Shinra HQ Dome. "New Shinra" was the title that the commander, who now called himself General Leers, took on this area. It was supposed to be a reorganization of sorts to save the company. To Ragnar and the rest of the citizens…it was just a takeover, a seizing of property and land. If there was any opposing army out there to help them, it never came. They were alone here. The only people who ever went out were on the Gelinkas, and where those soldiers went Ragnar had no idea.

Next, the people were supposed to manufacture. They were put to work building factory areas both in the Dome and in the surrounding area. There were few of them at first, and they lacked manpower. But then other people started arriving on Gelinkas, people who were as run down and ragged as Ragnar. He wasn't allowed to talk, and most of them were isolated to separate sections, but from what he got they were drunks, homeless people, and prisoners…the people that no one would miss. They provided more power. Then they had the citizens build one of those reactors… Icicle Inn had always resisted the construction of one, despite the desperate need to heat the town year round. They had one now though…and it seemed to make the city colder as well as put out more high toxic waste. They had been working on a second one last Ragnar had seen…which was actually the third, for the Dome itself was powered with one in the center.

With their factories and power plants at work producing more weapons for them, the citizens now were to obtain resources. There were mines in the area of Icicle Inn. They were considered impossible to work before because of the environment. However, they did heat the areas using the new reactors, and had the people go to work on them. Now they supplied raw ores as well as precious minerals. Somehow, they sold these and used the funds to buy more equipment. Ragnar had no idea how. Didn't anyone know they were fueling a military machine by doing so? He himself was worked to the bone along with everyone else, constantly tunneling out ore. Now that it was becoming obvious that this wasn't temporary, and that they were not indentured servants but slaves…the officers no longer bothered being courteous to them, but treated them like work animals. Anyone who refused was quickly subjugated.

Just like animals, they started to brand them. On Ragnar's upper arm was a burn that designated his serial number. Below that were the marks. Every prisoner was allowed five marks. On the fifth one, they were executed. Each one was a progressively worse punishment. Ragnar got his first mark when he refused to dig the airfield. That was ten lashes. He got the second soon after, for he still refused. That was twenty. By then, he was too weak to work on it anyway. He would have continued to defy them…until one of his workmates tried to intercede. When they started hitting him…he quickly complied. That was how he became part of the work crew.

The third was when he was building an area of the Dome. They had doubled his shift, and he complained he was too tired. That was when they drug him into a back room with five, strong-looking men with nightsticks. After ten minutes, he could barely stand and move, and his eyes were nearly swollen shut. By then, he was considered a troublemaker. The officers began to regularly pick on him. He usually got a twice-as-hard job. Sometimes they would give him a pointless task just to make him sweat. And if he looked at them the wrong way…he got dragged away from the others and beaten with a rubber hose. One day he had enough. He actually managed to get one of the nightsticks away from the taskmaster and gave him a blow to the patella. The person never walked straight again. However, Ragnar got his fourth mark for that…and after being beaten, he got taken into one of the lower sub levels of the Dome. His mouth was gagged, he was handcuffed behind a chair, his legs were put into a pool of water…and then the electrodes were brought out. He couldn't remember what happened after that, but he knew somehow he was shoved in the cell he just escaped from. For a week, he couldn't even remember his name. When he was let out a month later, he had to go back to work.

A few days ago, he had been working at the mine when the taskmaster came by and kicked him in the back of the legs as best he could with his bad leg. This sent the young man sprawling. After that, he called out that Ragnar wasn't getting any water that day. He had sat down on the job. The young man said nothing and went back to work for a while. Then…he suddenly felt his head shoved forward and smacked into the rock. A bruise formed, along with some blood. He turned around, just in time to see the taskmaster walk away. An hour later, he came up to Ragnar and said he wasn't working fast enough. He'd have to work a triple shift to make up for it.

That did it. Ragnar went back to work long enough just to chip off a fist sized rock, then threw it at the back of the taskmaster's head while no one was looking. Everyone soon stopped in the wake of the angry cursing that followed. Ragnar tried to go back to work, but he knew it was pointless. Soon, the taskmaster had him by the scruff of his neck, and led him away from the others. He took him deep into the mines, into places that were just zoned out but hadn't been deemed safe to work. Once he was out of earshot, the taskmaster took up a two-by-four and began to beat him. He cursed him the whole time, saying he should have been worked to death long ago, but now this was it for him.

Ragnar had been writhing on the ground, his face covered with blood, and trying to drag himself away… He never knew how the pick axe had gotten there, in this unused section. But he grabbed it, and he turned around and flung it right at his head…

The young man tried to cover up the body. He removed the axe from the head, dug a small hole, and buried it. He broke away some of the supports, and actually caused a minor cave in. He ran back out, bloody and covered with dust, and told everyone that the taskmaster was dead. In the end, however, it was futile. It took no time at all for his body to be uncovered, and for them to find the puncture wound in his skull that wasn't caused by any rock. And the rest, as they say, was history.

But this was enough. Even if he wasn't scheduled to die, Ragnar knew he had to get out of here before they killed him. That…or broke his spirit until he just went along with everything like the Shanghaied people.

The young man inhaled and exhaled. He coughed once, and then said a few random words. They weren't in his voice though. Since he had first heard his guard, he had been practicing mimicking his voice. He was pretty sure he had it by now. Once he was sure, he quickly recalled the names and codes of a few things he had overheard. With that done, he decided to act. He only hoped the walkie-talkie that was mounted on the shoulder of the uniform was on the right channel. He turned to it and pressed the button.

"Hey Dex," He called into it as casually and as mimicking of his guard as possible. "Have the guys come yet to take the guy away?"

A moment of static…but then, success. His voice came back, perfectly normal. _"Yeah, Karl. They're coming in right now. I'm just going to clear them then send them down."_

Ragnar pressed his button again. "Great. Listen, this has been a rough night for me. The guy was giving me all sorts of crap. You mind if I go up a bit early? I need some coffee before I pass out."

A light chuckle came back through the radio. _"Sure thing, Karl. I'll cover for you."_

"You're a lifesaver, Dex." _In more ways than one. _Ragnar thought secretly.

With that done, Ragnar turned and immediately made his way down the hall. Luckily, there wasn't far to go. Just ahead of him was the elevator out. There were a few secure doors to pass through first, but "Karl's" keys took care of those. Normally, there would be sentries here too. But this was the night shift. Most prisoners were still supposed to be asleep. Plus there had never been a breakout before. He knew that cameras were watching him while he was here. However, there weren't any cameras in the individual cells. They had seen one soldier go in, and one soldier come out. Nothing more. And so far, he hadn't done anything that the guard wouldn't normally do.

However, another obstacle was coming. He soon reached the elevator, but it would take more than a key to enter this. He had the passcard that he needed to activate the door lock, but after that he had to enter a four-digit code on the keypad. That was more troublesome. He had a few ways to get around it, but there was no guarantee if they would work. He knew that if he didn't succeed after three tries, the computer would consider him to be an intruder and would lock him out. Then he would be stuck.

At any rate, he made it to the control. He slipped his keycard in. After doing so, a metal panel slid aside, and the keypad came out. He looked over it, and felt relief. Good. The buttons were glass or plastic, and were clear. This was another bit of good fortune for him. Immediately, he reached down to his belt and pulled out the flashlight that came with the utilities on the guard. Once out, he turned it on, and shone it down on the keys in front of him. He waved it slowly from side to side, looking at them carefully as he did. As he shone down, he finally saw it. Four of the keys had smudges on them from finger oils. 2…6…7…9… Of course, that still left which order was best, but he had to test that out on his own. Swallowing a bit, he tried the first one.

2679. Enter.

A red light flashed alongside the control panel. Ragnar swallowed and slowly exhaled. He tried another.

7296. Enter.

Another red light. He felt himself starting to sweat now. He only had one more shot at this before he had to pretend to be a bumbling security guard when the others arrived, and had even less time than before to run.

2769. Enter.

Green light.

Ragnar sighed in relief. He quickly pulled his keycard out as the panel once again closed up and concealed the keypad. The elevator dinged to his right, and opened. It was empty inside. Immediately, Ragnar turned and walked into it. He pressed the ground floor button, and then stood in front of the elevator buttons as it closed and began to rise.

As the elevator slowly ascended, Ragnar swallowed again. He knew, right behind him, a camera was watching him while he was in the elevator. However, he hoped that he was just in front of the controls, and that his back was in such a way that one couldn't see what he was doing to them. Moving slowly, trying to keep his back from moving, he raised one of his hands and went to the elevator buttons. There was a small metal hatch next to the main buttons. He pulled this one open. Inside, the emergency stop button, the door close, and the door open buttons were located. He didn't act right away. He waited. Waited until the elevator went higher… Waited until it reached the top…

Slowly, he felt it slow down and stop. He was on his floor. Now was the time. As the doors cracked and began to open, he quickly pulled the lever and slammed the hatch door shut again. The elevator doors continued to open after that, and soon were wide. Looking as casual as possible, Ragnar stepped out from the elevator and into the security hall.

He struggled not to turn white. Six heavily armed guards were standing there, waiting for it to open. No doubt, they were going for him. However, he forced himself to smile and gave a nod to them. "He's all yours, boys."

The lead one smiled a bit back at this, and gave him a nod in reply. After that, they walked by him and into the waiting elevator. Ragnar forced himself to stand calmly as they all filed in, and then turned and began to walk out as fast as he dared. This was a short hallway, luckily. There was a keycard swipe at the door, but he already had his out and swiped it. As he opened it and walked out, he started to hear sounds of confusion behind him as the guards had trouble getting the elevator to work…

In the next room, there were three safeguard doors, all controlled by one guard located in a bullet-proof glass chamber at a desk. Ragnar emerged from his room and went to the first door. He paused and turned to the guard in the chamber as he heard the door close behind him. He waved to the man. The guard smiled and nodded in reply, and pressed a few buttons. The doors ahead of him unlocked, and Ragnar smiled and began to walk through them. As he went, the guard in the chamber spoke into an intercom that Ragnar could hear.

_"Get some sleep, Karl."_

"Sure thing." Ragnar called back…secretly eager to get out of this room as soon as possible. At last, he reached the third door, the one leading out of here. He passed through that, and emerged into the hallway.

Ragnar sighed in relief. He was now out of the prison area. He found himself in one of the many military corridors throughout the New Shinra HQ Dome. It was very technical and metallic. Girders, conduits, and pipes lined the walls. It was very sleek and without much design. Everything was metal, including the floor panels. Only the fluorescent lights overhead weren't covered with metal. The halls wound their way throughout the Dome, connecting everything. There were soldiers walking the halls, some in divisions. But in his disguise, Ragnar was just "one of the guys".

Nevertheless, he knew he didn't have long. It would only take about a minute for the people to find out that the emergency stop button had been pressed, and they would reset it to go to the basement. He had another minute after that, assuming they didn't immediately suspect something was up and went after him, for them to get to the basement. Another minute to get to the cell…about thirty seconds to find out that the guy in the cell wasn't him…and then they could radio in to Dex to trigger a lock down. That left him about three minutes and thirty seconds to be on a vehicle and out of the Dome. He hadn't a second to lose. Ahead of him, on the wall, Ragnar saw a directional arrow pointing to the left, toward Docking Bay 94. He immediately turned and made a fast march down the hallway. He didn't care if someone saw him now. The people around him would think he was just in a hurry. And hopefully…it would take too long for whoever was running the security cameras to find him out.

He had to make more than one turn to get there. After going down the first hallway, he had to turn left again, turn right at the next corridor, go down another long hallway, and then turn right again. After turning down left to go to one last hallway, however, the area began to widen. He looked around, and felt some relief. No one was there yet. That meant no one saw him come. That was good. Hopefully, it was close enough to shift changing that he could pull this off. Unfortunately he had no time to narrow it down any further.

He turned left one last time. The corridor was rather wide and tall now, able to let rather large objects through. Just ahead, there was a series of metal shutter doors, stretched out down the hallway. Right next to that was a regular door. This was it. This was the exterior of the Docking Bay. He quickly went to the door. However, he didn't open it right away. Instead, he turned and tried to look as calm as possible.

By now, a minute had passed. Ragnar tried to keep calm. He had to just pray now, and maybe think of an alternate plan. If nothing else…he could try to run for it. Hopefully the manager within didn't have a gun. But with a lockdown, it probably didn't matter. Sadly, he could only wait and continue to hope. Nothing came at first, and he nervously tapped his feet and awaited someone to come along.

Finally, a miracle happened. After about thirty seconds, another private turned the corner Ragnar had come from. In one hand, he had a white form. Seeing it, Ragnar thanked God and prepared himself. He quickly stood tall, and placed himself like a guard at the door to the chamber. He waited until the man was close, and began to move to go through the door. At that, he called out in a regular voice.

"Are you on a Code 237?"

The soldier stopped at this. He turned and looked to Ragnar. "…Yes, yes I am."

Ragnar sighed in response. "You're going to hate this…they changed the code designations again."

The soldier's mouth dropped and he gaped at Ragnar. "…You've got to be freakin' kidding me… They just changed those damn things last week!"

Ragnar grimaced and gave a shrug. "Hey man, I don't make the orders. I'm just the one who gets blamed for all of them."

"Do they want another mess around here like last week?" The soldier added.

Ragnar shook his head. "I dunno. At least they had the foresight to send us out this time. I'm supposed to be standing here and collecting all the old forms from some odd hundred aggravated privates today to make sure they don't float around and cause procedural issues."

"I don't believe this…" The soldier griped again. He angrily stamped in place for a moment, but then turned back to him. "You know…maybe I'll go in anyway…maybe he'll cut me a break…"

Ragnar paled underneath his helmet, but stayed calm. "Oh…sorry man, no dice. They got a new guy here today and he's a real stuffed shirt. I let the last guy who came by go in to see if he'd let him. Not only did he give him all this red tape crap, he yelled at _me_ for letting him through."

The soldier grunted again. "Terrific." He mumbled. He crossed his arms and hesitated for a moment. He tapped his foot against the ground and grunted slowly. At last, he shrugged and held out the form to Ragnar. "Alright…take it. No sense in getting him mad at you too, I guess."

The youth reached out and took it from him. "Thanks a lot." He answered. "Thanks for understanding. The last guy…man, he threw a cursing fit. I thought I'd have to call security."

"Well, lucky for you I woke up in a good mood." The soldier responded. He began to turn away as he said this. "I lost it now, but I _was_ in a good mood…" Mumbling to himself, he turned and began to walk back the way he had come. After a few moments, he turned the corner, and was out of sight.

Ragnar swallowed once he was left. He had to have less than a minute by now. Quickly, he turned, walked up to the door, opened it, and entered the Docking Bay.

The basic interior looked like a long garage. It was industrial-like inside, lacking paneling but exposing all the pipes and conduits in the ceiling and walls. There was a lot of equipment out for retooling, maintenance, oil changes, tire repair, and other procedures. Arranged in neat rows all up and down from where Ragnar entered were lines of vehicles. Some were sweepers. Some were motorcycles. Some were ATVs. Some were tanks. A great multitude was located here. Ragnar paused only to look at his form for a moment. He quickly saw what his new "name" was, and saw that he was supposed to report to take an ATV on morning patrol. With that in mind, he looked ahead. There was a small enclosed office just inside the door. This was where the Docking Bay gatekeeper was holed up. He was sitting in his chair right now, sipping coffee, standing in front of an open terminal, and looking out through a small window, just big enough to slip small items through. Behind him, hanging on a wall in prearranged rows, were hundreds of keys.

Ragnar made for this person at once. He saw him coming, and immediately put down his coffee and got ready for him. Once Ragnar reached him, he stood in front of the window and looked down.

"May I help you?" The gatekeeper asked.

"Yeah. Code 237. I'm on patrol for the morning shift." Ragnar ended by slipping the form under the slot.

The gatekeeper took it, and held it up to examine. It seemed to take him forever to glance over the correct filled out items, the proper signatures, and all other levels of clearance. However, in the end, he gave a nod to it. He turned over to the wall, looked along it for a few precious seconds, and then found one particular set. He grabbed it, turned, and slipped it under the slot to the youth. Ragnar had to restrain himself not to snatch them away as he took them.

"ATV #3."

"Thanks a lot."

Ragnar turned and immediately went for the line of ATVs. No longer caring, he broke into a jog to get there quicker. Still nothing, but he knew he had no time left. They had to be there by now. He had no idea how to drive a vehicle either. He never used one before. However, he knew enough to know how you turned one on, which was the gas, and which was the brake. He hoped that was all he needed. He was nearly free. The Docking Bay doors were already open just ahead, exposing the frosty tundra outside.

Ragnar finally made it to his ATV. He quickly jumped on after doing so. Taking the key, he reached down and fumbled for a moment, trying to find where it went in. But at last, he found the ignition. He turned it once after doing so. To his surprise…nothing. The electricity went on, but nothing else. Ragnar was puzzled. Maybe he needed to turn it more. He did so now. The starter sputtered, but Ragnar held it too long. It began to irritate the engine rather than start it. He quickly released. That didn't do it either. How did they do it? They only held it for a little… He tried doing that this time. At last, the starter worked. The engine rumbled, and then roared to life.

Smiling a bit at his success, Ragnar looked down to the pedals. Right was gas…left was the brake. He shoved his foot down on the gas. In shock, the ATV spluttered forward so violently and fast that Ragnar was nearly snapped off of it. It was only because he was gripping the handlebars so tightly in fear that he didn't get thrown off the vehicle. He reflexively released it, and immediately he nearly came to a total stop ten feet from where he had parked. He sighed in relief. That was a bit nerve wracking…

_"Alert. Alert. Escaped prisoner. Station lockdown in progress."_

Ragnar turned white as a sheet as the recorded voice blared on the loudspeakers. It was like the voice of doom surrounding him and screaming at him. The yellow lights of the Docking Bay turned red and began to flash. From his office, the soldier within rose and began to call out to Ragnar, telling him he'd have to cancel. But Ragnar didn't stop. It was now or never. Immediately, he shoved his foot all the way down on the gas. He was snapped violently again, but he didn't care. Soon, the ATV was taking off full tilt for the Docking Bay shutters.

Ragnar panicked. His heart began to race, both from the speed and how much time he had left. At this speed, he felt he was barely in control. But it only continued to go faster. Within a second, he was nearly to the Docking Bay doors. At this point, machinery clicked on, and the door began to shut. Luckily, it was still more than high enough when Ragnar tore out from beneath the garage and out into the early dawn. Cold air slapped his face. A numbing, cool blast filled his nostrils. It was the greatest smell he had in ages. He had never been so pleased to be in such dim light. But he wasn't clear yet. Continuing to hold down the gas, Ragnar raced across the field.

The young man struggled to maintain control of his vehicle at this speed. The New Shinra HQ Dome was located in a great basin some twenty miles across. He had to travel a good ten miles before he was in the clear. To his terror, he looked around, and saw other black dots in the snow along the landscape. Other sentries were out, going about their business as well. Not only that, but a few moments later, and he heard another horrible sound. The siren at the Dome went off. It was sounding that he was gone. Ragnar's heart began to race. Terror grasped his mind. Not only could they go after him now, but the Dome itself was armed with cannons. So long as he was within a ten mile radius, it was possible to shoot him. He had only gone one mile so far. By now, they knew that he had taken a soldier's identity. In another minute, they would have known he used it to escape prison. But they didn't knowthat this driverwas him yet. The engine…he might have just gunned it in time to not hear thegatekeeper call out to him. If he did…if the man thought that he had simply not heard him rather than ignored him…he might just let him go. He did have a properly cleared form, after all.

Ragnar began to pray again as he rushed across the snow field. Two miles…three miles…four miles… The Dome was left further and further behind. But now he saw sentry towers as well as sentries roaming the area. The thought occurred to him to drop speed and be more casual. He'd stick out less if he did that. By now, the towers had to be getting radioed that he had escaped. However…they still didn't know if he was on an ATV. He had used another identity for that. Every second felt like it would be his last. He decided to risk it, and still went full speed. He knew enough to know he was going south. South was safe. There, there was no Shinra.

Six miles…seven miles went by… The sentries still surrounded him. Despite the crazy speed he was going at, he risked a look behind him. The sirens of the Dome were far in the distance now, but no cannons had deployed yet. At the speed he was going, it had been less than six minutes since he had left. The cold was blasting his body numb. This wasn't a durable winter uniform. But he cared nothing for the numbness. He wished there was a storm now. Unfortunately, the sky was as clear as day. Cloud cover wouldn't help him now.

Eight miles…nine miles… At last, the sentries and towers began to clear. He was nearly out of range of the Dome. He looked around. So far, none of them were going after him. By now, they had to be getting a good idea of what he had done. They could still go after him. His tracks were as clear as day in the snow. But he had to keep going. He had to go until he was in the clear.

At last, he passed the ten mile barrier. He was out of range. Ahead of him, the world reached the top of a hill. He kept going up this, still going at full speed, and then went down again. To his joy, the world was growing more uneven from there. More hills. They were still snow covered, so he continued to gun it. He kept the machine going as fast as he could, not caring that his lips were cracking from the cold air by now.

Ragnar drove for a straight half hour, putting as much distance between himself and the Dome as he could. He didn't risk stopping to listen for noise. The ATVs were one of the fastest crafts that New Shinra had. Luckily, the snow was powdery and white, allowing some of it to blow back and cover his tracks. But he had to keep moving. He had to try and find a better area…somewhere where he had a chance of losing them. For a while, he rode on, fearful and alone, through the world of cold white.

Then, at last, he saw it. There was a peak of a hill up ahead. Some of the snow had blow off of it, leaving a large area of snow and rock ground. This was it. Immediately, he rolled up on this. As he went along, his tracks were frequently broken up by bare rock that poked above the snow. The result was a very haphazard set of tracks to follow. Here, Ragnar slowed his speed at long last. It took much longer than he wanted to slow down, but once he did he began to drive the ATV all over this area. He shot out in one direction, curled around, rolled back, and then repeated somewhere else. He muddled his tracks as much as he could for about five minutes. After he had done that, he took off again. This time, he went southwest. Up ahead, he saw that this course would run him by some snow-covered mountains. The ground would be rough, and it would be hard to follow. It would also take him further south.

As Ragnar took off again, he at last reached up and zipped up his collar around his near frozen mouth. His heart began to slow down. He was beaten…bruised…starving…thirsty…and cold. But he was free. The icy air was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt on his face. The smell of its dry rawness was better than the sweetest perfume. He didn't care if he had to run across this field until he was half-dead from exposure. He was free. He had to keep going south…as far as the ATV would go. He had to get to the forest down there. From there, he could truly lose the enemy…find some place to hide. After that, he needed to find food and shelter.

But for now, the taste of freedom was worth it. As painful and long as this ride would be, it would be the greatest ride of his life.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	41. The Naturalist

The youth was exhausted when the ATV finally ran out of gas. He was uncontrollably shaking at this point. However, he had managed to clear the snow fields. He had come to a narrow valley, the only passage over land to the south of the Icicle Inn area. Once there, he was forced to abandon the vehicle. Of course, he didn't just abandon it. He managed to figure out how to put it in neutral, and then shoved it into the nearest wide-enough chasm. After that, he began to limp along down the rocky valley.

Moving around helped Ragnar to warm up. It was early spring now, so it was cool even this far south. It was getting warmer though. As he walked along, the temperature only continued to rise. He was going to a lower altitude as well as further south. However, he was still dead tired. The anxiety had exhausted his body. He believed he was pretty much home free now, but once he went a little further, once he got into the forest, he would definitely be so. Yet he needed to move a bit farther first.

Only now, as the sun began to lower in the sky, did Ragnar start to feel a bit nervous. He realized now that he was alone in the wild. And this place was still far from safe. Some of the deadliest creatures on Gaia ran around here. New Shinra had exterminated many of them, but he was far from in the clear. He was all alone out here. There was nothing but the sounds of birds and an occasional insect chirping. As the sun lowered further, these began to turn into more night noises. That, coupled with the ominous rock valley that rose up on either side of him, pinching off his solitary body in the middle of nowhere, left him a bit afraid.

Just a bit further ahead, however, the trail came to an end. Ragnar stopped here, and looked ahead. Just a bit in front of him was the entrance to a cave. He hesitated. He didn't want to spend too much time in any dark places in the world. However, he looked a bit ahead, and saw that it wasn't completely enclosed. There were signs of some light in it. And it would make him feel less exposed than where he was now. He looked around a bit and frowned. In the end, he shrugged to himself and went on ahead, walking into the cave.

It was a bit harder to see than he initially thought in here. He made his way forward slowly and looked around. Overhead, the rocks were old and rough, carved out through thousands of years. The path at first was fairly straightforward, just leading right back into it. He followed it for a brief while. He continued to look around, and saw that there were some cracks and fissures in the ceiling that let rays of dimming light through, which was what provided illumination. It was acceptable for now. The cave itself was pretty dry too…and it seemed to be uninhabited.

Ragnar finally came to a halt a bit further along. The trail he was on abruptly terminated just about fifty feet ahead. And now, to his left, there was a long, sharp drop past a very sharp and weathered cliff inside the cave. Apparently, rain and water had washed out the one side ages ago, leaving this dangerous drop into the lower levels of the cave. The young man frowned. It looked like he was stuck for now… He began to look around to start heading his way back up…

But then, he paused. Something caught the corner of his eye at the end of the trail. Growing just above the cliff edge, somehow managing to survive in this dark cave, was a small green vine. If that wasn't enough, it was producing berries. And despite how early in the year it was, they looked ripe. Ragnar's stomach growled, voicing its opinion on the matter. It wasn't much, but Ragnar hadn't eaten all day, and he was half starved. In the end, that made his decision. He rushed forward to the vine to get what nourishment he could.

Ragnar had barely picked the first berry and crammed it into his mouth, when he saw something else. It had been concealed behind rock before, but now that he was next to the plant he saw it. There was a metal rung ladder leading down the side of this cliff, looking like it had been installed a few decades ago. However, the cave had to be dry, for it only had a few signs of rust on it. As he plucked another berry and popped it into his mouth, Ragnar reached over and gave it a shake. It ended up being pretty stable, and didn't quiver. The youth thought about this for a moment, as he ate the other five ripe berries on the vine. He looked back the way he came, and then back to the rung ladder. It was a long way down…a good hundred and fifty feet at least. But this ladder would take him all the way to the bottom. It seemed safe enough right now…but the rock could give way under his weight, thin as he was. And yet…for right now, he was still an easy target for a pursuing soldier. At last he decided. He grabbed onto the ladder tightly, swung his legs around, and began to descend the cliff side.

The young man had been climbing on his roof all his life, so he was not one who was afraid of heights. That was good, or else he would have locked up less than halfway down this rather steep climb. It was a bit too steep for Ragnar's tastes, and about halfway down he did, in fact, wish he had stayed up. But he kept going down, and after a few minutes, he did finally hit the bottom. He released the ladder gratefully and stepped back, whistling in relief. He looked back overhead, and saw that the cliff was indeed cracked and warped. Some fissures were so large a man could squeeze through them. No doubt, in earlier times, people had ascended this cliff using these instead of the ladder. This could be a good place to stop. It was dry here, and it seemed pretty concealed from any onlookers…

Yet again, as if in response to Ragnar's thoughts, he caught another item out of the corner of his eye, just gleaming there in a ray of light. He turned, and, lo and behold, there was another vine there, also with ripe berries. His stomach had barely been appeased by that light snack at the top of the cliff, and grumbled for more. However…at this point, Ragnar was a bit puzzled. That was the second time he had thought of stopping, only to see a berry vine growing in a lifeless semi-underground. This was weird… However, his stomach overruled him in the end, and so he walked over to engorge himself once more.

He had hardly arrived and begun to eat when he saw something just up ahead. Apparently, he was practically to the end of the cave now. Just a little bit onward, the cave narrowed again, before making a sharp turn and going out onto a rock ledge. The setting sun was pouring down light into this area, and Ragnar could also see a bit of sky surrounded by rock cliffs. The youth hesitated again as he ate his latest bit of berries. Actually…he did want to spend more time outside than inside, where there was light and no possibility of waking denizens. In the end, after eating, he turned and kept going down through the cave, to see where it went.

Ragnar emerged onto the rock ledge. He looked around a bit. Apparently, he was back in the valley, butit was farther below him. He was caught a bit higher up in the air, looking down over the edge of a cliff. It was much shorter than before, but Ragnar still couldn't jump down. He looked a bit puzzled, and then turned up and looked for a way down the side of the cliff. Soon, he sawsome odd looking white stone just ahead, forming some sort of tunnel. It appeared to turn and curve down, along the side of the cliff. Ragnar couldn't tell if it was man-made or not. It looked natural enough, although it seemed strangely smooth and too curved. But in the end, he decided to use it. He walked forward and began to move down.

The youth found himself in a downward spiral as he did this. It seemed the path naturally curved down, through this odd white stone. Not only that, but there were periodic breaks along the way, allowing Ragnar to look out and see the ground slowly get closer to him as he descended. It was odd. It seemed both manmade and natural… Yet in the end, he did come out and touch down on the ground. This was odd too. It was white and filled with smoothed, flattened stones. It was like some sort of river valley… Once down, he turned and looked back up the way he came.

Ragnar gasped, sending an echo throughout the entire valley. He hadn't passed through a rock formation. He had passed through what was a gigantic shell. It was massive, easily a hundred feet high. It had been worn down with age and was cracked in many parts, but it still bore its circular design and large spikes. A mollusk of this size hadn't walked Gaia for thousands…perhaps even millions of years. It astonished him. And in the dim light of the day…it unnerved him. He was in a narrow valley now, and he was alone. The birds and insects had stopped. All was quiet except for the wind. He began to grow fearful, visualizing that some of these great creatures might still live here…

Ragnar thought of turning back, but it was too late. He wouldn't risk going back up that shell. What more, in spite of his fear…he felt something inside him. He almost felt…drawn ahead. As if something inside him was leading him further down the valley. And in the end, that feeling won out. He turned and began to walk on down the valley once more.

The sun was lowering fast now. The shadow of the cliffs on either side pressed in. Yet Ragnar went on. He was growing tired now…but now he was also excited. As he walked along the ground, the stones became more regular and smoothed, and then became dipped inward. After going a bit farther, he realized that he was walking on a path. A path made out of more hollow mollusk shells. That gave him some comfort. Something intelligenthad to have built this then. Even that great shell was used for a staircase. But still, it was all ancient. Much of it was cracked and old. It was obvious that something hadn't lived here for centuries…perhaps even longer.

More changes continued, however. The paths began to break off and branch to different directions from the one Ragnar went down. And as they did, he began to see more giant shells. But these were placed at the ends of shell paths. They had large holes in them too. Ragnar recognized this…they were houses. Whoever lived here had made these shells into their homes. And there were a lot of them too. As he walked on the shell path, he saw the area around him grow smoother and smoother. The rocks became much flatter and broader…beginning to look almost like fungus rather than rocks. But everything was in a pale white color. It wasn't ghastly per say. In fact…Ragnar thought it was somewhat beautiful. It gave some sort of pure feeling to the area he was moving into. And as he saw more and more, his fascination grew and his fear diminished.

At last, Ragnar came to the end of the path. Just ahead, one path went south, another north, and a third west. He was coming in from the east now. It was dark outside now. The sky was purple and was fading to blue and black. Ragnar was tired. His limbs were sore from walking for so long, and he was ready to almost collapse from the strain. However, he turned his head north for the first real time that day to look at what he had passed. And on seeing it…he gaped in awe.

A city was there. A tremendous city…filling the entire valley. An entire ancient city of shells. Shell roads worked their way in and around the entire ancient metropolis. Buildings of great shells, and their ruins, were everywhere, spreading out to all places. The whole city itself looked like it was on a great white stone that was a shell itself, only this one was far larger. And beyond it, deep in the center, white trees grew. Tall and bare…they were as pale as the rest of the town. But Ragnar couldn't tell if they were living or dead. More stones rose around their base, forming a ring of fungus-like formations. But they were all pale as well, and only made the city look more grand and mysterious. It was amazing to behold. If that wasn't enough…deep within the heart of the trees, a pale light was shining forth…gleaming softly with a white radiance…beckoning Ragnar to come to it.

Now, Ragnar knew this place. This was the legendary City of the Ancients, the home of the Cetra in ages past. He had heard the legends growing up, but he had never thought he would be here. He had never thought it would be sogrand… It enraptured him. He had never seen anything like it, and he was astonished by it. And something inside him was attracted to it far more so than any other person in the world felt. It was so beautiful to him…so fascinating… As exhausted as Ragnar was, he couldn't leave it. He had to go in. Forcing himself on, he drove himself down the road to the north, toward the pale light. He had to see what it was.

Ragnar walked a good half of a mile into the city, down the long shell road. He passed by numerous shell ruins on the way as his footsteps alone echoed within the city. However, the wind still gently blew, and further ahead he heard the sound of moving water. Then, of course, there was the light…the white light that drew him on. And so, he kept going…drawing closer and closer. Eventually, he reached the grove of trees in the center of the town. Without fear, he plunged right into them and went on further and deeper into the wood, after the light.

At last, Ragnar came to a clearing. When he did, he drew to a halt and looked ahead. He had found the source of the light, among other things.

The light itself was coming through the white trees overhead. It was focused on one point and shining down. It was so white and pure…so radiant…that it looked almost to be a ray from Heaven itself. Ragnar could almost swear he found himself feeling warmer in that light. It shone down on a small pond in the clearing. This pond shimmered like glass as the light hit it, seeming to turn it into a shifting sapphire. And behind it all was the greatest shell yet. This one alone seemed spared of all the weathering and damage that the world had waged on the rest of the city. This one alone stood untouched and intact as a home.

Now that Ragnar was here, he felt comfortable and happy. He felt secure here. It was like the fear of New Shinra was a distant dream, of no more constancy than a passing nightmare. Here, all felt safe and well. And as he felt that, Ragnar realized just how tired he was. Walking this far into the city had drained him of the last of his strength. He needed to rest now. And currently, the best shelter seemed to be within the house up ahead. Without another thought, he rounded the side of the pond and walked through the entrance.

It wasn't stone at all inside. It was paneled with wood and other fixtures, so that it was a true home within and not just an empty shell. Wood railings were built in around the natural curve, and logs had been put in for steps. It was remarkably preserved, but Ragnar knew that it hadn't been lived in for years either. At any rate, he was too tired to care or observe anything else about the room. He merely walked in, nearly stumbling, and spotted an old chest inside. He walked up to it, and opened it up. Luckily, there was a blanket within. Pulling it out with one last tug, he wrapped it around his body, dropped onto the floor, and fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

The next morning, Ragnar didn't wake up until close to noon. That was when the sun had moved through the sky enough to shine through the window and right in his face. Only then did he moan and shift slightly where he was, and then crack his eyes open. He winced immediately in the light, and then rolled back to get out of it. After stretching once, he disregarded the blanket and rose to his feet.

The youth took a moment to crack his neck and steady himself, then looked down to what was around him. Obviously, though this city had not been in use for some time, someone more recently had to have tried and lived in it. The person who owned the chest and blanket probably had been there no more than forty years ago. However, he didn't think of this long. His attention soon turned to the rest of the chamber, and what was in it that he had missed last night. Rounding the rim of this house, opposite the inner railing, was a row of what looked like bowls. Some of them were dim, but others had some sort of green light in them. He wasn't sure what it was exactly. It didn't look like a fire…maybe it was a trick of the light overhead. That was why he hadn't seen it last night.

Most importantly, however, he saw something near the door. On a small stand just inside of it was an orb. However, it shone brightly. Something inside it was generating light. Ragnar was amazed. It couldn't have been a fire or a candle. It had to be something else entirely…but what? He didn't know, but he had heard that many strange things existed in the City of the Ancients. He stared at it a moment, but then began to approach the orb. Once he was at its side, he paused and looked down on it. He stared curiously…but then attempted something. He slowly and carefully reached out to it…and very gently put his fingers on it…

Ragnar was greeted by a sharp stabbing pain in his skull as a result. Crying out, Ragnar pulled his hand back like it was burned and pressed it to his head. He winced and recoiled.It took a few seconds to let the pain subside, but then he breathed slowly and straightened up again. He looked back to the orb with a frown. Something had happened when he touched it. It felt…it felt almost like there was a rush of something into his skull, like something had tried to enter it. But it came too fast, and it put him in pain instead. Shaking his head, and casting one last sour look to the orb, Ragnar looked away and to the exit. Soon, he was walking through the door and out into the daylight.

Once the youth was out, he stretched. It felt good outside. It was much warmer, and the white light shining down made him feel fresh and alive. He still heard only silence here, but it didn't unnerve him anymore. It just seemed like it was natural for this place to be silent. And besides, he did feel safe, especially in this grove. He relished the sun for a brief moment, drinking in the light and fresh air.

However, he soon relaxed. Now that he was awake, he needed to start thinking of something to do. He was safe here for now. But if he was going to hole up in here for a while, then he needed food and water. He felt thirsty right now, and that was the more pressing concern. He could hunt for food a bit later. Luckily, he looked ahead just past the shell railing of his house, and found the beautiful sapphire pond was right there for the drinking. He began to walk down the steps of his house toward it, intended to get a big gulp.

Yet as he approached, he took another look at himself, and frowned. He was still stained with soot, grime, and the refuse of old sewage and rat poison. Today, he was starting to stink, and he could smell it. It was a wonder he had managed to get through yesterday. Thank goodness for the all-concealing uniforms. Your best friend could be in one of them and standing right next to you, and you'd never know if they didn't say anything. However, he wasout now, and had to live with himself and his stench. First things first…he wanted a bath.

Ragnar kept walking until he touched the side of the pond. Once there, he began to take off his boots and strip. The smell got worse as he did so, only accentuating his desire to bathe. This would feel good too. No doubt, the water was cold, but Ragnar didn't mind. He was, what one might call, a member of the "polar bear" club. He had used to dive into icy lakes in winter. His mom constantly told him he'd die one day from it, but he still enjoyed it. He was very resistant to cold despite his thin frame. No…this water would feel very good. His muscles were still sore, and he still had injuries from where he had been beaten last. This would be nice.

The young man finished stripping off all of his clothes, and then stood up and walked over to the pond edge. He didn't worry about being nude here. There was no one for miles, after all. After that, he swung his arms up and back a few times, clapping his hands as he did so. Then, on the third time, he crouched down, leapt, closed his eyes, and dived into the water.

Cool liquid brushed past Ragnar's face. He plunged himself deep down into the water, going all the way to the bottom. It felt great against his soreness. The pain was washed away and gently bathed in the pure liquid. He slowly kicked as he continued to dive, opening his mouth and drinking in some of the wonderful fluid as he continued to fall. For a moment, he felt truly at peace. This was the life, it seemed. Out here, alone, away from the New Shinra, and having a lovely pool all to himself…

Ragnar felt his hands touch something. He expected to push forward and touch stone. By now, he had to be at the bottom. It couldn't be that deep. However…as he pushed in…he stopped. What he was pushing…didn't feel hard. It felt soft…and it gave a little underneath him. The youth hesitated. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see what it was.

The young man nearly screamed underwater.

He had just touched a dead body.

Lying at the bottom of this lake, hands calmly folded over a bloody stabbing wound that had plunged through her chest, long brown hair splayed over the ground, was a woman's body. And she was quite dead. She had been put here obviously as her final resting place. She looked far too at peace and prepositioned to have drowned there. But nevertheless, Ragnar turned white. A corpse…he had just touched some drowned corpse at the bottom of a pool…had been drinking the water she had been rotting away in…

And yet…as Ragnar looked up to her and saw her face, he was puzzled. In truth, she didn't look all that rotted. In fact, she didn't look it at all. Even her face wasn't that pale. It still bore a faint twinge of pink in it, from when she had been alive. And despite the gory fashion in which she had died, the woman appeared to be perfectly at peace. Her eyes had gently closed, and a faint smile was still on her lips even in death.

Her face…

Her face…was honestly perfect. Not only had time not altered it since she died…she was beautiful. A very beautiful woman in fact. Her hair was still healthy and moving through the water gently, as if it was in a breeze. Her smile…was still so warm and inviting. She seemed so innocent and pure…as if she wasn't really dead. It was as if she was sleeping beauty almost…resting at the bottom of this lake…waiting for her prince charming to come forth and wake her from her dream… Smiling pleasantly and fairly, awaiting the day where she could awaken at last…the picture of timeless loveliness as she waited…

Abruptly, Ragnar froze and snapped out of these thoughts. To his surprise, he realized what had happened. He now hovered an inch in front of the dead woman's face.

…He was about to kiss her.

That did it. Shocked and appalled at himself, Ragnar turned his head back up and tore up through the water, back for the surface. He left the body far below at the bottom of the pond. Once he was back to the surface, he broke through and gasped. Quickly, he grabbed the side of the pond and threw himself out onto the shore. Once he did, he began to spit and wipe away at his mouth and face.

What had happened to him in there? That woman was dead…and she had to have been dead since at least yesterday when he arrived. And he had been in there…bathing in her water…drinking it…and, last but not least, he had tried to kiss her. Why had he done that? How could he have done that? Something about her…something entranced him. It was as if she was still alive…she didn't look truly dead. But she wasn't breathing…her heart had stopped…her heart was in _two pieces_, it looked like, based on the wound. Yet staring at that face…it had almost bewitched him. He had lost himself in it…

Ragnar grit his teeth and shook his head. Who was she, anyway? Why had she been run through? And why was she here of all places? Her clothing had been rotting away. It had been there a while. But her…she was still fresh. Ragnar wondered if she would have been still warm if he had touched her. He didn't know… He didn't know why she was there or what was going on.

In the end, Ragnar managed to come to. He steadied his frantic breathing, and sat on the ground a moment to collect himself. Alright…that pool was off limits now. No drinking and definitely no bathing. He would have to find another spring and wash himself off. Then, he needed to get some food. After that, he would plan what he would have to do next. Quickly, he shoved the image of the woman out of his mind and rose to his feet, to start walking and find a new place.

It would not be the last time that he would find himself shoving the image of that woman out of his mind.

* * *

There was little to eat in the City, as it turned out. Not even grubs ran around inside of it. Ragnar in the end had to move a little into the forest on the outskirts before he could find a rock which harbored beetles underneath it. Not exactly the tastiest thing in the world, but beggars and death row escapees couldn't be choosers. There were a few berry bushes in the forest, but he wasn't sure if they were poisonous, and currently he was scaring off any animal that might come along to prove it or not.

Luckily, there were other streams in the city. And because of that, Ragnar was able to wash again and drink without fear of what was in the water. After doing that, he started making himself a set up. Apparently the City had housed a number of people decades ago, because there were still bits and pieces of modern equipment hanging around in some of the shell houses. One place even had a usable bed. However, Ragnar hauled this part over into the main shell house. He felt…more at peace there. Once he had a good area to dwell in for a little while, he decided to go exploring around the City a bit.

It was rather large and sophisticated. It constantly held Ragnar in awe. In the daylight, there was no unnatural glow here, but he still marveled at the architecture and shape of the city. It had to be among some of the most ancient ruins on the Planet, and yet it looked so…natural. There was so little in the city that had been manmade. Everything was adapted from shells, it seemed. Wandering around the streets, he passed through every shell house and explored everywhere. Frequently, he saw more of those white orbs like he saw in his own place. He didn't bother touching these. He just continued to move around.

At last, Ragnar made his way back to the front of town. From there, one unexplored branch led to the west. Having not gone that way yet, Ragnar decided to follow it. It was soon obvious this road wasn't like the others. It took him on a wide swing away from the main city. As he moved along, he saw that there were only a few houses on this side. Most of it was just the long road that he himself was walking on now. It bore him almost a mile away from the city eventually, but he kept walking down it. He looked around, and still saw little that was new. The shape was still that of the rest of the city, with the white, flat stones and shells.

Eventually, however, Ragnar found the path taking him toward the cliff walls that formed the canyon where the City of the Ancients was located. As he walked onward a bit more, the ground began to grow a bit rough, until a large fissure split it to his right, forming another chasm and cliff.He paused for a moment and looked down. To his surprise, there seemed to be some architecture down there. It looked as if the ancient inhabitants had built their way there too. There was no way to readily get down there, however, and so he went back to the path and walked on.

After a few more minutes, however, he halted again. The chasm was deep now, and had split into the cliffs themselves. And just ahead, there was a great break in cliffs forming another valley. Spanning across it was a simple stone bridge, and it led into some sort of cave. Curious, Ragnar crept closer.

The youth eventually made it to the stone bridge. He looked down at it uneasily for a moment. There was no telling how old this thing was, and the drop would easily kill him if it broke. However…he once again felt that bit of curiosity in him. He felt something…compelling him to continue. He clenched his fists and stared a bit longer. But then, he leaned forward and planted his foot down on the bridge. It held, solid as a rock. He hesitated again, and then put his other foot on it. Still nothing. At last, he did something a bit crazy. He leapt up and jumped down on it. Not the slightest shifting. It was as stable as the ground. Seeing that, he felt assured. At last, he looked up and to the cave entrance. Now, that held his full attention. It made him slightly nervous…though he didn't know why. It wasn't dark. On the contrary, he could see a lot of natural sunlight inside, meaning the interior had to have no roof. But still…it unnerved him. Yet in the end, he pushed it aside. He rushed across the rest of the bridge, and plunged into the cave.

Only a few feet into it, Ragnar stopped again. A new marvel had enraptured him.

He was in a new area…some sort of great entry hall or ampitheater of some sort. Much of it was still made with giant white shells, but from where he was he saw signs of man made technology too. He was on the upper level of some place. Ahead of him, the path made a large ring going around the top of this area. Columns and supports stretched out and held it to the ceiling, while part of the ceiling was in turn held up by it. This ring was only about halfway complete. In the parts that were missing, there were other levels, leading to other areas outside at different heights, allowing people to go in and out. Below the ring, far down to the ground, was an interior lake. The water was clear and beautiful, and Ragnar could look down and see the long flat stones in it. Overhead, the day's sun seemed to be magnified in here, focused into this area to illuminate its greatness. Every move that Ragnar made echoed loudly.

The youth began to slowly walk into this area, hearing his footsteps echo throughout the great, empty theater. It was bright and white in here, and looked more sacred and ancient than anywhere else he had been thus far. However, as he made his way to the ring to look down at the ground below, something new caught his attention. A pillar was rising out of the ground into the center of this theater. Itflatteron top, spreading out to form a wider area to stand on. Suspended here, in some bowl shaped area rounded by what looked like stone branches, was a beautiful, cone-shaped crystal. It refracted the light from overhead, making it sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow. It was marvelous to behold. It was like a rainbow crystallized. Ragnar hesitated and stared at it for a while, watching all the colors dance as the sun slowly moved through the sky.

Then, he noticed something. There was a stone bridge leading to this cup-shaped area. It was connected to a ledge nearby, and that ledge was connected to the ring Ragnar walked on by a stone staircase. Seeing that Ragnar could get closer, he immediately took off around the ring, like a kid running to a toy store. He made for the ledge so he could get closer to this.

Ragnar couldn't really understand why he was so amazed here…but this world entranced him. Seeing this marvelous ancient city built around him, built before people even knew how to build things… It must have been a fantastic world in its day. How it must have looked before it had died…and how the people there must have lived. He knew little about the Ancients, but from what he did know was that they were totally in tune with the Planet. Its own life force seemed to course through them, and they seemed to understand it and respond to it. That was enough for Ragnar. The idea excited him. Ragnar had always been much of a naturalist, just like most of the people in Icicle Inn were. They wouldn't have turned down a mako reactor if they hadn't been. But he…he appreciated it both in life and death. He had heard that the reason Icicle Inn was snowbound year round was because of the Great Crater to the north…that it was some sort of wound to the Planet that took the life from the area around it to heal it. This was a reminder of how fragile nature could be. And yet…even thinking of the great planet healing, just to the north of him…thinking that his cold environment was a result of it…was intriguing to him. He had known in the past that the Ancients had something to do with this, but he didn't know what. Perhaps…just perhaps…he could find out. It looked like he had been the only one here in this roomin close to a hundred years, after all…

At last, Ragnar reached the stone bridge. He didn't check it this time, but just ran across. He didn't seem to care now. Once he was across, he drew near until the glow of the magnificent prism shown down on him. Here…he felt warm as the light touched him. Beneath him, it seemed almost to be glowing…blue. A soft blue color, despite the wide spectrum of light overhead. Of course, it might just have been the stone that now surrounded him. He marveled at the prism for a moment longer, then looked down to the bowl-shaped area he was on.

What Ragnar was standing on were runes…hieroglyphs…some sort of ancient writing. It was all around the bowl, written in large letters and small, impressed into the stone when it was made into this place. Unfortunately, Ragnar soon realized there wasn't much he could learn from all of this. He knew how to read enough to do his old clothing job, and he knew how to count and do math fairly well, but this was something a historian had to come and translate. He didn't know the first thing about it, or what any of it could mean.

With a slight frown, disappointed at his let down, Ragnar sighed. He crossed his legs and sat down and then propped his head up on his arms. He exhaled, and then looked down and around again for a moment, looking over the indecipherable runes.

However…his eyes soon caught something. When he saw it, he immediately raised his head and leaned over a bit to get a better look at it. It seemed, that just below one of the series of runes, someone had translated a bit of them. Two simple phrases had been hastily scrawled.

_Even sunlight can't reach. Key._

Ragnar frowned again. What sort of translation was that? It didn't even make any sense. However, after a pause, he realized it was something. Maybe he could use it as a translation stone of sorts. He looked at the words again, and read them over a few times. After doing so, he looked up above them, toward the runes themselves. He tried focusing on the runes specifically, on the ones corresponding to the words. Then, he spoke aloud.

"…even sunlight can't reach…Key…"

_Again._

Ragnar suddenly winced and reached a hand to his temple. A sharp pain had stabbed him in the head. He felt a splitting headache suddenly ripple through his brain. The youth looked agonized for a moment…feeling the pain continue. But through it all…he was confused. Did he…just hear a voice?

_Again._

The pain continued to flare up, and it hurt. It was so bad that Ragnar grit his teeth and grasped his brow with his hand. He felt something inside him…some sort of strange growing compulsion. Something…wanted him to read the runes again. Read them? He wasn't truly reading them. He just repeated what they were supposed to say… However, the pain was too strong. It was getting worse. He looked down, looked over the runes, and repeated the message.

"…even sunlight can't reach…Key…"

_Again._

The pain stabbed harder. Ragnar cried out mildly in pain, feeling it stab him. He grit his teeth, struggling to hold it back. He looked again to the runes, and spoke again.

"…even sunlight can't reach…Key…"

_Again._

The headache doubled. Now, Ragnar raised his other arm and grabbed his forehead. It felt like it was on fire now. He was in so much agony he could barely focus. What was doing this? What was happening to him? He was nearly to the point of screaming now…but this time he looked just to the runes themselves. And as he did, he looked over them once more and screamed.

"…even sunlight can't reach…Key…!"

_Again._

Ragnar couldn't take it any longer. Whatever this was…it was killing him. Yet the impulse to read didn't die. Something inside him continued to push…harder and harder… It wouldn't be denied. The agony was nearly throwing him to the ground. In his pain, he grew furious. He screamed out again as he looked over the runes one more time…

_"…where even sunlight can't reach…Key…!"_

At last, the pain subsided a little. As it did, however, Ragnar froze. It wasn't from the pain subsiding though. He forgot about the pain. Now…his eyes widened. He looked back again over what he read. Had he just say that out loud? He realized he did. He had to…because as he looked back over the runes before him, without any translation…he recognized another symbol all on his own.

_Again._

Ragnar blinked a moment. His mouth hung open. However, he looked it over again…and the words just flowed.

"In…where even sunlight can't reach…Key to…"

The pain subsided a bit more, and Ragnar, in further surprise, realized he understood more symbols.

_Again._

"In a…where even sunlight can't reach…Key to…sleeps."

_Again._

"In a place where even sunlight can't reach…Key to…eternal sleeps."

_Again._

"In a place where even sunlight can't reach, the Key to the Ancients eternal sleeps."

The voice did not appear again. The pain was gone by now. But Ragnar forgot both about the voice and the pain. He looked over it again… He had read it. Somehow, he knew what it meant. He had kept reading it…and the meaning had suddenly come into his mind. And now, he understood it. Was this possible?

Ragnar was stunned. What had happened? Was he making this up? He blinked and looked around, stunned. At last, he turned to another set of runes. These were different. He looked them over and spoke aloud…and the words immediately were processed and put out from his mouth.

"In the time where chaos threatens the land, the faithful must pray for Holy to appear."

The youth blinked. He turned to another.

"No one must ever enter the Temple, or disturb the secrets that lie within."

Then another.

"I Raeoon, last Chieftain of the Cetra, do establish this vestibule in the year 127 of the Fourth Age…"

Ragnar looked all around him, not believing it. But he could see it. He saw it all. Every rune…every scrap of writing…there wasn't a passage on the whole platform he couldn't read. Was he going crazy? Was he imagining this? It didn't seem so. Each time he went over a long passage and went back, it always said the same thing. The few words that had been deciphered matched everywhere else where Ragnar saw them. Everything. He could understand everything. Every word was as clear to him as if he had been learning to read it his whole life…

_This…this is impossible…_

Ragnar rose from the ground and immediately ran back across the bridge. He ran around the ring and back out the way he came, leaving the crystal and its chamber far behind. He went back onto the shell road and ran down it as fast as he could go. He ran all the way until he came to one of the shell houses. Once there, he immediately turned for it and ran in. It was a ruin inside, but the glowing white orb was still in the front door.

The youth swallowed a moment, looking uneasy, but then…he reached out, and very tentatively touched the surface.

There was no stabbing this time.

_I, Saerican, last member of the house of Stoon, leave this record for future generations. The complete history is stored within, from my earliest ancestor to the present day. This story begins ages ago, back when the legendary missing continent still existed. Stoon came from there. He was born to…_

Ragnar slowly pulled his hand off. It was true. He could understand it. He could understand all of it. Whatever that voice was…whatever it had done to him…he now could read everything. He looked around him, into the house and outside. There wasn't the slightest misplaced rune or piece of graffiti he didn't recognize. He understood their language, their ancient dead language…the language of the Ancients…no…

The language of the Cetra.

Ragnar looked around a bit more, marveling at this. He raised his hands to his head and touched it, as if somehow the knowledge was on the exterior of his skull. He gained his bearings for a moment. But then…he felt himself start to laugh. It was the first time he had laughed in three years…but he felt like doing it. He felt like sounding it out loud and long, and filling the City of the Ancients with it. He felt happier than he had in a long time. He held his arms to the sky and continued to laugh, letting it go far down the road and throughout the ceiling. At last, he fell back and went flat against the ground. But even there, he continued to laugh in new joy.

He didn't know how it happened, but it had happened. And now, he knew an ancient language that no one in Icicle Inn had the slightest idea how to translate. Perhaps…no one in the world. All of the secrets and history of the City of the Ancients were open to him. The whole story, having lain hidden for generations…had opened up to him. He had hoped he would learn something about them, but never did he believe that he would gain so much. Now, he could learn everything…every last thing about the entire city, its history, and its people. It was all there, literally lying in safe codes for him to read.

Ragnar finally managed to stop laughing, and got his bearings back. This was fantastic for him… a miracle. And he didn't intend to waste it. Quickly, he rose back to his feet. It appeared his room was going to have a few more fixtures in it soon.

* * *

It was close to midnight when Ragnar was finally able to go to sleep.

He had managed to catch a fish at last in one of the streams. No one came from Icicle Inn who didn't know how to easily and quickly start a fire. It was an easy matter for him to cook it with little tools on hand and then eat what he could. However, by that time, he could barely sit down long enough to do this. He had been running around town, getting as many orbs, scrolls, tablets, or anything else with Cetra writing on it that he could find. He wanted to know everything…everything about this city and its people. He wanted to find out all about what was lost to time. Once he had gathered plenty, he had went back to his room, picked up the orb from this house, and went to work.

Ragnar had chosen well. The orb for this house contained a detailed history of the city itself, and of the Planet itself. At least…since the beginning of the "Third Age". Ragnar still wasn't sure what these ages were, in particular the first two which appeared to have no recordsand almost noreferences, but he knew that the Third Age was the age of great beings which the Cetra had called espers.

Ragnar dove into the history. These people, the Cetra, were like some sort of super human. They were people born naturally in tune with the Planet. They could hear its voice constantly talking to them, enabling them to feel and sense the life flowing between all living things. In times of need, they could call on that power as well. They didn't treat Gaia as some giant abiotic resource for exploitation. They treated it as a great organism itself, and tried their best to live in peace with it. They were so naturalistic and peaceful, so in tune with the Planet, that legends said this city itself was built by the Planet to house them. And here they prospered for generations. They were a very calm and kind race, gracious to all living things, and appreciating the innate beauty of all life. Ragnar, after having spent three years with some of the worst examples of humanity, greatly admired them. They entranced him even more now, now that he knew who they were. It seemed to be so wonderful…to be able to actually talk with the Planet. He was envious, wishing that he had that ability.

However…what truly attracted Ragnar were the espers.

They were great beings that had long since passed into myths among humans, but the Cetra always believed in them. Like the Cetra, they were supposed to be children of the Planet, although the Cetra arose in the First Age, and the espers arose in the Third Age. Great and powerful…immortal and wise…these creatures were the picture of beauty and power. They ruled the world for thousands of years in a great mountain city they called Terratopolis. While most other people would have dismissed these stories as simple legends, Ragnar wasn't among them. He believed it, and he enjoyed reading about it.

The one he loved most of all was Great Bahamut, Lord of All Dragons, King of All Espers. He had been a dragon far larger and more powerful than all other dragons. For thousands of years, he ruled over the espers. His power was without peer. He was the one who initially befriended the human and Cetra races, and held such affection for them that he destroyed a great tyrant named Griever to establish a world where humans were free to live as they choosed. From time to time, he appeared on the world to help it in a time of darkness. All of the great heroes of the Third Age, and even the Fourth Age, came to him for advice and council before setting out on their adventures. Ragnar daydreamed about the thought. To actually walk into the presence of this great esper…more ancient than any other living thing…have it tower over you and speak with it. Or even better, to see his legendary power in battle…

Ragnar very much wanted to read more about him, the rest of the espers, and the Cetra. Now that he had begun to learn, he wanted to know more. There was a world apart from him that had passed from time, and yet when it existed the Planet was a far more fantastic and magical place. And here, he could find out all about it.

With that in mind, Ragnar placed the orb aside, and then quickly lay down and tried to sleep. He wanted to fall asleep as quickly as possible, so that he could get up early tomorrow and read more. As he drifted off to sleep in the City of the Ancients, in his dreams the City came to life and filled with Cetra, and over it all the espers circled and watched.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	42. Two Servants

_One Month Later_

It was another clear day. Ragnar had spent almost every day outside for the past month. He stayed in one day that was especially cold and rainy, but for the most part it got warmer every day, and each time it became more inviting to stay outside. He liked being in the clear air. Quiet as the city was, he still enjoyed the breezes and the sound of water.

He stayed where he normally sat outside, underneath the white trees in the grove where the shell house was located. After a little while, he had investigated it fully. Apparently, there was some sort of rather spectacular shrine in the bottom of the house, but feeling no need to ever go down there, he hadn't. Part of it felt…strange. It didn't quite feel safe down there. On the other hand, he didn't mind sitting next to the pool anymore, where he knew the dead body was. He never got in the pool, of course. He treated it as something sacred now. But from where he sat, he couldn't look over the edge and see who was at the bottom.

She had been an article of puzzlement to him. Why was there a murdered body here? Had someone killed her and dumped her here, hoping no one would ever find her? For some reason…he thought that he might actually find a clue located in one of the tomes he constantly read. However, he found nothing to that effect. It only made sense. Ragnar had deduced by now that the latest entry he found written here was over 2,000 years ago. This woman looked like she had been dead a week, although her clothes suggested a few months at best.

The strange body aside, Ragnar was constantly finding more information. By now, he knew almost all of the ancient history of the Cetra, the espers, and the world around him. Things he used to hear as stories and legends had their authentic historical accounts here, of events in the past both horrible and mundane. He also heard a lot about the history of the people here. In itself, it wasn't that much. But there were always some interesting bits of knowledge mixed in. He still had a few untouched volumes, and for now, he preferred the personal accounts. The ones he had skipped had been items about war and battle…things he really didn't have an interest in right now.

This particular account he was going over now was of one of the families from one of the shell houses. This one had been particularly impacted by a rather serious event that happened 3,000 years ago…the Calamity from the Skies. It seemed that some alien creature had crash landed on this world thousands of years ago. The Cetra believed that it was what created the giant crater to the north of here. It was some sort of parasite…feeding on the Planet. It first pretended to befriend the Cetra, but once they started to suspect its true intentions it lashed out on an attempt to destroy them all. Many of the more fearsome creatures in the area, he now knew…were actually the descendants of Cetra mutations, those affected by the disease that this alien infected on the race. The name Calamity from the Skies in the Cetra language was pronounced "Gen Avo Ach". On looking over this name, Ragnar couldn't help but feel that he had heard something similar to it, mentioned by the New Shinra soldiers from time to time…

"Interesting read?"

For the first time in a month, Ragnar heard a sound that wasn't made by the air, water, or him. And it was sharp and clear, echoing through the grove he found himself in. Immediately, he dropped the orb, and snapped to the source. He instinctively began to scramble back on the ground where he sat.

Ahead of him, framed in the entrance to the grove and standing on a bit of higher ground, was a man. It was odd. He looked about the same age as Ragnar…and yet, at the same time, he seemed to be much, _much_ older than him. Especially the eyes. That attracted Ragnar most of all. Those eyes…they were so deep and blue…so ancient. To the youth's puzzlement, they looked older than the city and everything in it. Aside from that, he was simply dressed. He wore a rugged cloth coat over a set of ruddy garments, typical for a person who would be a mountain man in the area. A wide-brimmed hat was pulled low over his head, also old and dusty. Spilling behind his head was a set of white hair…looking a pure as the snow.

Ragnar reacted to him with fear. He didn't need anyone knowing he was here, and until now he thought he was safe.

"Who are you?" He called out from the ground.

The man cracked a soft smile, and raised a hand in a halting gesture. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you."

Ragnar was still distrustful. He continued to stare up at him in anxiety, shrinking back and shaking a little.

"Get out of here."

"I want to talk to you."

"I don't feel like talking. Beat it."

"Don't be afraid."

As the strange man said this part…his voice seemed to change. It seemed to grow softer and more drawn out. It became very gentle, and as Ragnar heard it, it seemed to sink into his mind and settle on his brain, almost massaging it. His eyes suddenly seemed to grow larger…and Ragnar found himself staring into them. He looked straight into their pupils…and all of their depth, power, and wisdom flowed out and into his gaze. As he saw this, he felt his body start to relax. His heart beat less. His trembling ceased. His anxiety melted away, and he suddenly felt calm and peaceful again.

Then, after a moment, it was gone. Ragnar suddenly blinked, and shook his head. For a moment, he felt as if he had been dreaming… But now it was passed, and he felt far more relaxed. He looked back to the man…but, stranger as he was, he couldn't feel himself feel nervous about him anymore. He felt relaxed as he looked at him, and far calmer. However, that didn't end his curiousity. He leaned forward a bit more, and called out to him again.

"…Who are you?"

The man merely smiled, and then began to calmly walk down his elevated portion, and toward the youth. "This is something most unexpected." He said out loud. "Were you reading that orb just now?"

Ragnar hesitated. His question was answered with another question. He looked at the man uneasily, but in the end gave a short nod. "…Yes."

The man raised his eyebrows in mild interest as he kept going. "Hmm…most interesting. Most historians would consider this a dead, missing language. No one else in the world can read it, especially not now that the Cetra are extinct. Unless, of course…you happen to be from here? You seem to be living in it easily enough."

Ragnar gave a mild snort at that. "Of course I don't live here. Well…" He hesitated a moment, and then shrugged. "I guess I do now…but I'm definitely not from here. I asked you who you were. Who are you?"

"Did you come from up north?" The man calmly answered.

Here, Ragnar froze a moment. A bit of his anxiety began to return, despite the fact that just talking to this man relaxed him. Nevertheless, he began to rear up into a more active sitting position. "Why?" He asked back challengingly. "Is that where you came from?"

"Me?" The man answered with a chuckle, still moving forward. "Of course not. I just arrived here a few days ago. But in case you're worried, no…I'm not a member of New Shinra, Ragnar."

The youth paled again. He bolted up in a more rigid position. "How do you know my name?"

"I've been reading your mind for some time now, Ragnar." The man simply answered, as he came to a halt a mere ten feet before the youth. He kept standing and looking down, while the boy stayed against the ground and looked up to him. However, on hearing that…Ragnar felt himself pale again and grow more nervous. "What I couldn't get from you, I got from the Planet. At this point, my mental capabilities have grown so much that I can inquire from her what I need to know. And she readily gave up information about you. You're name is Ragnar Vice. You are twenty years old, you originate from Icicle Inn, and just a month ago you escaped from the New Shinra HQ Dome and certain execution. You've been living here ever since. The day after you arrived, you found that somehow you are able to read a language that no one else alive on the Planet understands, and you've been reading about the Cetra and espers ever since."

Ragnar swallowed again. He was growing uncomfortable once more. However, he couldn't get active enough to act out. Somehow…the man's voice, while surprising, was also constantly soothing him and making him relax. It was like he was being charmed at the same time he was being talked to. He shrank back a little on the ground, but could do no more. Still, he had enough of this. What was this man? How did he know these things? Was he really reading his mind? Was he really…talking to the Planet? Only one species he knew of could do that…

"I'm going to ask this again…who are you? Are you a Cetra?"

The man chuckled again. "Of course not. The Cetra are extinct."

"Then who are you?"

Here, the man hesitated. He drew in a deep breath, and looked to the sky. He seemed to be reminiscing a bit, and grew somewhat melancholy. He slowly exhaled. Then, quite casually, he sat down on the ground where he was, crossed his legs comfortably, and then adjusted himself into a casual position. He looked rather like how Ragnar had been seated.

"I have so many names, each one as obsolete as the next." The man finally answered quietly. "Some of the Ettecans called me a Great Prophet. Terra and her children came to know me as Tumahab. I was King of All Espers to Rydia and her group. Darwin and his group called me Master. My offshoots all called me Lord of All Dragons, as their Patriarch. But through all time, and with all the titles, I still like the first name I was called best…from way back before my memories even began."

Ragnar heard these titles…and recalled some of them, as well as some of the names. It captured his interest. The man turned his head slightly to Ragnar, and smiled.

"Ragnar…I'm Bahamut."

The youth stared at him a moment. He blinked once or twice. Gradually…his interest turned to incredulous puzzlement. "You're…Bahamut." He echoed.

The man gave a slight nod. "Yes."

The youth stared again. After a moment, he let out a snicker and shook his head. "No, you're not."

To this, the man looked faux surprised, and formed an innocent look. "Oh? Why aren't I?"

Ragnar let out an exhale of disgust, and then looked him over. "Well…for one thing, you're not a giant dragon. You're some old guy with tattered clothing who probably lives somewhere around here. Another thing is that Bahamut has been gone for thousands of years, ever since his brother killed him. You look rather alive to me. I don't know how you know all of this stuff about me, unless you were trailing me after I escaped from the Dome. But I've been talking aloud since then, so you've probably heard me mention Cetra and Bahamut more than once, and you know my interests. For all I know, you're the guy who wrote that chalk translation back there, so you can read this stuff too. And if you're from Icicle Inn, well, everyone knows everyone there, so it's no surprise you know me."

"Well, you're quite the skeptic for one who believes a bunch of ancient runes." The man simply answered.

Ragnar frowned. "I don't know who you are or how long you've been watching me, but leave me alone. You know I escaped. That means I have to keep a low profile while I'm here. I don't want any of their patrols coming here looking for me. So why don't you just go back out the way you came, go back home, and forget you ever saw me? I don't appreciate being stalked. I'm _not_ going back to New Shinra, so if you think you're going to turn me in for a reward, don't push me. I already killed one man, so don't test me to see if I'll kill another."

As Ragnar continued, the man looked progressively more bored. He gradually leaned forward and propped his head up on one arm, and then tiredly stared at Ragnar. He waited until he was finished, and continued to stare at him. The youth stared back as well, looking cross and a bit angry now, and waited for him to get up and go. The man blinked once, and then opened his mouth and sighed tiredly.

"Very well." He simply stated. "Look behind you."

The youth blinked in response to this. What kind of response was that? Was he trying to trick him or something? He paused a moment longer, staring at him, but the man motionlessly stared back. At last, he realized it couldn't hurt for a moment. He turned his head behind him.

The sky had turned pitch black and stormy. Lightning crashed overhead. And framing his vision in front of him was a monstrous, thirty-foot tall dragon. It was purple and unfurled massive scaly clawed wings. Its body was rough and thickly armored, and rippled with muscle. Its thick tail smacked against the ground, shaking it like a quake. Its beaked, horned head lowered down until it was merely inches from Ragnar's own. It opened its mouth and blasted him with foul, hot air, humid and wet.

Ragnar's pupils shrank. He was instantly petrified with terror. But as the monster sneered over him, he felt a hand clamp on his shoulder, and roughly turn him back around.

Seconds later, the world was normal again. The storm was gone, and Ragnar found himself staring right into the eyes of the man in front of him, who now had a hand on his shoulder. He was still sweating and panting, but the man was perfectly calm.

"Now do you believe me?"

Ragnar blinked, just coming out of the dragonawe. He spun his head back around behind him. There was nothing there. No storm. No colossal dragon. He turned back to the man and looked at him again. He saw into his eyes once more…and looked again at the age and wisdom within them. It was far older than any other living thing…deep and powerful. On seeing that…on seeing this man again…and after encountering the great beast behind him, which looked exactly how it had been described…he knew the truth.

The youth began to shake as he stared at the man. Abruptly, he tore out from beneath him, and began to scramble away from him on the ground, staring at him in fear the whole time.

Bahamut sighed and rolled his eyes, as he began to stand again. "I thought we were past this…" He muttered aloud. After that, he turned back to the terrified youth. Again, he focused his eyes into his, and let his full power flow through them. When he spoke, his voice seemed more softer and firmer than ever.

"I already told you. I'm not going to hurt you. _Relax._"

This last word was not only a command…it acted like a spell. Immediately, the fear in Ragnar's brain was cut off. His heart slowed. All of his muscles were released, and his inner glandular systems released chemicals designed for rest. Ragnar halted and nearly sprawled out on his back, as he suddenly felt much lighter, calmer, and more at peace. He even felt a bit drowsy, and his eyes hung loose for a moment. However, Bahamut only held him long enough to get him to relax. After that, he released him again, and Ragnar was free once more. The young man continued to look up to him, but did not move away again.

"You…" He asked after a moment, once he had recovered and became slightly anxious again. "You're…you're really him…aren't you?"

Bahamut sighed a bit, as he crossed his legs once again and lowered himself to the ground. "I don't know if anything in the literature told you this about me, but I hate to repeat myself." He simply answered.

Ragnar blinked and continued to stare at him. His mouth hung slightly and his eyes were wide. He marveled over him. He was here…the legendary esper himself. The greatest of the ancient heroes, and Ragnar's most beloved figure in all of history. He was sitting right in front of him. The youth began to feel humble and small…staring on at him in silent awe…

"I can't believe it…"

"Most humans don't." Bahamut simply answered with a shrug. "After all, I'm supposed to be a myth. And I'd estimate that, by now, few humans know that I ever even existed."

"But…" Ragnar continued, still staring at him in awe…and growing amazement. After all, it was him…his greatest hero sitting right in front of him. "But…the legends. They said that you died…that you were killed by your brother out of jealousy…"

Bahamut frowned slightly at that. "There's far more to the story than that, young man." He responded a bit tiredly. "I did indeed die at his hand. But my magicite survived. That eventually found its way back to Gaia. I did return to the Lifestream at this point, and there I stayed through the next part of history. I'm not sure how much of it you know at this point…"

Ragnar was a bit calmer now of his own accord. He leaned back slightly, and managed to close his mouth and seem a bit more regular. "Well…it wasn't much longer after your brother returned. Some of the last records written here said he was killed by Alexander, the Holy Esper. After that, you were both dead. And after that, the Cetra stopped writing records here. Most of them had been killed off by the Calamity from the Skies at that point…"

Bahamut frowned and gave a nod. "I know precious little of the story myself after this point. I've only gotten firsthand knowledge of it from the Planet recently, after I acquired my new abilities. Until a few days ago, I had only stories to go on. However, my history did not end there."

The esper began to draw himself up here, looking like he was going to speak. As he did…Ragnar found himself leaning back a bit more at ease, and increasing in attention. He was becoming like an avid child, eagerly listening to a story told by a teacher or parent. He was excited to hear it, after all. He knew all of Bahamut's history until that point, but afterward he knew little.

Bahamut himself slowly exhaled and began. "I stayed in the Lifestream for centuries. But while I was there…the espers faced their own calamity. The beginning of the War of the Magi. Humans eventually acquired the ability to manipulate summoners. Through them, they were able to seize command of my race, and use them as weapons to battle each other. They also found the secrets of magicite. With it, they were able to gain the ability to use our own dramatic powers. The world went to war, with a select few gaining more and more espers, and consequentially power, for themselves, and destroying all else. This war raged for a thousand years. But in the end, all of the madmen had killed themselves save for three. These ones had the foresight for a brief moment to seal each other away, sealing all magical power within themselves and then making it inaccessible to the world's populace.

"The world slowly grew back over a period of generations. But even when governments were reestablished and the world was fresh once again, the greed of mankind came forth again. Certain individuals unlocked the power of the three, and absorbed it to themselves. One in particular of them rose to power. He slaughtered the rest of my race, driving us to extinction, and taking their powers for himself. After that, he released so much power that he turned the world into a waste once again, removing the work of a thousand years to rebuild it."

"Whoa…" Ragnar slowly remarked, during this break. His face was downcast and regretful here, and he winced a bit uneasily. Bahamut noticed this, and seemed to be intrigued by it. As for the young man, he looked slightly nervous and to the ground. "…I guess you're not that big of a fan of humans anymore, then…"

To this, Bahamut merely smiled and gave a short laugh. "On the contrary. For a time, yes, I thought the whole race was twisted and evil. But that notion was corrected. There are always some pure, noble individuals of humanity, and they always bring it back from the brink of madness and despair in times of need. You should have learned that by now in your readings, Ragnar. In the end, it was humanity that destroyed this madman and saved the world from death." Bahamut hesitated here, and his face grew grim and dark during the pause. His head lowered…and his eyes blazed.

"But that was when my brother thought it was time to seize power."

Hearing this, Ragnar snapped his head up again and stared at the esper. His face looked uncertain and uneasy. "You mean…Wyvern? Wyvern the Abominable? Wyvern the Destroyer? The Dark One? The one who the Cetra called a demon on Gaia?"

Bahamut snorted at this. "So…it appears I'm not the only one who had a lot of titles." He muttered. "Yes, Wyvern…my twin brother."

Ragnar felt a ripple of coldness at this, and what it meant. He had read of Wyvern, of course…the only beast who could ever contest Bahamut in terms of power…a pinnacle of anger, rage, and vengeance. He betrayed his own race for the sake of gaining more power, in the end. He was a living nightmare…but until now Ragnar had safely believed he was dead, destroyed by Alexander. Seeing Bahamut alive…and hearing that Wyvern hadn't been dead…made a connection in Ragnar's brain that began to fill him with new fear.

Bahamut could read these thoughts, but he calmly continued. "My brother did indeed die, but his magicite survived. Because of that, the last of Leviathan's great relics was used to revive him: the Crystal Stone. This object focused so much power that it could actually take beings out of the Lifestream and restore them to their bodies, so long as their bodies could survive. Magicite was his body condensed, so it was easy.

"He wanted to remake the world in his image, to create a kingdom of espers that had come from him. But he couldn't do it alone. Humanity was proving more crafty and clever than he thought, and he lacked the calmness and intelligence. He wanted an ally. He needed one to help him. In the end, of all people…he picked me."

This caused even more surprise for Ragnar. From what he read, there was nothing in this world, above it, or under it that Wyvern had hated more than Bahamut. The idea that he would do this… He opened his mouth to comment in disbelief. However, still reading his mind, Bahamut gave a nod to catch him off guard.

"Yes…I didn't believe it at first myself. It wasn't until I heard it from his own lips that I knew it to be true. He intended for me to be vengeful and angry at humanity for destroying my race. With that in mind, he revived me, but didn't let me know who had done it. I came back as something greater…something in another form."

Ragnar perked up at this. "What?"

"Look behind you again."

The youth, on instinct, not realizing he was being tricked again, did so.

An even more marvelous sight awaited him. Now, the sky was brilliant, and the sun beat down like rays of fire. But spread in front of him…more massive and majestic than Ragnar had ever anticipated…was Bahamut. But he was no longer the purple beast from before. He was bigger now, and bright red. He had great foils for wings that flapped behind him, and his scales and crests were mounted on him like armor. His face was more lizard-like now, but still filled with power and beauty as his yellow eyes looked down far below. He possessed more glorious strength and might than ever at this point. Ragnar was amazed and frozen again. He was filled with fear…but at the same time tremendous awe and marvel. Again, Bahamut had to reach out, seize him by his shirt collar, and spin him back.

When he looked back to Bahamut, the world was normal again, and he was a human again. He cracked a small smile at Ragnar momentarily.

"Neo Bahamut."

Again, Ragnar was a bit puzzled. He looked behind him again, and still saw nothing. He turned back to Bahamut after that. His heart was still rushing a bit, but he relaxed somewhat, and was able to lean back down. Bahamut smiled for a moment more. It seemed he was getting a little joy out of seeing Ragnar change. But in the end, he frowned again and continued.

"Wyvern tried to work upon my feelings…sending me my old attendant, beaten and crippled, and had him tell me the woe that had befallen him. I nearly gave into it. I would have…" Bahamut hesitated again at this. His eyes became faraway…and he thought of something distant. Slowly, he gave a small smile.

"…Had I not fallen in love."

Again, Ragnar's eyes widened. "In love?"

"I fell in love with a half-human, half-esper named Terra, who was living as a human." Bahamut explained. "More so…I fell in love with the children she had adopted, and her pastoral life. It changed me. It made me feel alive for the first time in thousands of years. Until now I had been a solitary king…but with her I was a different man. I spent a few precious months with her, and in the end I never wanted to leave again. I proposed marriage, and she agreed.

"But our joy was cut short. Wyvern purposely attacked my town…my children…to draw me out into a battle. The gesture worked. I, Terra, and some of her friends went to find him and stop him from ever attacking us again. But at the time, I still wasn't sure who I was dealing with. We were woefully underprepared. Terra was nearly killed. And Wyvern…he was no longer the same foe I had fought before. I forgot…he was brought back with the same method. The Crystal Stone's power was in him too. He was Neo Wyvern now, and he was more terrible and fearsome than ever.

"We renewed our ancient struggle, destroying a mountain range in our wake. In the end, I only won by being able to absorb more power than him, and then blasting him into space. I wanted to make sure none would ever recover his body and revive him again. But he had practically dismembered me at that point. I knew death was near again, but I knew that my body too could be used as a weapon. Keeping this in mind, I purposefully sent myself into space, bidding my bride-who-never-was goodbye.

"I thought I died in space. But my new body was so powerful that I was able to go into a deep hibernation, nearly dead, and my body was preserved by the cold, airless vacuum. I drifted for 500 years, before a group of alien scientists from the planet Etteca found me. They were fascinated at my biology and my history. They reanimated me, and then wanted to research and interrogate me. I felt like I had no purpose left, and that all I had ahead of me was to leave my mark on history and then die. And so, I agreed.

"For years I was quizzed and studied by them. I made a new friend, the head scientist on board. She was skeptical about all I told her about spirituality, good, and evil. But I could tell that it wasn't just her own dislike of superstition that made her do this. I also noticed how evasive she was about her past. At any rate, she sent on the reports and knowledge I passed to her back to Etteca. Little did I know that I was developing a following there. Millions of people thought of me as some sort of philosopher, and some sort of group, perhaps even cult, was made that based their lives off of my beliefs. Somehow, my life story changed the fate of that world too, averting a global war. By the time I arrived, I was one of the most reknown people on Etteca.

"I received prostheses to get around with, and the governments of Etteca provided for my every need. I continued to talk with the head scientist, and I lectured from time to time. Eventually, the scientist managed to take me to a new area on the world, one headed by a cutting edge medical doctor. He had learned how to generate bio-mechanical bodies off of existing bodies. I was cleared to be the first one to receive this treatment. You see…my old body was atrophic, scarred, and useless at this point. After they did my arm, I agreed to let them do the rest. It took months of work, but in the end I emerged in yet another form."

Ragnar was still eagerly enraptured at this point. However, he frowned at this time. "…You aren't going to tell me to look behind me again, are you?"

Bahamut smiled and snickered, and gave a shrug. "It was just a little trick of…" Suddenly, he trailed off. His eyes grew wide, and he seemed fear stricken. He pointed a finger behind Ragnar. "What in the world is that?"

Out of surprise, Ragnar turned his head…only realizing then he was tricked.

At any rate, he saw that the sky was dark again, but was now filled with stars. And towering over it all, hovering in the air on six thin, sleek wings, was Bahamut's latest incarnation. He was smooth and powerful looking, gleaming in the dim light with irredescence. His body was the picture of being streamlined and maximized in ability. It was an apex of physiology. Ragnar could literally feel the heat and power coming off of it…making his skin tingle with excitement. Yet enraptured as he was at this point, he managed to break off on his own, and turned back around.

Again, an unchanged Bahamut was there, smiling a bit wider this time.

"Bahamut ZERO."

Ragnar looked at Bahamut in disapproval, and crossed his own arms in a bit of scorn. He felt himself crack a smile, however.

The esper snickered, and gave a shrug. "Give me a break. I haven't had fun in a long time."

"Just one thing…" Ragnar answered. "How are you moving that fast?"

"I'm not moving at all." Bahamut calmly answered. "Each time, I'm seizing control of your sensory capabilities and feeding you an image of what I want you to see. It's basic mind control."

Ragnar's eyes widened again at that. "But...I could feel it…"

"Just mental distractions." Bahamut calmly continued. "I'm tricking your other senses as well. Mind is truly over matter. Anyway, on with my tale…

"In this new body…the body I currently have…I am one of the strongest beings in the universe. I can now travel through space, I instantly regenerate from horrible injuries, and I can talk to the Planet and search for specific things. But moreover…I gained a new ability. My mental power has grown to the point where, in small amounts, I can actually see the future."

Again, Ragnar reacted in amazement, loosening his jaw.

"More importantly, in my opinion," Bahamut continued. "I found out the true issue in the head scientist's life. She had been abused as a child by her parents…sexually. It caused her to be introverted, solitary, and nearly sociophobic. Since then, I have been helping her try to recover from it. She has made great gains. She managed to end things with her father, and she is becoming self confident once again. I had a fairly good life on Etteca at this point. I had a friend, and I had tasks to do. I had a way to make a small life for myself. However, I did not stay. A month ago, I left Etteca and my friend, Shinza, temporarily. I wished to return to Gaia, and after a month of space flight, I have done so."

The youth stared at him for a moment, still taking this in. The biggest shock was that Bahamut was actually here, actually alive and across from him. Itmade Ragnar feel somewhat happy. This was his idol, right here. His object of affection. It was beginning to thrill him a bit. However, on the conclusion of this tale, Ragnar looked a bit puzzled again.

"So…you said you had a life set up on Etteca, and a friend there. Nobody here has even seen you in centuries. So what did you want to come back for?"

On hearing this, Bahamut at last cracked a smile. Again, Ragnar found his eyes held by Bahamut's own, and he stared hard as he showed his new merriment.

"You." He simply replied.

Ragnar took a moment to process that word, but then was taken aback. It was said with perfect seriousness…even, perhaps, a bit of force to emphasize it. And because of that, the young man leaned back a bit and stared at him in confusion. "M…me?"

"Yes." Bahamut calmly and softly replied.

Ragnar blinked for a moment at that, still rather confused…and even a bit unnerved…at that. "…Why me?"

Bahamut merely let out a snicker. "Come on, Ragnar. I've already told you. No one else on Gaia can read what you just read. Not even Leviathan ever mastered the language. You didn't learn it from anyone…you just found yourself reading it when you arrived. And as for how you arrived…you were scared when you came here. You thought of turning back more than once. And yet…you kept feeling compelled to stay…compelled to come here. Do you think it was a mere coincidence that every time you wanted to turn back a month ago, you just happened to find a berry vine growing there, attracting you further on down the road?"

Ragnar's eyes widened at this. Somehow, he knew about that. Was he reading his mind? Or did the Planet tell him? The more unsettling thing, however…was that he realized what Bahamut said was true. He had felt compelled to stay here by some interior force, compelled to read and learn all about the Cetra and espers. He did enjoy it, of course…but something had driven him to start in the first place. And every time he was going to turn back that one day…something caught his attention and brought him on. But it had to be coincidence… Those berry vines had to have been growing for years… It was just being at the right place at the right time…

Wasn't it?

"I…I don't understand…"

Bahamut raised a finger at this, and pointed straight at the youth. It was with such conviction and power that he almost leapt back, as if burned.

"You, Ragnar, have been chosen by the Planet. It is your destiny to defeat the New Shinra, put an end to the draining of the Planet's life forever, and issue in a new age of peace upon this world."

The young man could only stare silently, his mouth hanging loose again. Bahamut continued to smile, and continued to point at him. Ragnar blinked a few times, hearing this sudden sentence pronounced on him. He tried to speak once or twice, but he was powerless to do so. At last, he swallowed and managed to speak up mildly.

"Are you trying to tell me…that the Planet 'chose' me or something…to…save the world, or something?"

Bahamut gave a calm shrug. "Pretty much, yes."

Ragnar was flabbergasted.

"Are you nuts!" He retorted in response. "Me? I'm some poor ex-slave from Icicle Inn!"

Bahamut merely leaned back a bit and crossed his arms.

"Do you have a love for the Planet?"

Ragnar hesitated at that. He frowned a bit in the end, and then sighed and shrugged. "Well yeah, but lots of people do…"

"Do you acknowledge it as an organism, a living individual?"

The young man paused again. "Well…yes, but…"

"Did you believe in what the Cetra did with their lives?"

"…Yes, but I'm…"

"Do you have no love for New Shinra?"

"Of course I don't, but…"

"Would you like to see your town and the other slaves liberated?"

"Of course!"

"Would you like them to put an end to their reactors?"

"Yeah, but…"

"If you were capable of doing so, if it was within your power, would you do these things?"

"But that's not…!"

Bahamut cut him off with a simple shrug, handling the whole matter casually. "I'd say you fit the criterion pretty well then, Ragnar. There are few people in the world who respect the Planet as an entity and not as simply some object to exploit. Because you have read these runes, you know more about the Cetra and the Planet itself than any other human in the world. I know you have a desire to do the right thing, to stop the injustice that is going on in your world. I can see it within you, and I've seen it before. From one generation of Light Warriors to the next I have seen it burning inside them. You have that inner light too…even more brightly than I have seen in a long time. What holds you back?"

"How about the fact that I can't fight a whole army by myself?" Ragnar retorted.

"Well, of course you can't." Bahamut simply replied. "You'll need to raise an army at some point…"

_"ARMY?"_ Ragnar shouted back, looking like his eyes were about to fall out of his skull. "Raise an army? I don't know anything about being a military officer or leader! I can't lead an army!"

"Leadership is an acquired skill, that is true." Bahamut answered back. "But as far as not being able to handle an army, you are quite wrong. You don't seem to realize how much of a feat it was for you to escape from their Dome. Part of it was luck, true, but a lot of it was cleverness, a keen eye for details, a good memory, an eye for weaknesses, and the ability to utilize all of these in an effective manner. Military tactics are the same way. Besides, you have many texts here that were written on the art of war. You can study those as well."

"I don't even know how to fight!" Ragnar continued to protest.

"That's why I'm here." Bahamut simply answered. "I'll train you."

This cut the young man off. His shock and overwhelmed face melted away, and it turned into more simplicity. He stared at Bahamut a bit anxious, as if wondering if he had heard that right. That wassomething else...being trained bya legendary esper. He had heard about that in history...and hadfantasized a bit about it too.For a moment, he was silent. "…Really?"

"That's why I came back, Ragnar." Bahamut went on. "To find you and prepare you for your great task. If you do as I say and work diligently, I can make you one of the strongest warriors alive. So as you can see, you have the savvy, the smarts, the desire, the skill, and the power to become someone great. To become a hero to this world. You may not have known it until now, but now it can finally come out, and you can realize just how strong and able you are. You have the potential to be an independent andmighty person. The one thing you lack, and I cannot give you, is the drive. That you must decide for yourself. That is the only thing left to hold you back, Ragnar. You have to let it go. Release the fear and doubt you have in yourself…and you will find just how great ahero is within you."

The youth hesitated. He let these words sink in a moment. He closed his mouth, and looked to the ground. It still seemed so unbelievable. Not an hour ago, he was just an escaped convict, hiding out in the City of the Ancients and reading up on history. Now…a living myth had appeared and had come for him, and he was telling him that he was the hero of this age. How could that be? This seemed too crazy to be true… It seemed like some sort of crazy dream, that he would wake up from at any moment and be regular old Ragnar once again…

However…another thought was coming out too. Ragnar did have a fierce spirit, one stronger than many of the other slaves he had worked with. That was why he was so rebellious. And inside…a part of him did want to get back at New Shinra. He did love this world, and he hated the idea of them ruining it as well as the people on it. Had he not fantasized about this? Imagined himself as an ancient hero as well, driving off the evil from the land? Had he not hoped that a champion would arise and save them? Was he so uncertain of himself that he would not seize an opportunity to do the right thing? What was still holding him back? Would he let his fear of himself, fear of his own inadequacy, stop him now?

The young man licked his lips once. Finally, he turned and looked over to Bahamut again.

"…Are you serious about this? Me? Training me? The whole chosen one thing?"

"I don't lie." Bahamut flatly answered.

Ragnar inhaled slowly and exhaled. He hesitated a bit longer. A part of him was still doubting and nervous. However…he thought again a bit harder. Wasn't he the one who always wanted them to revolt? Hadn't he yelled with the others when the New Shinra arrived to get out? Wasn't he the one who sat up and watched for Meteor up until the end, and the one who called for the others to come see? How could he be a hippocrite now? Who would save them if not him? He could just wait for someone else…but why? Waiting had accomplished nothing in the past. He knew that from what he had been reading. The New Shinra might come to this city next, destroy it and its history… And the longer they waited, the stronger they became. There were people dying now…being oppressed more by the day. If he could save them…why shouldn't he? Why let a little fear and doubt stop him when lives were at stake? Why settle for being just another victim? Why not seize this? His destiny? His chance? If he truly cared about the Planet…about the people back home…he couldn't just sit here. He had to be active. He had to try. And now…across from the greatest being in the history of Gaia…he would never get a better shot.

At last, Ragnar reached it. He cast his doubts and fears to the wind, and tightened his jaw and fists. He would do it. Uncertain as he was, inexperienced as he was…he would push that aside and try. He wouldn't let this chance get away. He turned and looked back up to Bahamut, and gave a nod.

"I'll do it."

The esper looked back at him silently. He seemed to be looking him over again…as if peering into his body and soul and seeing what was there. Yet when he did, he must have liked it…for he slowly smiled.

"Come." He stated simply, turning and beginning to walk. "We must get you a weapon."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	43. Trial by Fire

Ragnar carefully picked his way over the rocky hill. It was severely uneven and jagged here, barely offering enough room to step anywhere without getting one's foot stuck or standing on a rock spike. He had been doing this for a while now, and was rather sweaty from the focus it was taking. His feet were also starting to hurt as he made his way onward.

After reaching his decision, Bahamut had led him to the outskirts of the City of the Ancients, and then off of the shell road. From there, they hiked through the forest for a considerable distance. Ragnar found himself attracted to the forest when he passed through. It seemed to have a faint glow to it as he passed by…and some sort of mist hung low on it. It made it seem very dreamlike and strange. This forest too was an ancient place, and full of some mystery… But he wasn't able to focus on that. Bahamut continued to lead him on, taking them around through the woods and began to circle back north. Once they did that, they gradually came out of the woods and back to the rock walls. They ascended these (with Bahamut giving a lot of help to Ragnar), and then began to cross their rough surfaces. They had been at that for about an hour now. The sun was still high, but it had lowered considerably from that morning.

Bahamut, of course, crossed this area easily. Frequently, he had to stop and give Ragnar a chance to catch up. He was doing so now. Once the youth got close enough, he turned and continued on.

"Um…er…Mr. Bahamut?" Ragnar called out uncertainly.

"We have a pupil/master relationship now." Bahamut calmly answered. "Usually during this time, I get addressed as either Master or Sir."

"Er…Master Bahamut…" Ragnar tossed back out. "Where exactly are we going?"

"You probably read at one point in our history of a weapon we made thousands of years ago. It was made with part of the life force of each of the original espers, even Crusader. It was crude at the time, seeing as none of us knew how to make a sword. Fortunately, as we later discovered, the weapon itself was alive…esper-like in and of itself. It changed itself with time to configure to the user. Today, there is only one blade stronger than it in the world.

"Its last owner lost it here somewhere. I'm not sure why he relinquished it, but that doesn't matter now. Because it has its own energy signature, I was able to track it to near here. In our native language, the language we were born speaking, we named it 'Blade of the Espers'. It wasn't until generations later that I discovered that the name we gave it had another translation, for it was similar to a phrase spoken in the language of the Cetra. I thought little of it then…until now. Now, when I met you face to face… Now I believe it is destiny."

Ragnar was a bit puzzled at this response, but he continued to follow after Bahamut.

They kept going for about another five minutes, slowly picking their way over the rough ground. Ragnar stumbled a few times, and got more than a few bruises, but he managed to keep up. At last, something began to come straight ahead of them. Bahamut paused when he saw it, giving Ragnar the impetus to look up as well. The ground was still rough and jagged all around them, almost like a rockslide, but in the ground just ahead there was a hole and a dip in the ground. It seemed to lead into a slightly underground cave. Bahamut turned back to Ragnar and gestured to it. The youth nodded, and followed after him as he continued to approach. After a few moments, they had reached the threshold, and began to enter.

Inside, it was just as rough and jagged as the outside, to Ragnar's chagrin. However, it was also getting dark now. He let out quite a few cries of pain as he stumbled forward, trying to find his way through the rocks without breaking something. He tried to follow Bahamut as best as he could, to avoid getting damaged. They plunged into darkness for a few moments, walking along into the dark recesses.

However, just a bit further ahead, Ragnar started to see light again. This helped illuminate the ground once more, but he also noticed that the ground was getting smoother. It was still rough and uneven, but the rocks were in much larger pieces, providing a flat surface to put one's entire foot on. This was a godsend to Ragnar, whose ankles cried for relief. He stepped on them and worked his way forward faster, heading closer and closer to the light.

At last, Bahamut came to a halt just ahead. Ragnar kept going down for a moment, before he saw the tunnel widen just ahead of the esper. He went down the rest of the way, and stopped alongside his new master. The cave had terminated, but not before widening into a rather large internal area. It was rough in here too. It looked like the cave couldn't have formed too long ago. It gave the impression of it being very fragile, considering how rough and jagged it was. But it also seemed stable enough. There were a few holes in the ceiling of this cave, letting sunlight through in enough rays to totally illuminate the internal area.

The two stood in the entrance a brief moment. Then, Bahamut raised a hand and pointed into the cave. Ragnar looked as well. Bathed in one of the rays, sitting inside one of the stones, was a metal handle. It was huge, giving enough room for a very large grip. Its blade was inside the rock, and it appeared to have been jabbed into the ground and left there.

"I mentioned destiny before, Ragnar." Bahamut continued. "I don't think it was a coincidence that our word for 'Blade of the Espers' also meant something coherent in the Cetra language. I think this blade was meant for you since time immemorial. Take it."

Ragnar looked back to Bahamut for a moment at this, but then turned back. The handle beckoned him. The young man hesitated a second longer, but then swallowed and stepped forward. This felt strange…like the beginning of some new legend. However, he walked forward none the less, making his way to the sword.

After a few moments, he passed into the light rays streaming into the area. He hesitated there. They made him feel a bit different when he passed out of the darkness and into the light. Yet after a second longer, he stepped forward once again. He soonfound himself standing over the hilt. He looked down to it a moment. It wasn't just inserted here. It had to be imbedded in the stone. He turned uncertainly back to the esper. Bahamut merely gave him a nod, and so he turned back to the ground. He swallowed again, but then finally bent over to it.

Very carefully, Ragnar placed his hands around the hilt. It felt cold to the touch, and it sent a shiver down his spine. He tightened his grip, and then braced himself. After taking in one deep breath, he pulled back with all of his might.

The sword slid easily out, just like a hot knife through butter. Ragnar leapt back a bit from the force, unexpecting the low resistance, as he hoisted the blade from the ground. It was huge, a very long and very fat blade. It was nearly the size of Ragnar itself. And yet it came forth easily. Once it was out, and he recovered from his stumbling backward, he held it up in front of him. In the light of the sun, it shone with a pale white light. It looked smooth and flawless. Ragnar looked up and down the blade as he held it. There appeared to be some sort of writing on it…but something he couldn't make out…

Yet Ragnar forgot about that soon after. The blade suddenly felt warm in his hands…and he thought he detected something from it. It was like there was a current of energy moving through it, rippling into his body. What he touched soon seemed to be filled with power…almost like a living thing in his grasp. He could feel it coming off of it. The wind that came by actually blew warm breezes from the blade into his face. As he looked on at it, however, he received another shock. It began to change.

The long, straight pale blade suddenly curved inward slightly, turning it into more of a schimitar in shape. As it did, the edges of the blade began to peel off and curve back, as if flaring from the main sword. His handle shifted in his own grasp, altering into something new. The blade turned from a pale white to a burning gold as it distorted. Ragnar watched the transformation take place in his hands, too stunned and nervous to do anything else with it.

At last, the transformation was complete. It still felt alive in his hands, but it was a new sword now. The hilt he grasped was golden with jewels and precious stones worked into it. The sword itself had twisted back and frayed out smaller blades in such a way that it was in the shape of a flame now. Not only that, but its golden color shimmered and sparkled in the light of the day. It had so many fine details to it that as he turned it in the sun, it appeared that he was not holding a sword at all, but a blade of fire. He was wielding what looked like a living flame.

Ragnar stared at it a moment, feeling its warmth and the power within it. Then, he moved it. He swung it twice in the air, testing it out. It was light as a feather. Huge as it was, Ragnar lifted it with ease. And as it went through the air, it seemed to cut it so sharply and in just such the right way...that it almost sounded like fire burning. The youth continued to stare at it as Bahamut slowly made his way up to him. Only when the esper was behind him did Ragnar turn and look to him, and then back to the sword.

"Behold…Ragnarok." Bahamut announced. "A name which, in the Cetra tongue, literally means, 'Flame of Ragnar'."

The young man snapped back to Bahamut at that in surprise. He turned back to the sword afterward, and saw it sparkling in the sun. Ragnarok…the legendary blade of the espers… Ragnar could see that the runes were still on the side of the sword, and now he knew what they were. They were the names of the original espers, and all of their progeny. Every time one of them had a child, the name was added to the sword automatically. He had read the legend. But hearing this…hearing that this sword had been named as being his flame… And now, seeing it spontaneously turn into a sword of fire in his grasp…it astonished the young man. For the first time…he truly began to realize that this destiny Bahamut spoke of was no joke.

For a long time, he just stood there, staring at the sword. It took him a while to get it all in. At the end, he swallowed again, and turned back to Bahamut, slowly exhaling.

"Alright…so now what?"

"Now we go back and rest for tonight." The esper answered. "Tomorrow, we start early."

* * *

Ragnar was right in the middle of a rather peaceful dream of the City of the Ancients…when a feeling of being wet and cold covered him and broke it off.

Sputtering and coughing, Ragnar rose out of his makeshift bed with a snap. Cold water was now dripping down his face and soaking his pillow and blanket. He immediately put his hands against his head and unconsciously swiped away at the water there. He did so for a few moments, spitting and clearing his throat, before opening his eyes and looking ahead of him.

Bahamut stood over him, holding an empty bucket, and staring at him plainatively.

"Next time get up when I tell you to."

Ragnar frowned and looked around a bit. The inside of the house was always well lit, but he could see outside through the door opening. It was still almost black out. Only a slight bit of blue was showing. It couldn't have been later than five in the morning. Ragnar turned up to the esper again.

"Do we really have to start this early?"

"If you want to get done with everything I have planned, yes." Bahamut answered. "And don't talk back. Just do it."

Ragnar grumbled a bit, and began to crawl out of his makeshift bed. He hoped that this was worth it.

* * *

After getting breakfast, Ragnar and Bahamut both went outside. It was still pretty dark out, but the white glow from overhead always illuminated this place. Ragnar had torn his uniform pants into shorts, and had discarded all except the simple sleeveless t-shirt. He had also butchered down his boots into simple shoes. Once both were out and standing a good distance from the pond, in the open, Bahamut turned to him.

"Now then, first thing we need to do is stretches."

Ragnar raised an eyebrow. "Stretches?"

The esper frowned at him in response. "Didn't I tell you I hate repeating myself? And what did I tell you about talking back? Don't do it again, or you'll regret it."

Ragnar was a bit unnerved at how serious Bahamut said this last portion. He clammed up and did as he was told. Bahamut proceeded to show him various ways of stretching his whole body, which Ragnar followed. He was rather stiff and tight in many places. He could barely do some of the harder ones. What really astonished him, however, was that Bahamut devoted a whole thirty minutes just to this. Ragnar hadn't expected to spend so much time just doing the introductory stuff. However, it was finally over. When it was, both he and Bahamut were sitting on the ground across from each other.

"Now…what I am going to try to teach you is a combination of the Fabul Monk Training Regimen in addition to the sword fighting style perfected by my brother Odin. Feel free to supplement the style if you like, especially if you find anything in your reading that looks good. Surprise me. Now then, for your first bit. Fifty pushups, fifty situps, fifty crunches, fifty leg lifts, and then go to that branch over there that's just higher than you for fifty pullups and fifty chinups."

Ragnar's eyes widened. "That many?"

_WHAM_

Ragnar soon felt that someone had taken a steel pipe to the side of his face, and whipped his head down violently. A hot pain flashed against his cheek, and his skull and face throbbed in pain. Wincing, he looked back up to what had happened. He saw Bahamut suddenly standing over him. He had moved that quickly. What more, his hand was now curled forward in a gesture like he had just slapped something. Ragnar immediately recognized it was him. His eyes looked down cold and hard at him, with some irritation.

"I warned you not totalk backagain. I'll do worse next time. If you have energy to complain, you have energy to do it. Now go."

Ragnar stared back up at him a moment. He couldn't help but feel a little angry at being struck, but at the same time he wasn't going to dispute the esper any more. Without a word, he twisted himself over, put his body against the ground, and began to do the pushups.

It took forever to do all the exercises. Ragnar was covered with sweat when he was finally finished. He had never done more than twenty pushups at a time in his life, let alone this other stuff with it. However, he didn't complain again, but silently submitted to what Bahamut had him do. The esper was patient with him. When he became too exhausted to keep going, Bahamut calmly waited for him to recover and finish the amount he was doing. By the time he was finally finished, he was rather tired and sore. As he managed to yank his body over the last chinup, Bahamut nodded and began to walk forward. Ragnar exhaled and fell to the ground. By now, it was much lighter out, nearly dawn.

"Alright, that's it for the warmup." Bahamut announced.

Ragnar just managed to keep himself from blurting out: _Warm up?_

"Next is some running. Endurance is a valuable commodity to have. But before we do that, I'd like to add a little something."

With that, the esper turned to one side. He looked down to a nearby large rock, and made a gesture to it. It immediately lifted into the air. Bahamut did another gesture with his fingers, and to Ragnar's surprise the rock altered. It broke into smaller pieces, shifted around somewhat, and took on a new form. In the end, when Bahamut was done with it, two boots, two arm bands, and what looked like upper shoulder armor fell to the ground with a crash.

Bahamut saw Ragnar's surprise, and cracked a small smile. "Most espers knew how to conjure advanced items by molding regular raw materials with their minds. However, after gaining my Neo form, I gained the ability to manipulate matter on the atomic level, making it possible for me to form any small item out of anything. It only works on small items, however. Larger ones are too much of a strain even for me. Now, put those on."

Ragnar stepped forward to the new items, kicking off his flimsy shoes in the process. He sat down on the ground, and started by putting on the boots. However, to his surprise, they were a bit heavy. They held his feet down when he put them on. He put on the arm bands next, and found a similar effect. They so weighed down his limbs that he had some trouble putting on the upper shoulder armor, which he found was weighted too. Once he had all this on, he slowly got back to his feet. It wasn't easy. He wobbled a bit under the new weight. At last, he stood up.

Bahamut pointed to him. "You'll notice that you are now weighted in several key areas. I've put on a grand total of about 50 extra pounds onto your body. From now on, leave those on morning, noon, and night. Do your morning warmups with them on. Even doing regular activities will work you out somewhat now."

Ragnar let out a groan, hoping that didn't count as talking back.

"Don't look so grim." The esper responded. "Being depressed will only give you less energy. Now, let's get going. It will take a while to do ten miles."

* * *

The sun was well in the sky when Ragnar's sweaty, nearly collapsing body dragged itself to a stop by where Bahamut had halted. Bahamut hadn't been joking about the ten miles. What he had neglected to mention is that a considerable amount of it had been uphill on rough terrain. He could barely move on the rough terrain, unable to be light enough in step or as certain with his steps in the weights. What more, as he grew tired, he began to collapse along the trail, and became so weak in the knees that he could barely keep his feet from shaking. He struggled hard not to fall down flat in front of his master.

"Ok, you'll get about a fifteen minute break." Bahamut responded. "After that, it's time for one more exercise before lunch."

The esper gestured to one side. Ragnar, still trying to stay standing, turned his head to the area. They were back in the forest at the moment, and on one of the pathways that someone had blazed through it. But just to the side, a few feet away from where Bahamut stood, was a small river. It was shallow and thin, allowing the formation of rapids and a fast movement of water. This was where Bahamut was pointing. The youth looked to it, then back to him.

"The next exercise is swimming. Swimming is good because it works every muscle in the body, as well as builds endurance. From here, the City of the Ancients is about a mile upstream. Swim there."

Ragnar struggled hard not to cry out. His muscles began to ache already. His body quivered with fear just at the thought of doing this. He slowly turned back to the river…and saw it was moving downstream very quickly. Some of the parts were indeed rapids. He turned back to Bahamut after that, and spoke somewhat mildly.

"Master…do I at least get to take off my weights?"

"Of course you don't." The esper simply replied. "That will make this an even better workout. And it will help keep you from being swept downstream if you stop. Don't worry. I'll be keeping an eye on you. If you get your foot stuck and your head is sucked underwater, I'll bail you out."

"…Thanks." Ragnar answered in the most halfhearted tone he had ever managed.

* * *

By the time Ragnar half dragged what was left of his body out of the water and limped back to the City of the Ancients, he felt like a dead salmon. He had nearly been drowned more than once, and his body was covered with bruises from where he had been banged around on the rapids and hit himself in the wrong places. It had been a nightmare. Even now, Ragnar could still feel his body being tossed around violently by the water, and he stank of freshwater algae. He was still trying to get his breath back.

However, be that as it may, he was also starving. He never recalled digging into beetles so vigorously. His appetite had never been so worked up before. The only problem is that he felt so weak, his appendages quivered as he struggled to feet himself. He could barely put a berry into his mouth without crushing it against his face first. Despite how meager it was, it was one of the better meals he had in a long time in terms of satisfaction. And it did recharge precious energy reserves.

When they finished eating, Bahamut helped Ragnar back to his feet, for he was a bit too wobbly to balance himself. After that, he led Ragnar to the outskirts of the City of the Ancients yet again. He went back into the forest, but not too far. He just went far enough to take his student into a clearing in the trees. He came to a stop here. Ragnar, tired and limping, came up to him and halted as well.

"Alright now." Bahamut began, gesturing to the field around him. "Time for the afternoon exercises. This one will provide some benefits to you besides just being in terms of strength. I don't know about you, but I'm eventually going to get sick of eating beetles and berries for every meal. So I thought we might as well raise a garden while we're here. This place will provide a good field. Of course, it will have to be plowed and cleared first, and that's where you come in."

Ragnar grimaced a bit at this, and let out another slow groan.

"Stop groaning all the time." Bahamut retorted. "What are you, an old oak?"

The youth suppressed a sigh, and turned to the field around him. He blinked for a moment, and then turned from side to side, looking a bit confused and puzzled. After a moment, he turned back to Bahamut and shrugged. "Where's the hoe?"

"If the good Lord intended you to use a hoe, he wouldn't have given you two hands." The esper calmly answered.

Ragnar's eyes bulged again. "You…" He piped out, before managing to silence himself. He was about to say: _You've got to be kidding me. _This was madness to him, or some bizarre form of torture. Now he was going to literally work his fingers to the bone digging a piece of farmland with his bare hands. His face became strained and anxious, and he looked at Bahamut rather pathetically.

However, the esper merely waved him on. "Well, get going." He ordered. "The sooner its done, the sooner you can get the food from it."

* * *

Ragnar's hands were red and throbbing, and his nails felt like they were nearly pried off of his fingers. His hands were stained with dirt that he thought would never come out, and his back and arms ached from bending over and digging so much. For all his effort, he had only managed to "plow" a ten foot long row. He had to dig deep, raking his hands against stones and other subterranean bugs as he went, in order to fulfill Bahamut's standards of plowing down and deep. Yet after a few hours, that latest part of the torture was finished, and Ragnar was led on into the forest again.

Now, he found himself standing next to a rather large tree. There was a good open space around it, because it had a thick overhead canopy that blotted out most life below. Bahamut, at first, ordered him just to stand next to the tree. Once he had done so, the esper produced a large sack that he had no doubt materialized earlier, probably during lunch. Ragnar looked to all of this curiously, wondering what the next horror Bahamut had planned for him was.

The esper started by reaching into the sack. He emerged with a small box with a single sliding compartment. This, he handed to Ragnar. "Do not open this." He told him as the youth took it. "But shake it now, as hard as you can. Keep shaking until I say stop."

The young man hesitated, but then shrugged and did what Bahamut said. In response, he heard a clicking inside of it, but nothing else. While he did this, he watched his master. To his surprise, Bahamut next pulled out a rather long length of chain from his sack. He started by looping it around the tree, giving it just enough room to rotate freely around it, and then chained it closed with a padlock. He then went to Ragnar next. As the youth continued to shake the box, Bahamut attached some sort of special belt to Ragnar's waist, and then attached the chain to it with another padlock. Lastly, he locked the belt to Ragnar's waist tightly, making sure there was no way he could get it off, and then chained this closed as well.

"Master, what is this?" Ragnar asked at this point.

"An exercise that works on your reflexes and maneuverability." Bahamut explained. "You will have to successfully dodge what is attacking you within a limited range."

The young man looked confused again. "And…what's attacking me?"

"Stop shaking and open the box."

Ragnar hesitated, but then looked down, stopped shaking, and slid open the compartment. As he did, Bahamut took a few tentative steps back, away from the youth. As for Ragnar, he saw nothing for a moment…before three very large, very angry-looking wasps buzzed out of the box, and immediately set their sights on the youth in front of them.

"These are special Torian Wasps." Bahamut explained, now a distance away. "They can sting continuously for an hour. They aren't poisonous, but their sting is quite painful none the less. There is your enemy. Begin."

Ragnar didn't hear this last word. He was too busy screaming in agony.

* * *

Now, Ragnar felt like a pincushion. They may not have been poisonous, but that didn't stop them from leaving every square inch of his exposed flesh feeling tender and sore. He lost track after the first five minutes of how many times he had been stung. However, he had been chained there for an _hour_. And true to Bahamut's word, the wasps didn't get tired of stinging their victim, even when he fell to the ground and appeared dead, for that time. If they had been poisonous, Ragnar realized the pain would have killed him after fifteen minutes… There was one exercise that he felt himself growing very anxious about doing tomorrow…

But still they weren't done. Now, Bahamut took him back to the City of the Ancients. He hoped that meant that there was something easy this time. The esper wound him around through the various shell streets, and made his way north. Ragnar hadn't been this way before, because there were no houses. However, he led him just the same, and the youth continued to twist and turn after him.

"Again, this next exercise, and our final standard one for the day, will confer immediate benefits. So long as you're living in the City of the Ancients, you should probably do something to help make it more inhabitable. This last project is construction and restoration. You will be working to help rebuild this town for you and anyone else who comes here."

The youth exhaled a bit, but did manage a slight smile. This was something he was interested in doing for a change. In the end, he gave a shrug. "Well, alright then. I'd like that."

"Good." Bahamut answered. "First things first…I'll need you to clear some rubble off a road that blocks another path out of the city."

With this, Bahamut halted and gestured ahead. Ragnar stopped as well and looked in front of him. His smile immediately faded. He saw the road end just a bit further along the way. But the "some rubble" was not rubble at all. It was a rather monstrous rockslide that had run down over this part of the road thousands of years ago. The rock had sedimented together and now formed a strong and impregnable looking barrier. It looked almost like part of the mountain chain at this point. It would take a work crew months to clear this out alone with heavy equipment. Ragnar turned a bit white yet again, and then looked back to Bahamut.

The esper responded by holding out a simple pick axe to him.

"You should be happy. I'm letting you use a tool this time."

* * *

Ragnar was very glad that when dinner arrived Bahamut didn't force him to use his hands. They were tingling and raw now, feeling like they were burning. He couldn't grasp anything with them, for being so sore. He was hunched over and stiff too. With the greatest effort, he managed to eat his meal almost like a dog. He began to wonder if every hero's first day was this miserable…

When dinner was over with, Bahamut took Ragnar out back to the opening in the City of the Ancients. At last, he told Ragnar to strap on his sword. The youth's hands had just recovered enough to be able to hold it, and he was glad that it was so lightweight or he never would have lifted it. Bahamut himself stood opposite him, and began to crack his neck and limber himself up. As he did, he snapped his hand down once. Immediately, a white sword materialized in his hand. Ragnar reacted in surprise yet again as it appeared. However, he calmed quickly, and looked down at it. It appeared to be a fine weapon itself, gleaming in the dim light of the setting sun, and sharp and double-edged. The handle looked like it was made out of dragonscale and bone… For all Ragnar knew, it was.

Bahamut himself grimaced a little. He waved his sword two and fro through the air a moment, and then looked back to Ragnar. "I'm not going to pretend to be an expert, Ragnar. I memorized much of Odin's technique, but at best I'm just an advanced student, not a proper mentor. I never used swords. However, I do know enough to know that I will be teaching you a very specific style. Before I begin, I want to tell you something. In case the historical accounts didn't make it clear, let me tell you. In every single fight between me and my brother, I was always sorely outclassed. In terms of strength, speed, and stamina, I was the one who always lacked. And yet, I beat him twice and seriously damaged him on another occasion. Do you know why?"

Ragnar stared back silently for a moment, but in the end shook his head. "No, master."

"Because my opponent lost his focus." Bahamut simply answered. "He lost control. He grew angry and made blatant mistakes. Without the proper focus, anger is nothing but a hindrance. I was able to stay alive in my fight with Griever and outdo Wyvern multiple times because I used my brain. Whenever possible, I made the enemy play into my hands. When they do that, you are the one in control, even if you appear to be on the defensive. It's up to them to make themselves formidable, because while they think they're pushing you back, they're the one who had better not show any weaknesses to exploit. Lose your temper…and you'll be dead in seconds. Keep control. Keep focus. And where you are concerned…_never_ initiate the fight. Understand?"

The youth gave a single nod.

Bahamut nodded back. "Very well. Then let's begin. We'll start slow. Get into your ready position."

At this, Bahamut demonstrated it. He spread out his legs, appropriating the proper balance to each limb, and then raised the sword and brandished it in front of him in a way that gave him the ability to attack, but also made a good guard. Ragnar looked at this a moment, but then mimicked the great esper. He shifted his feet out in the same way, and raised his sword into the same position.

Bahamut gave a nod. "Very good. Now…begin."

Ragnar immediately yanked up Ragnarok, gave a yell, and stormed forward with the sword behind his head, ready to bring it down in a massive overhead chop on Bahamut. The esper watched him for one second doing this, before emitting a tired sigh. Then, just as Ragnar was about to get in range, he merely put his sword down, stood up, and answered Ragnar with a powerful thrust kick right into his exposed stomach.

The air went rushing out of the youth's lungs before the force of the blow ripped him off of his feet and made him sail backward a good seven feet. He landed on the ground hard, bouncing a bit, and he gagged and winced as a result. Ragnarok clattered out of his grasp. He gasped, trying to get his breath back, and wincing and writing on the ground a moment. His whole lower body was wracked with pain. At last, he managed to open his eyes, but at that point he froze. Bahamut was poised over him, and his sword was at his throat.

The young man paled for a moment. Cold sweat ran down his brow. However, it lasted only a second. After that, Bahamut pulled the sword away from him, and extended a free hand downward. Ragnar hesitated, but then reached up and grabbed it. The esper pulled him to his feet soon after.

"Two lessons to learn from this." Bahamut spoke. "One…never leave yourself so open. Two…listen to me when I tell you something. I told you that your stance has to be defensive. Don't make the first move. Wait for me and then intercept."

Ragnar looked a bit downcast at this, but gave a nod in response. He slowly exhaled, picked Ragnarok back up, and went back to his position. Bahamut then turned and walked back to where he was before. He turned and held up his blade again. Both returned to the ready position, and touched swords.

"Alright…begin."

Ragnar didn't move a muscle.

Bahamut's brow creased in irritation. "What's wrong with you? I told you to begin!"

The youth looked a bit surprised at that, and was caught off guard. He fumbled a moment, but then dove forward and brought his blade down again, this time keeping it lower by shoving it down on Bahamut once more. The esper snorted. With one hand, he easily flung Ragnar's blade to one side and out of his grip…and then shot forward like lightning to smash his elbow in the young man's face. It was only because he went easy on Ragnar that the youth's nose didn't shatter. At any rate, he was knocked back even further this time as sharp, dazzling pain radiated through his skull. He groaned on the ground, unable to rise from that blow. Within an instant, Bahamut was on him again, and pointing his sword at his throat.

The esper looked to him with disdain when he pulled his sword away. "Ragnar…do you have some problem understanding me?" He addressed him. "This is the third time I'm having to tell you not to make the first move."

The youth shook his head, clearing the stars out of his eyes. But then, he looked back up to Bahamut with a puzzled expression, and even a bit irritated. "But…you told me to begin. You yelled at me when I didn't attack…"

"And what do you think your opponent is going to be doing in battle?" Bahamut snapped back harshly. "Making pleasant conversation? Complimenting your mother? Your opponent is going to be yelling at you, cursing you, goading you, and doing everything he can to unsettle you so that you're that much easier to kill. So that you understand things a bit more clearly…whenever we spar, I am your enemy, not your teacher. I will be doing everything in my power to be as fierce and ruthless as a true opponent would be. As such, you had better not listen to anything I say until I tell you we are finished. Now…let's try it again."

The esper extended a hand to Ragnar once more. The youth swallowed a bit, feeling a bit uncomfortable again. However, he took the hand in the end and got pulled back to his feet. Once he was up, he began to go for his sword next.

"And by the way," Bahamut added as he did this. "You know that I am a good ten times stronger than you. _I_ know that I am a good thousand times stronger than you.So why are you attempting to overpower me? You should play to your strengths if you don't know my weaknesses. Look for an opening instead."

The youth slowly exhaled, but nodded as he bent down and grabbed Ragnarok again. After this, however, he inhaled and stiffened himself. He was going to do it right this time. No matter what happened, he was going to please Bahamut. He was going to do everything he said correctly, and handle this using his brain. He was determined to do it before this night was done. Once he had his sword, he immediately returned and went into ready position. His face was more stern now, focused and determined on getting it right.

Bahamut saw this…and stoicly raised his own blade and touched it to his. Both were at the ready, and glared into each other's eyes for a moment.

"Begin."

Ragnar didn't move a muscle. His own eyes pierced Bahamut's strong, powerful ones, and he held. He wouldn't move first this time. He would wait and act on what he saw. He stood as still as a statue, waiting for Bahamut to make the first move. The esper stared silently back, glaring at him with his old cold vision.

A minute passed…then another…and another…and another… Ten minutes went by, and still neither opponent moved. Bahamut was as cold and steely as ever. Ragnar was confused. Why wasn't he moving? Was this another test or something? He thought of attacking at this point…but he quickly dismissed the idea. He wouldn't be the first this time. No matter what. He continued to hold, and didn't change his outer expression in the least.

Ten minutes later…and Ragnar began to quiver. Light as Ragnarok was, it was a pain to hold it in this position. The youth was too sore and tired from that day. His knees were beginning to shake, and his grip trembled. Ragnarok slowly scraped alongside of Bahamut's own sword. But still, the esper was as still as a statue, and glared at him unendingly. Ragnar forced himself to do the same.

Thirty minutes later…and nothing. The youth was beginning to breathe hard now, trying to keep his eyes focused on Bahamut. He was blinking regularly now, and struggling to stay aloft. His legs were turning to jelly. He wavered on his feet, touching and removing his sword from Bahamut's every few seconds. He was exhausted and sore. His muscles were burning. He couldn't keep this up forever…but still Bahamut did not move. Ragnar thought of attacking again. It would be better to lose than to stay in this agonizing position. But he was determined not to disobey Bahamut this time…and he waited. He began to wonder if Bahamut was in some sort of trance, or even if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open. However, he continued to stand and wait in the end.

After another ten minutes, it was too much. The strain was making Ragnar dizzy. He hadn't the reserves left for this. He was nearly stumbling on his own two feet now. It didn't matter whether or not Bahamut was going to attack him or not anymore, or if he would yell at him for breaking off. He couldn't do it anymore. Letting out a groan, Ragnar let his arms drop, he released Ragnarok, and then clattered to the ground in a heap.

The young man closed his eyes and lay there. His muscles screamed for joy at relaxing. His stiffness was assuaged. But in the end…he knew he couldn't do it. He had broken off. Still, he lay against the ground and struggled to regain his strength. It didn't matter. When he finally had some of his bearings back, he cracked open his eyes, expecting to see Bahamut standing over him with his sword at his throat.

He was a bit surprised with what he saw instead. Bahamut was crouched over him now, and he was giving him a small smile.

"Well done."

Ragnar blinked once, and looked confused. "Well done? I passed out before my opponent…"

"True, but that was beyond your control." Bahamut simply replied. "What you did do was obey me. You refused to let my own silence and stillness, nor your own exhaustion and irritation, goad you into making the wrong move. It seems you do know how to obey and listen, even when the results are painful for you. You've mastered the first tenet of this technique in the first night, when many other people would lack the patience to do so. I wanted to make sure to hammer this lesson home before anything else.

"We will do no more for sword practice tonight. Tomorrow, we'll truly begin with moves and steps. True sparring is still a good month away. For now, I want you to go to bed. This was your first day, so I'll let you sleep. Starting tomorrow, however, I'll want you to start reading some of that suggested material. I learned long ago that improving one's body is only half of the way to being a great warrior. Your mind must also continue to train."

The esper held out a hand to Ragnar. The youth sighed tiredly.

"I'm too tired to move…"

The esper withdrew his hand after that. He looked down at the youth for a moment, seeming to be considering something. Then, in the end, he reached out and grabbed Ragnar by the shoulder. Pulling him off the ground with ease, he raised him up with one arm, and put his other arm behind his own neck and held it. He stood, bringing Ragnar to his feet with him. The young man was a bit surprised. He didn't think Bahamut was going to give him any assistance tonight. However, the esper merely smiled at him, before turning to the shell house and beginning to drag Ragnar back toward it.

The young man thought for a moment after this, thinking about what Bahamut had told him. In truth…it made him feel a bit happy. So he had done something right in the end after all. And he made the esper proud…made his idol proud. That was something of high estimation to the young man. It made him feel good inside. And that made everything else a bit more bearable…a bit more hopeful.

As Bahamut took Ragnar across the threshold and into the home, the youth, for the first time that day, looked forward to continuing the training tomorrow.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	44. Liberation

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone. You may have noticed that I put in a three chapter update this time. However, I did this for a reason. I'm going on vacation to the Smoky Mountains this week. I won't be back until Saturday. So I gave you guys a couple chapters to tide you over, so don't feel you have to read them all at once...

_

* * *

Five Months Later_

Things had been eventful over the passing weeks. And Ragnar was happy to see the changes.

Every day, Ragnar continued the same regimen. The running, the swimming, the gardening, the wasps… All of it. Ragnar drained himself of strength every day, and for the first two weeks it was terrible. But after that…each day he began to see himself grow a bit stronger. As time wore on, Ragnar was able to run a bit longer before slipping into a walk or break. He was able to swim for a few more seconds before going under. He could dig more readily with his arms. He got fewer stings. The pile of rocks tunneled out was larger and larger with each passing day. All of his exercises went quicker too.

Ragnar's thin body continued to remain so, but it began to grow hard and firm. As his clothing deteriorated from the amount of work and toil he put them through, he revealed muscles that grew in size and power daily. He continued to train with Bahamut. He learned the basics, walked through certain moves, and learned all the standards guards and strikes. Then he began to spar. Each time, Bahamut ended up winning hands down at the end. But each time…Bahamut put in a bit more speed and power. And despite doing so, Ragnar was able to keep up longer and longer.

Ragnar continued to reach, speeding through the tactics and new skills in swordfighting. True to what Bahamut suggested, he surprised Bahamut with them in their spars. Most of the time Bahamut easily got out of it or deflected it. But once or twice…he made the esper actually react in the mildest hint of surprise. He continued to practice these on his own time, making time to do so for it. And he was fast developing his own sword technique, based on a fusion of Odin's style and the Cetra's ancient style.

Bahamut pushed him harderas he began to complete tasks more quickly. Heraised up morning exercises to sixty, and sat on Ragnar during pushups. He made Ragnar run an extra mile. He added a fourth wasp. And yet…Ragnar took this all in stride. He responded with working harder than before. He had now instilled in him a sense of improvement and self worth from that improvement. He knew he was getting stronger and faster, and he tackled each new challenge with more ferocity. He didn't know it…but the esper was very pleased. Where Ragnar had started off whining and uneasy at first, he was quickly moving into being a very disciplined individual. Just as Bahamut had predicted, he did have the right qualities inside him. They only needed the impetus to come out. And the esper was proud of what he was doing. He began to see the greatness within Ragnar be unleashed.

Soon, within a few more months' time, he knew that Ragnar would show he had more than just physical capability. He would begin to apply his intellect and prudence as well…and then he would truly be a sight to behold. He was already preparing him, having added the last element a month ago. He began Ragnar on his own meditation…his own time of the day to sit and collect his thoughts, and find things within his mind he hadn't known existed before…

* * *

The young man, now tight with muscle as he gleamed with sweat in the morning sun, was finishing up his jogging five months after he had begun. A week ago, Bahamut had increased his weight load to 75 pounds. But despite the strain, he was pushing on. He could now jog the whole way on his morning run, and even with the added weight he was adapting well. He even smiled in the midst of his struggling as he ran down the road, headed toward the riverside where he normally began his swimming for the day. 

As he rounded a corner, he saw Bahamut calmly waiting there for him, hands behind his back and watching for him to arrive. He gave a mild smile as he saw him approach, pleased that he was so easily adapting to the new weight. Ragnar trotted a bit closer, but then slowed to a halt as he arrived in front of him. He stopped, bent down a little, and began to pant.

Bahamut gave a nod to him, and looked to the sky. "Well now, pupil of mine…" He murmured aloud. "It looks like a new record. Fifteen miles in two hours."

Ragnar grinned a bit as he panted, glad to get the acknowledgement. However, he shook his head, letting his wet hair scatter his sweat across the ground. "Not good enough… I'm still jogging most of the way. I need to get to where I can run it."

Bahamut smiled at this and gave a snicker. "And to think…five months ago I had to twist your arm to do ten."

The youth grinned again, but then leaned up soon after. He began to eagerly swing his arms. "Master…I think I'm ready to go ahead and try the rapids now. I'm feeling really energized today."

The esper shook his head at this. "Cooling down is important as well, if you don't want to pull muscles and get the maximum effect of your exercise. Besides, I've got another item for you to do before you begin." Here, the esper gestured straight behind him, deeper into the woods. "There's a rock ridge back there with a berry vine. I noticed on the way down that they just ripened today. Why don't you swing by there and collect some for lunch today?"

Ragnar panted for a moment, but then leveled a critical glare at Bahamut, although he continued to smile. "Couldn't you have done it yourself, master?"

The esper merely smiled at that. "That's what pupils are for. And don't talk back."

Both men chuckled at that in response. However, in the end, Ragnar turned in the direction that Bahamut indicated and gave a nod. "I'll be back before the fifteen minutes is up. I don't mind doing a little climbing today too. Maybe we could add that…"

As the young man turned and began to run in that direction, Bahamut sighed and shook his head at him. He crossed his arms as he saw him vanish into the woods. "And people say _I'm_ the masochist…"

* * *

To Ragnar, this was a pretty good cool down. The forest was much cooler than running on the paths, especially because it was summer. Here he was in the shade, and the forest was still damp from a recent rain. Even with the weights on, a light jog through here wasn't that much of an addition. He still felt pumped from the first bout of running anyway. 

Ragnar looked up ahead to see if the hill was coming into view yet. It hadn't at this time. The Sleeping Forest, as Ragnar had learned that this was called, could be very thick in most places. It was very easy to lose one's way, especially since the canopy usually blotted out the sun. But Ragnar had been here before. He knew that it was only about a half mile from where he jumped in the river to the place that Bahamut had spoke of. After all, he was the first person to spot it, while looking for food one day. However, the berries weren't ripe at the time. Any sweet berry that Ragnar could get was a welcome change. Unfortunately, his diet still consisted mostly of insects. He had brought up switching to meat more than once to his master, but Bahamut refused. He told him insects were higher in protein. Regardless of that, Ragnar thought with a frown as he looked back down and continued to run ahead, he'd like to get some meat soon, before he eternally had the feeling of beetle legs in between his teeth. He supposed he could try fishing ag…

The young man suddenly cut off his train of thought andfroze. He spotted something ahead. Immediately, he went silent, and hoped that he hadn't alerted it already. Nervousness came over him, and he felt his palms begin to sweat with his growing anxiety. Just a bit down from where he was, just behind a tree…was something that didn't belong in the forest. It was blue fabric. He could just see the edge of it poking out from behind the tree. It was a bit tattered and dirty, but he could see precious little elsefrom where it was situated. However…he did know where he usually saw that color…

The uniforms of New Shinra soldiers.

The youth looked ahead and swallowed. Had he been spotted? Was the person ahead waiting for him? He didn't know. For a moment, he was at a loss of what to do. He left Ragnarok back in the City of the Ancients, but by now he was fairly strong himself. Yet all the strength in the world wouldn't save him from a well-placed bullet. The fabric stayed motionless behind the tree. It didn't seem to react to him. Ragnar frowned. He could try to sneak back… If he was trying to ambush him ahead, then it wouldn't matter if he did that. But at the same time…he didn't need New Shinra knowing he was here.

In the end, he decided to act. Ragnar hadn't been wearing his leg weights for five months and not learned how to be very light on his feet. As quietly as he could, he began to step forward, zeroing in on the blue cloth as he did so. Luckily, most of the forest floor of the Sleeping Forest was uncovered, because the thick canopy allowed no undergrowth. And in summer, there were no leaves to crunch. He was able to advance without a sound, his thin shoes stepping easily into the soft dirt. Within a few moments, he had closed half the distance. The person ahead still didn't react…didn't make a sound. Perhaps he was waiting for him too. However…he was still sure that he couldn't see him. At least…he thought he was. He wasn't leaving any noise or sight…

At last, Ragnar reached the tree. He held a moment, and then with a quick and nimble move, and as silent as a falling leaf, Ragnar twisted himself around and pressed his own back against the same tree. He still heard nothing on the other side. Here, Ragnar forced his breathing to not be so heavy. Cold sweat mounted on his brow. This was it. Did he wait for a move to be made? Or did he go on? Something told him to wait…but, in the end, he supposed that Bahamut's tenet about letting the enemy make the first move didn't apply here. However…he did have one strategy.

Very slowly, not making a noise, Ragnar bent down low to the ground. His fingers carefully reached out across the forest soil, and closed around a good sized stone near the base of the tree. He silently rose again, and turned his head behind him, almost as if he could see the person on the other side of this tree. He thought a moment. To Ragnar's left was the direction he came. That's probably where he was expecting. The other side might be less guarded. Reaching a conclusion on strategy, Ragnar moved. Quickly, he ducked out of one side of the tree and flung the stone to his left. It clattered against another tree, breaking the silence of the forest. Using this as surprise, he wheeled around the opposite side and meant to lunge at the person.

But in the end…Ragnar was the only one who was surprised…and horrified.

"Marion…" He breathlessly uttered.

A woman was slumped against the backside of the tree, wearing tattered, rag remains of a Shinra uniform. It wasn't her own, but had been used obviously as throwing on a bit of clothing at the last minute. It was muddy and torn in many places. The woman herself was dirty and sweat covered. Her eyes were closed, and her face was twisted in weak agony. The most shocking thing of all, however, was a great bloody wound at her side. It was from not one, but two bullet holes. It seemed to have dried by now, but it had bled a lot while still open, covering her sides and hands with blood. She had been lying there since last night, obviously, as a puddle of it was still gathering underneath her. Faced with all of his pain and misery in front of him…Ragnar still managed to notice one thing.

It was his older sister.

The youth immediately threw himself down at her side. He looked over her, mind racing with panic, and didn't know what to do. He looked anxiously at her and around, not sure where to start. In the end, he turned to her face. Reaching out with his hands as gently as he dared, he cupped her own loosely hanging head in his hands and raised it up.

"Marion!" He called out to her. "Marion, say something!"

The woman continued to look weak and pained for a moment. But then, her eyes slowly cracked open, as she seemed to hear him. Slowly, she turned her head in his grasp up to him. When her eyes finally rested on his face, they seemed to open a bit wider. Her pain vanished as she saw him.

"Ragnar…?" She asked aloud. "You're…still alive…?"

The young man earnestly nodded. "Yes, Marion. I am. Lie still…"

Slowly, a weak smile began to spread across the woman's face. "They…told us…you were dead… The New Shinra…"

Ragnar continued to stare anxiously at his sister at this, but his eyes widened a bit. "The New Shinra? Marion…did they catch you?"

"We never…got away…" The woman slowly answered. "They were already…guarding…the trail… They caught me…and mom…"

The young man stared in wide-eyed alarm. This whole time, he had hoped that his mother and sister had found their way to the mainland, had gotten clear from the hell of the Northern Continent. But now…he knew he was wrong. They had been prisoners too this whole time. They had probably been taken to a different labor camp. That's why he never saw them. But that only meant…they had done this to her…

Ragnar felt a rush of wind at his side, very sharp and sudden. On feeling it, he turned quickly away from his sister and to the source. Bahamut was suddenly standing there, looking erect and dark as he glared down on Ragnar and Marion. Soon after, he bent down to her side as well.

"I sensed a dying energy…" He explained.

Ragnar's eyes widened again. _Dying?_ It filled him with terror. He felt his eyes begin to tear. He quickly got away from Marion's side, letting Bahamut come in instead. The esper looked down over her wounds and her body. He stared at her with those calculating eyes…and in the end inhaled and exhaled deeply. His look was stern.

"Can you help her?" Ragnar asked, trying not to quiver in voice.

"She's badly infected…which negates my ability to make others regenerate." Bahamut grimly answered. "I'll try." With that, the esper closed his eyes and held his hands over her. Ragnar soon felt the air begin to hum, and saw some sort of charge between him and her. But he ignored this now. He turned back to his sister. He reached out and touched her again, running his hand along the side of her head across his hair and skin.

"Stay with me, Marion…" He told her, reaching down his other hand to take hers, and grasp it hard. "You'll be alright. Hang on…" His voice was nearly begging.

The woman had never looked away from Ragnar for a moment. She seemed to not even notice that Bahamut was there. She continued to give a small smile to him. She seemed happy now.

"I wish…mom would have lived…to see you alive…"

Ragnar's eyes widened again. "Mom? Mom's dead?" He asked in a terrified voice. "Marion…stay quiet now. Just sit there…"

Marion blinked once, and then her grip tightened against Ragnar's hand. She gave him one steady squeeze with it. Ragnar smiled at that. He raised her own bloody hand and held it to his mouth with his own, letting Marion feel him. He continued to run his hand along the side of her head, smiling back at her and encouraging her. The woman blinked again at him…and then slowly shut her eyes. Her head slowly rolled out of Ragnar's hand… As Ragnar's smile melted away, and tears began to flow into his eyes again…he felt her grip loosen and then slowly slide out of his and back to the ground. Shemoved no more.

Ragnar's eyes stayed wide and open as he stared at her. The tears began to run from his eyes and down his cheeks, but he did nothing tostop them. Marion's blood was still on his mouth and in his hand as he slowly let it fall, staring at her the whole way. Bahamut's own look grew darker…and he slowly closed his palms and let his hands fall down to the ground again. Heexhaled slowly. He reached up to his head, took his hat off, and then bowed his head.

"…I'm sorry, Ragnar. It was too late." The esper slowly spoke. "Her spirit has returned to the Lifestream."

For a few moments longer, Ragnar continued to stare at her body, his eyes still wide open and stricken with shock and sadness. He saw her lay motionless there, quiet and still, and realized that he would never see her open her eyes again. He would never feel her grasp his hand again…or hear her laugh or speak or cry or anything else. The reality of it sank in slowly…as the hope of one day meeting her somewhere else on this world faded.

Slowly, Ragnar reached out and encircled his arms around her, and then pulled her close against his chest. He let his head slowly rest on top of hers. His eyes continued to stare out, and he did not make any sobbing noises. However, he continued to let the tears flow as he lowered his own head to hers, and he was not able to let her go or cease crying for the next hour.

* * *

Both men were somber as they stared at the pile of stones before them. They had to do it when burying her here, or some creature would come and defile the body. There wasn't much they could set up for a marker, other than a tombstone made of wood, and a hastily scrawled message across it reading, "Marion Vice". Bahamut had suggested burying her in the City of the Ancients, but most of the ground of the city was bare rock. And there were no other calm bodies of water to place her in like the body they found in the center. So they buried her on the outskirts, just outside the front entrance. It was late in the day now, and it was clouding over. The weather was symbolic of Ragnar's own mood, which had been killed so violently by what happened that morning.Eventually, he had begun to sob as well, when Bahamut finally took Marion from him and began to carry her back. 

But now, he was dry. His face was stoic and hard, and as he sat against the ground with one arm balanced across one knee, he stared at the grave withthat expression. Bahamut knew he could offer little to say. He stood behind him with his own arms crossed, and was prepared to stay here as long as Ragnar wanted to. The wind whipped by them, pulling at their hair and clothing.

"I'm truly sorry, Ragnar…" Bahamut spoke up at last.

The young man looked ahead at the grave for a moment of silence longer. He slowly shook his head. "We buried one body…but I see two." He slowly responded, never looking away or changing expression. "My mother is dead too."

The esper bowed his head slightly. "I overheard." He responded. He slowly sighed, and looked back up. "Please believe me when I say I know what it's like. I won't be ambitious enough to say I know how you feel at this time…but I have seen my family and friends die constantly throughout the whole of my life. I know what it's like to lose loved ones."

Ragnar continued to sit in silence for a moment longer. His hand over his knee clenched into a fist and relaxed.

"…New Shinra has taken everything from me." He finally spoke aloud. "My home…my friends…the best years of my life…and now my family. I have nothing left. They took everything away."

"You still have yourself…and your memories." Bahamut responded.

Ragnar clenched his fist again. He glared at the grave, and his jaw began to tighten. He felt the passion in him begin to flare up.

"…They have to be stopped…_right now._"

The esper looked down to Ragnar at this. His own look was dark in response to it, and he was silent for a moment. "…They will be stopped."

"I don't want to waste time here any longer." Ragnar coldly responded. "I want to get them now."

The esper slowly sighed, and began to walk down toward Ragnar's side. "You're breaking the first rule I gave you, Ragnar. You're acting on impulse and being the aggressor. You're upset now…but now is not the time."

"They're killing everyone up north…turning us into slaves…working us to death…taking everything we have left…and they're killing the Planet." Ragnar responded fiercely. He still didn't look away, but he continued. "How many more people are going to die before I'm ready? How much worse is it going to get? What good is it going to do to stay here if everyone's gone when I get there?"

"Ragnar, at this point, you could get into a fight with a hundred men and win." Bahamut answered. "But in six months…you will be able to beat a thousand. I can tell what's on your mind, and I am telling you it is foolishness. You cannot go up there and expect to beat them alone. If you truly want to stop them, you will have to have a plan and hit them when they do not expect it. But you have to realize, deep down inside, that going up there would be foolish now. You are too upset. You'll act out of anger and passion, and it will lead only to trouble."

At last, Ragnar broke his eye contact. He rose to his feet, and spun around into Bahamut's face. The esper endured this for now, knowing that Ragnar was tempermental. He let him glare at him with his fists clenched, and his face now blazing with anger.

"They killed my sister and my mother! You can't expect me just to sit here and do nothing!"

"You _are_ doing something." Bahamut retorted sharply. "You're preparing yourself to strike them back at your most powerful point. Do you think your mother would have wanted you to run in there half-cocked and get shot by a sniper's bullet, or that she would have wanted you to act in a way that would save the lives of the townspeople and preserve your own?"

"What do you know about it!" Ragnar yelled back. "Did you ever watch your sister die before your eyes and know there wasn't a damn thing you could do about it?"

Ragnar's felt his throat enclosed bywhat felt like steel. Now…Bahamut's eyes blazed with growing anger. The young man's own passion was deflated a moment, as he felt Bahamut raise him off the ground with his one hand, nearly throttling him as he did so. The esper's face was hard now as he glared at him coldly.

_"Yes."_ Bahamut coldly retorted. "I did you the courtesy of not being presumptuous, young man. Do not anger me by doing so to me. I saw my sister explode and burn into nothingness before my eyes. Only I didn't see it happen in a pleasant forest. I saw it happen while the person who did it was torturing me, laughing at my misery, and daring me to do something about it…and I could do _nothing_ in response. So don't _dare_ talk to me of not understanding. I have experienced pain and agony you can't even _imagine._"

With that, Bahamut released the youth and let him fall hard to the ground. Ragnar coughed, winced, and clutched for his throat. The esper sighed as he looked down at him, and seemed uneasy. He didn't enjoy doing that just now, but in his mind it was the only way to make a stubborn human listen. He, for one, was not about to let Ragnar insult his own memories and anguish because he was so sore about his own. He let the youth continue to cough for a moment, but in the end he appeared to be calming down. As he breathed, his anger subsided again.

At last, the esper sighed and turned his head away. "…It's getting late, and we're both tired." He finally said aloud. "If you really want to do something…we'll talk it over tomorrow, after you've had time to let what happened today die down a little. But for now…just relax and try to take it easy."

* * *

The sun went down a few hours later. Of course, there were no more exercises that day. Bahamut normally would have thought it would have been good to run off the tension, but knowing the anger that Ragnar had, he let it slide for now. Neither of them felt like eating. In the end, Ragnar complied. He turned and went back to the shell house as he had so many times before, and once there he had gone to bed. Bahamut himself always stayed up a bit longer, even after the sun went down. However, both of them were going to be turning in early that night. Eventually, he went off on his own. Bahamut never slept in the City of the Ancients. He told Ragnar that he'd go out to a cliff in the area, and there he would stretch out in his full body to recline. The same went for that night. After that, a few hours of darkness passed. 

The interior of the shell house never went dim. The lights were on at all times. However, all was quiet now. Even in summer, no animals or insects moved in. The place was as still as a tomb. The silence continued now as it grew later, and not a soul moved around in the city. All was peaceful.

It was at that time, close to midnight…that Ragnar opened his eyes from where he lay.

Ragnar knew that Bahamut's sensory capability was great. Almost legendary. Therefore, he tried his hardest to not think of anything, to keep his mind blank and clear so that he wouldn't pick up on any stray thoughts. At the same time, he slowly and silently pulled back the blanket that he covered himself with. Once that was off, he quietly rose to his feet. He listened sharply to his surroundings now, and made sure to stay silent as he began to walk around the room. He began by silently removing the weights from his arms, legs, and torso. When he did, his body screamed for relief…and he felt as light as a feather. He'd have no problem being light on his feet now. He was amazed at howstrong he felt. But for now, he ignored it. Looking constantly outside for any change in the wind, Ragnar went over to where Ragnarok lay. Bahamut had built a sheath for it so that Ragnar could wear it across his back some time ago. He took this up, and then he reached down for the only other article of clothing he owned. One of the thicker blankets had been made into a cloak for him on rainy days. Luckily, it was a dark color. Ragnar took this up now, and silently fastened it around his neck. He pulled the hood over his head, and secured his sword on his back. After that, he crept to the entrance of the house.

The youth stopped there a moment, looking outside and around. He still heard nothing, and saw nothing. He thought that Bahamut might be here tonight. If he was anywhere in the city, this would fail. He'd hear him easily. But if he was out on the rock ridges, he had a chance. He was indeed nervous about this, but he forced it down. He was good about controlling his emotions. Once he was sure the way was clear, he finally decided to take a chance. Inhaling deeply, and trying not to breathe, he stepped outside of the house.

Nothing. Just the silence of the night.

Ragnar looked around again, but then finally decided it was alright. Moving as fast as he dared, while staying quiet, he made his way to the front of the grove. Despite the stone and shell ground, not a single sound went out. He worked his way down the path at the entrance, and kept going down until he reached the city itself. Once there, he took the first branch off to his left, and began to work his way back into the city. He stayed as concealed as possible, hiding in the shadows when he could. He didn't dare make a single noise. He still didn't know where Bahamut was exactly, but he hoped he was asleep. That might give him some more leeway.

It took thirty minutes before Ragnar made his way to the tunnel he had hewn with his bare hands. He had taken on new tasks since then, involving more construction on the city itself. However, there was now a good rock passage through here, and it provided a convenient and secret way out of the city and back to the rock valley behind it. From there, after working one's way up the same rock wall Ragnar had descended months ago, he could go straight back to the Icicle Inn area. But once here, he paused and looked ahead. He examined all of the shadows, looked to the heavens, and tried to see any possible way that Bahamut could be hiding ahead. In the end, he saw nothing. Swallowing, he stepped forward and made his way further down the trail, and then through the passage that he had hewn. Soon, he was on the other side, and moving down the rock path.

It was another hour before Ragnar began to feel the slightest bit in the clear. He had to hike silently up the valley until he reached the cliff, and then had to climb up it as well. He used the rocks this time rather than the ladder. It creaked too much. This took a bit longer, but he had no other choice. He finally made it to the top, and then began to go back through the cave again. After journeying a bit further, it opened up just ahead. It was still dark out, and Ragnar could see little ahead of him. But he knew that this was the exit. He went up to the entrance, and stayed in the frame for a moment. He looked out once again, checking for anything, but in the end decided it was clear. He turned back one last time to look behind him, and then swallowed and walked out.

Despite what Bahamut had told him, he couldn't just train any more. He needed to do something now. Perhaps he couldn't fight New Shinra all by himself. But he could do something. And that was what he had to do. It was the only way he could get that image of his dying sister out of his mind.

No matter what, Ragnar was going to see if he was hero material tomorrow.

* * *

_Just another day in the mines._

Mack Router thought of this as he chipped away at the rock wall. To his left, he saw the next member in his unit pass out from exhaustion. One of the soldiers was struggling to get him to his feet. To his right, one of the other guards was dragging away the latest person who made a run for it. The other inmates were kind of used to it by now. Mack tried to push out the fact that this guy had been stir crazy for days, saying he was going to make a break for it. Everyone tried to talk him down, of course. It never went well. Besides, one of the automatic weapons could kill one of them too if they weren't careful. At any rate, the taskmaster watched as this bloody, bullet-riddled body was taken away, and gave a slight groan. With that, he turned back to the line and made a circling motion.

"Move up one man on this line."

_Yes…just another day._

Mack had been a snowmobile mechanic working for one of the lodges at Icicle Inn three years ago. Now, he was just another peon. His hands, which used to be stained for days on end with engine grease, were now coated with other grime. His body ached every single day after spending ten hours in the mines, and he had scars just like everyone else from when they had a bad taskmaster. That, or whenever they caused trouble. Mack himself had two brands on his hand, so he wasn't that worried about being executed anytime soon. But that was only because he didn't cause trouble. It didn't mean he didn't resent every moment of his captivity.

He and other young men were working this tunnel of the mine. It had been opened only two days ago. Wiring in the ceiling fed a new string of lights through here, and some track had been laid in order to move out the rubble that the work crew now tunneled out. Mostly, they were digging in here for iron. New Shinra always needed more iron. In the past, they would string them up in a chain gain along the side of a new tunnel. But that just decreased mobility later. It turned out that leg shackles and a few guards with machine guns patrolling the area (which they were now) was more than enough. Now here they were, tunneling into the rock with pick axes and motorized drills, removing one bit of rubble after another. When the debris cart came by, they put the larger pieces in it. Occasionally, the ore car came by, and they dumped whatever pieces they could get in there too. It was silent, tedious, and a strain to work. However…it was that or a bullet in the head.

The taskmaster wasn't dressed in blue like the others. He was in more of an officer uniform, styled red. New Shinra still wore the uniforms of their old military. The insigias were a little different, that was all. Mack frowned privately, keeping his back to the taskmaster, as he went by. This one was somewhere in between easy and hard. But since easy was relative, it didn't really matter. What was bad luck was that someone had made a break for it only four hours into the shift. Mack knew what that could mean… And sure enough, he heard it sounded a bit later.

"Alright everyone," The taskmaster sounded, calling out over the picking. The men kept working, because they weren't told to stop, but they kept an ear open. "To give you all a bit more incentive to discourage your cellmates from trying anything as foolish as this man did…and to make up for his loss in quota…the next two water breaks have been canceled today."

Mack managed to learn to repress his groans. However, a guy further to his left wasn't so fortunate, and let out an audible curse. He got a gun stock to his back as a result. Moments later, it was agony that was heard through the tunnel over the mining. The man sighed and continued his work. Despite this, this taskmaster wasn't bad. He had a penchant for orders like the one he just gave, yes. But there were much worse ones. He supposed every army had its fill of recruits who had joined just to flex their muscles on other people. And this was no exception. Jones rewarded hard workers with more work, and slow workers with longer hours. Schmidt was a pervert who enjoyed other aspects of having power over his fellow man. Rhect enjoyed talking really nice and forcing other people to do the same as he gave them outrageous tasks, or they got a beating…or a mark if he was in a bad mood. Then there was Americ…Americ had been the worst.

_But,_ Mack thought with a small smile, _Americ won't be bothering us ever again._

There was no one Americ hated more than "the kid". They all called him that when he worked there. The guy started when he was seventeen…he was twenty by then. However, he was always very youthful looking, and he was always a bit on the skinny and shrimpy side. No one would know he was twenty to look at him. He looked closer to sixteen, hence the name "the kid". Americ always got trouble from the kid. The guy must have been suicidal, because he was always flirting on the line between acceptance and punishment. With Americ, it usually went to punishment. But the more he got beaten, the more rebellious he became. And to tell the truth, it was kind of fun to watch. When one wants to be rebellious, yet lacks the drive to do so, it was more of a relief to see another do it for them…and take the consequences. And the kid fit that bill nicely.

Then there was that one day the kid really made Americ mad. He dragged him to the back tunnels, and Mack listened to the silence afterward, expecting at any time to hear a gunshot. What they ended up hearing was a cavein…and the only one who came back out again was the kid. They all knew the truth immediately. None of them said anything, but secretly they all praised him in their hearts. Pity that was the last they saw of him. He was executed not too long after that. Even if it wasn't his fifth mark, there was no way they'd let him slide then.

However, thinking of the kid made Mack still feel a bit happy. It was good to see such an energetic guy in the midst of all this depression and darkness. New Shinra had broken quite a few people, after all. The others fell in line just to keep from having to endure the same torture. But not the kid. No…he went the whole distance in the end. He never turned aside once. To the slaves, this was their version of a hero. Mack only wished that another one would show up one day. Perhaps he would take that mantle…if things got worse than what they were now…

Mack heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned his head slightly, but didn't bother looking up. He knew what it was. A third soldier had entered their tunnel, and was now working his way down the line and to the back, ahead to the unused caves. That was another thing they owed to the kid. Ever since he managed to kill that one officer on his own, they sent people down frequently to make sure no one was hiding any weapons or other items back there, to be used when an officer went there alone. The soldier himself was dark underneath his helmet, his face stern and cold. Once he reached the end of the line, he switched on his flashlight on his machine gun, and then turned and proceeded past the other inmates. After a few steps further, he passed through the mine opening at the end, turned a corner, and disappeared.

The worker sighed and continued to chip away at the stone. There was nothing back there. No one had gotten free in months. Usually they didn't try unless they were going to run for it, and usually they were dead not long after. Even the kid hadn't planned on that pick axe being back there. It must have been left from a miner of an earlier age. At any rate, he kept chipping away at the stone.

A few minutes later, the soldier emerged again. Some of the inmates actually looked up to him at that. When Mack saw this, he turned back and looked a bit as well. The soldier was carrying something. It was a long, cloth bundle, with something thin and long inside. Mack couldn't tell what, but it puzzled him a bit. Once the soldier had come back a short distance, he came to a halt.

"Taskmaster, I think you better have a look at this." He called out in a disdainful voice.

The officer in red turned to him, and eyed the bundle. He turned to the guard to his right, and gave him a nod to watch the work crew, and then turned and began to walk over to the third soldier. The other guard was nearby, looking over at what was going on, but kept most of his focus on the inmates. Soon, he began to shove a few back into their work, for they were turning and attracted to what new thing he had brought out. At any rate, the officer reached the soldier after a moment.

"What is it?" He spoke in a somewhat quiet voice.

The soldier responded by pointing to the bundle. "I think we might have trouble."

The officer raised an eyebrow to this. "How so?"

The soldier didn't answer. Instead, like a flash of lightning, he made a fist, shot up, and drove it into the man's throat. The officer's eyes bulged as it crushed his windpipe, and he began to reach for it gagging. Before he could, however, the soldier reached up with his other hand, seized the officer by the side of his head, and then drove it against the rock wall to his side. The head hit with a sickening thud, and the man immediately collapsed to the ground.

The soldier behind him gaped in surprise, and was a moment from saying something or shooting. Before he could, the attacking soldier spun around with blinding speed, and drove his arm up to give him an iron palm to the nose. A cracking sound emitted, and blood flushed from the man's nostrils as he fell to the ground. The soldier across the room now saw this, and raised his weapon to fire. Again, before he could, the soldier ripped off the cloth from his package…and revealed a giant sword that flashed like red flame. With one easy gesture, he raised it up and swung it at the last soldier's direction. It struck him in the neck and went through. Moments later, without a sound, the blade embedded into the stone wall while the headless body of the guard…and his head…fell to the ground.

The other inmates froze. They saw this. Mack himself saw it, and his mouth hung open in surprise. The one soldier had disabled…maybe even killed…all three soldiers in less than two seconds. Now, they were frozen in stunned shock as they saw the one remaining soldier still standing, recovering from his actions. However, on seeing this, he wheeled around to them and spoke in a harsh whisper.

"Keep digging! If they hear the silence, they'll know something's up!"

Mack only took a moment to process that, but then understood. He turned and began to dig again against the stone wall. The other inmates soon turned and began to do the same. However, they did so only lightly now, and focused most of their attention on the man behind them. He began to reach up to his helmet and undo it.

"Who are you, and how did you do that?" Mack called behind him to the man as he did this.

A grin came from beneath the helmet, as he pulled it the rest of the way off. "What's the matter? Didn't my disregard for the taskmaster tip you off?" He asked as dumped it to the side.

The other inmates froze, and nearly stopped working all together. Mack himself felt his eyes enlarge, and he stared at the man beneath in total disbelief.

"I don't believe it…" One worker murmured.

"I'm seeing a ghost…" Another added.

Mack stared on a bit longer, as the man turned and gave him a smile. As he did, a grin slowly spread across his own face. "Well, well…I should've known you'd find someway out, kid."

Ragnar, in response, rolled his eyes. He gave Mack a small frown. "Mack…I've told you and the boys at least a hundred times…I _hate_ that nickname."

"You clever little son of a gun…" Mack continued, still grinning at him. "I thought I'd seen the last of you. We all did. I'd give you a hug right now…if it wasn't for the fact that I'm a little preoccupied."

"How the heck did you get back here?" One of the other inmates called out. "We thought you were dead…and if you escaped we thought you'd be to Wutai by now…"

Ragnar looked up ahead to the entrance for a moment, and seemed to be a bit nervous. Mack watched him as he continued to cut away at the stone. After a moment or so, however, he turned back to the others and addressed them. "That third guard was new. Is he due back?"

Mack shook his head. "It's variable on how long he takes."

"How long to next water break?"

Another man gestured back to the fallen taskmaster. "The bastard cancelled it, but I don't think anyone else except these guys heard it. We should be due in about five minutes."

Ragnar gave a nod to this. "Good. In five minutes, we're getting out of here."

"How?" Mack asked.

Ragnar gestured behind him. "Same way I came in. One of the side tunnels. They had a guard there, but not nearly as bad as the main entrance. We should be able to sneak out. It's a bit rough, but we should be able to make it."

In response to this, however, Mack heard a sigh. He turned his head to the source, and found one of the men further down the line. He was one of the older ones. He looked ruefully at their savior, and then shook his head. "Sorry Ragnar…I can't leave. They got my wife and kid back in Icicle Inn. They might kill them if I try to run for it."

"I got a family too, man." Another person called on down the line.

However, to all of this, the youth merely gave a nod. "I know. That's why we're going to Icicle Inn after this…and liberating it."

The men once again gave a pause in their work. Now, they began to look more uneasy, and turned to each other with nervous looks. Escaping had been one thing, but actually getting into a fight with the soldiers was something else. No one was that eager to risk getting their blood spilled. Mack, for one, was more bold, but he looked around and saw no one else eager to join in on that line of thinking. In the end, he couldn't really blame them. They all began to bow their heads slightly as they went about their work. He finally turned back to Rand and looked uneasy.

"Ragnar…I don't think that's such a good idea."

The young man seemed to pick up on the loss of enthusiasm. In the end, however, he turned back to Mack. "Is the town still fortified like it was before?"

Mack gave a nod in response. "They're still using the inn as a barracks. They have twenty men on the street at any given time, with more of them inside. Then they've got the big gun in the center of the town on that tower. They can hit anyone who steps out of line."

"Just so long as nothing's changed." Ragnar answered. "I've been thinking about this all night. I have a plan. If we can't just walk in there and take them…then we'll have to kill the guard and move in. From where we move on the path, we can surround that city."

"Are you crazy?" One of the workers sounded, looking rather terror stricken at the idea. "It doesn't matter if we surround it! They're armed to the teeth! We've got twenty-five men here! We'll all get slaughtered, and our families with us!"

Mack slowly exhaled through his nostrils. He hated having to blow this perfect opportunity. But the worker could be right. What chance did they have? They were unarmed, untrained, and they had no armor or advantage. The New Shinra guard had the town fully infiltrated. He couldn't argue with this. In the end, he turned back to Ragnar helplessly, at a loss of what to say.

However…he and the other men soon went silent. They saw that something had come over the young man. Before, he was just a strong-willed kid. But now…his eyes blazed forth with some new energy. His face was harder than the stone they were cutting, and he suddenly seemed to be larger and more impressive…more commanding. As he looked around the room and glared at the people…those who felt fear suddenly felt ashamed to be afraid and look into his eyes at the same time. Mack was astonished. Such a change came over him. What had happened to him in the past six months?

"Last night…" Ragnar slowly spoke, yet in such a firm, strong voice that everyone could hear. "I heard my mother died, and I buried my sister. She was murdered by the New Shinra when she tried to escape. Since I started here…I've seen men, women, and children worked to death in these hellish conditions. I've had everything taken away from me, and for years all I did was watch. If you all want to stay here…continue being treated like dogs and garbage…then do it. But you better know this. When the day comes when some drunken soldier drags your wife out of her house…or when they beat your child for not digging a latrine fast enough…you better be prepared to look them straight in the eye, knowing that you had a chance to save them and you let it slip through your fingers. And you better be prepared to die like an exhausted animal along with them…because that's exactly what awaits you here. No one else is going to save you."

The men hesitated at that. The power and conviction with which Ragnar said these words made him seem like a different person, and it struck them to the bottom of their souls. It made all bow their heads and become small and meek in his presence. His voice conjured the images of such things in their mind, as well as all the times they saw their families hurt and abused, and could do nothing to end it. It made them feel guilt inside…but that was only for a moment.

"…He's right."

Mack raised his own head at this, and looked back to the line. Far toward the end was one of the older workers, in terms of how long he had been there. He was youthful looking as well, but he was tall, lanky, thin, and had jet black hair cut military style. His face looked thin and smooth. No one had ever heard this guy say anything before. He just silently went about his work. But now that he heard Ragnar, his eyes too began to blaze…lighting up with that same passion. Something that Ragnar had said had sparked his own spirit, and now it too burned. He turned and looked to Ragnar, and gave him a nod as his jaw tightened.

"My sister is in Icicle Inn, and I'm not going to let her rot there because I'm too scared. I'm with you."

Mack saw this, and heard the power and conviction be transmitted into this man, and get echoed back. On hearing it, Mack cracked a grin and gave a nod. "So am I."

The first man to talk of his family looked to the ground a moment longer. But then, he inhaled sharply, and his face turned hard and mean. He looked up to the youth and nodded. "Me too."

"And me." Another added.

"And me."

"I'm in."

"I'm for it."

"Let's do it."

One by one, the other men, scared and nervous before, began to speak in one accord under Ragnar. Mack, on his part, felt strange. For years they silently endured the power of New Shinra. They never complained, never stepped out of line…just accepted their servitude. They had begun to despair, thinking it would never end, and that this was their fate and lot in life. But now, after hearing Ragnar speak…all of them felt something new inside them. It was like a smoldering fire had been lit ablaze, and suddenly they all felt strong and noble inside…and most of all capable. Now, they felt like they had a purpose, and they were ready to act on it. Soon, all twenty five men had pledged themselves to Ragnar.

When he saw all this, the young man at last cracked a smile.

"Alright…so we're all in together." He announced. "Now we can do this. Keep in mind…it's still our home, and we still have the advantage. Now…we're going to tear the hell out of Icicle Inn to do this, but we'll save the people. We don't have a lot of time so we'll need to get moving right away. We're going to all need to be armed too. The pick axes will do for now, but if anyone around here can use these guns, we need you to."

The men paused for a moment, and everyone looked around to each other. None of them really had any experience with heavy firepower. There was a momentary pause. In the end, however, Mack raised a hand with a shrug.

"…I used to do a lot of deer hunting…"

"I guess that'll have to do." Ragnar responded.

"I think I could manage one of those too." The gaunt man from near the end of the line threw in.

Ragnar gave a nod. "Good. Now, do we have anything in the way of dynamite?"

Mack shook his head ruefully. "Sorry. When they're not clearing, they sure as heck don't let us near it." He hesitated after saying that, but then suddenly remembered something. "But wait…the taskmaster keeps about five remote blasting caps on him, in case of an emergency cave in!"

The youth nodded. "Great. One last thing, everyone. We're going to need the uniforms. I'll give someone mine…preferably a guy with one of the weapons…and then we can get the other from this guard. The officer would be too conspicuous…and I think that other guy's is too bloodstained. Two will have to do it. It's about break time, so we'll quit soon and grab this stuff before we get out out here. I'll explain the rest on the way to Icicle Inn. Let's do it."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	45. A Couple of Old Friends

The guard tower sentry was probably the best job in Icicle Inn. You were well above whatever could happen below. You could see a far distance. And, best of all, the heavy gun was up here, waiting to pick off anyone who caused any trouble. Of course, there hadn't been any trouble in quite some time. No one was running around causing problems anymore. The town was pretty quiet. That was why most New Shinra soldiers had long since moved to the New Shinra HQ Dome or the factories, leaving this place in peace.

Most of the rest of the street was filled with soldiers. Street was a preferable term to streets, because there was really only one main drag through town, and every house was connected to it. Residents only were allowed out of their homes with an escort. Usually, they were committed to some task. Digging, moving, loading, unloading, seemstressing…anything that they needed done on a given day. Today was a pretty calm one, however. There wasn't any necessary business. Because of that, the residents spent their times in their homes, allowed to use whatever hadn't been confiscated. During that time, the soldiers ruled the snow-covered streets. Just as traditionally observed, there were some twenty on the road right now. However, another eighty were holed up in the inn, waiting for their shifts on duty. It didn't pay to run around in a town eternally covered with snow year round on down time. And usually, that was all they had.

The sentry at the tower slowly sighed, and looked around the landscape lazily with the firing scope. It was easier than hoisting up a pair of binoculars, and it worked just as well. There was nothing to see. The same clear surroundings…with not an enemy in sight. After all, no enemy even knew they were here. So why should there be anything? And even if there was an enemy, so what? New Shinra still had the largest military in the world by far, and it was getting bigger. So this was a pretty easy job. Of course, there were times during a storm when it grew absolutely frigid up here. But he dealt with that.

As the guard swept his scope around, he glanced by a dark spot on the horizon. He was so used to seeing nothing that he ignored it initially. However, his mind snapped out of it a moment later, and turned back in a flash. A man was coming over the edge of one of the snowdrifts, and was coming on top of a hill. He had something balanced across one of his shoulders…and it gleamed periodically in the day's sunlight. He also had something else in one of his hands. The sentry couldn't make it out. At any rate, he was walking forward.

Seeing this, the sentry looked away and called down. "We've got a body. He's headed for us."

Hearing this, the other soldiers looked up in surprise. However, they responded quickly. One of the higher officers motioned to the others. Immediately they moved forward and down the road. Within a few moments, they had come to the entrance of the town. They pressed themselves against the buildings in a guard fashion, and they put one hand on their weapons. However, they didn't draw them or level them. The sentry could see farther than them, but soon they too saw a dark shape on the horizon. It was slowly coming toward them.

One of the soldiers slowly exhaled, but stayed straight and tall. He wasn't in auditory range yet, and so he said nothing. But as the man drew closer, they made out more detail. He was a young, skinny man. He was dressed in loose clothing with a gray cloak over it. He also had something shiny on one shoulder, and was carrying something with his other hand. They couldn't make it out either, far away as he was. All of the soldiers at the front of the street were watching him now, along with the sentry. At last, the first soldier held out a hand.

"Halt! Identify yourself!"

The person didn't respond. He continued to walk calmly forward.

"This is a restricted area!" The man called out. "Turn back at once!"

Still nothing from the person. He continued to calmly walk forward. The officer frowned for a moment at this. However…a sudden, panicked voice from overhead cut them off.

"Oh my god…he's got a head!"

This part was screamed, and it came from the sentry. It was so loud that everyone on the street heard it. The soldiers snapped around and looked to the sentry. Others looked ahead to the road in front of the town. Villagers went to their windows and looked out anxiously. The people in the lead stared at the man as he approached. As they did, they began to make out that he was young…and that he had a dark expression on his face. But in addition to that…they saw what he was holding. It was indeed a head…a bloody, severed head.

On seeing this, the soldiers immediately acted. More of the force moved out into the center street. All of the morning patrol took their positions there now, and all focused on the man ahead. Most of them ran out from where they had been reclining or guarding before. Two of them came from cracks between the buildings, small alleys, and rushed out onto the street. One of them began to run around from one side of the street to the other, looking disorientated, and asking each soldier he ran into what was going on. As for the people in the lead, they all drew their weapons and aimed it at the man.

"Freeze! Put your hands up!"

The young man continued to walk forward now. His movements were slow and calm, and his face was cold and hard. He showed no expression of any emotion. However…he did put his hands up. He put one hand up high, holding the gleaming object. It was a great shining sword, and it shimmered like it was flame. The other hand, however, held the head high. And it wasn't in a sign of surrender. It was in a sign of showing the head for everyone to see.

The other soldiers began to see this as the young man neared, and they paled in disgust. Who was this psychotic madman? They too focused on him, and raised their weapons. It wasn't long before all twenty of them were aiming at the person. Each one of them was unnerved by him…how calmly he was walking forward with his grisly sight. One of the soldiers began to climb up the ladder of the sentry tower. Halfway up, he stopped and aimed his own weapon at the man from his improved height. The person on top aimed his weapon down as well, preparing to rip the young man apart with his bullets.

"I said freeze! Drop the weapon!"

The young man didn't appear to hear. He continued to walk forward calmly. His expression was so still and focused. It was cold and void of anything but steel determination. His eyes blazed with an unnatural power. As the soldiers looked at this, that unnerved them more than anything. He seemed so in control…so fixated on his goal. And still, he continued to walk forward slowly, drawing nearer and nearer to the entrance. The soldiers stared at him, transfixed…even mesmerized by how calm he was with his gruesome prize and his single purpose. He didn't seem to even notice how many guns were aimed at him. He only moved onward.

The officer clenched his teeth. "This is your final warning! Drop the weapons and freeze! We will fire on the count of three!"

The young man didn't answer. His cold gaze didn't change. He only continued to walk forward, staring back at all those staring at him. The officer tightened his jaw, and released the safety on his own weapon.

"One!"

The young man kept closing. He was almost to the first row of houses now.

"Two!"

The heavy machine gunner aimed at the youth as he came forward. He stared through the scope and aimed the crosshairs right on his head. His steady arm kept it on as he walked forward, and his finger rested on the trigger.

"Three!"

Right before anyone could pull their triggers…blasts went off all up and down the street. Eruptions of rain barrels, buckets, snow, and some debriscame from wherever the explosions were. The sudden feeling of impact, the snap in the ears, and the feeling of snow and wood smacking against the sides of the people who were too close to it, caused a massive distraction. The soldiers were stunned. Right at that same moment, the young man turned his blade inward and aimed up. A reflected ray of the sun went straight into the end of the targeting scope of the heavy gunner. A cry out of misery came from overhead, and the gunner reared back and fired wildly. His heavy bullets tore up the snow in front of the young man, blasting huge clouds of it up before him. The moment it did, the man dropped the head, turned, and bolted for the nearest building. But no one saw where he went from there. He disappeared.

After a moment, the soldiers recovered and turned back, just in time to see that their quarry had escaped. They cursed, wondering how those explosives were set and where he had gone. None of them suspected that as the one soldier ran around to each guard…he paused long enough to drop a blasting cap out of his pocket and into the snow at each location. And now, he was lost in the crowd as well, just another blue uniform with a gun. Everyone had been so preoccupied with the man holding the head that they ignored all else. And now they had lost him too.

Swearing, the officer yelled out orders. Soon, the soldiers were spreading out. The ones in the rear, twelve of them, made for the building sides, flushing themselves against the homes so that they couldn't be hit from behind. Another small group of eight formed in front, and were motioned forward, led by the officer. Each held their weapons at the ready, and made for the edges of the homes in front of the town. They moved silently, creeping up to the sides of either building. They fanned out in proper support of one another, making sure to give coverage. Two of the ones in the lead began to inch forward, toward the corners of their buildings, and prepared to look around to see if the young man was still there…

Just before they could, however, a scream and collision from behind them distracted them. They snapped back around, and saw a shocking sight. The homes suddenly came to life. The doors were smashed open, the windows were shattered, and ragged, dirty men brandishing pick axes came out. Each one leapt out from their hidden place and jumped upon the soldiers that had been hiding there. They immediately struck down. Within moments, eight of the soldiers were dead, struck completely by surprise.

The other four who were in the rear group turned around. They all raised their weapons and prepared to open fire on the surprise attackers. That was before one of them instead turned on the others, and proceeded to shoot them in the back with marksman skill. Despite being an automatic weapon, each one was marked exceptionally well. The eight in front were shocked. They fully turned to this ambush, and raised their weapons to attack this newest person…

Only then did the swordsman make his appearance. His blade abruptly sliced through the edge of the building he was at, and cut down the man who had been about to turn the corner, but was now looking away. A death cry caused the others to look back. Shooting by and flashing his sword like lightning, the young man ran past and brought his sword down again. This time, he killed the soldier on the opposite side. Shortly after, he vanished behind the opposite building side. The soldiers raised their arms to fire at him…only to hear gunfire behind them again. One of their troop abruptly opened fire on them from behind too, cutting down five more. The other soldiers turned around and saw this, and were about to open fire…when two more men with pick axes sprung from the _opposite_ side of the building, and struck them down with their weapons.

None of the soldiers had noticed that while they were totally preoccupied with the ghastly sight of the man coming toward them…the surrounding snowy forests and rocky hills had been filling with these dirty men with crude weapons. They had gone as close as they dared and then hid…until the explosions went off. In the chaos that followed, they came in the rest of the way and dove behind their homes. It was a small matter of breaking in through the back doors, or any other secret entrances they knew of, and then to come out and attack their guards as one.

Now, the sentry overhead began to panic. His whole unit was being wiped out below. The streets had turned into chaos as they flooded with the prisoners. At last, he got enough bearings to swing his gun down and prepare to fire at them…

However, he never got the chance. Abruptly, someone seized his head from behind and smashed it forward, onto the barrel of the gun. After that, his dazzled body was yanked back, and his ambusher threw him over the side of the tower. It was none other than the soldier who had climbed halfway up earlier. In the confusion after the blasts, he used his opportunity to climb the rest of the way to the top and take the gun. Now, he moved himself in behind it instead.

Icicle Inn's doors finally burst open. As they did, ten new soldiers began to run out with guns at the ready. However, they had barely cleared the doors when the swordsman reappeared again. Dancing and swirling in a deadly manner, he came forward and let his blade flash like lightning. The first two soldiers were struck down on either side, and slicing again on his opposite sides took two more. The fifth tried to shoot him, but he drove his sword forward into him before he could, and then used him as a fulcrum to lift himself in the air, spin around, and kick the sixth in the head with killing force. As he landed, he pulled his blade back out from the fifth man and guarded it in front of him. Gunfire finally did open on him, but with his blade the way it was the shots richocheted harmlessly off. His sword was indestructrible to them. The four remaining soldiers gaped at this, shocked that their weapons had been stopped so easily, and in the moment of hesitationthe swordsmandropped out of it and came forward. He swung his sword across one more time to take two at once, and then brought his sword down on the ninth before swinging it up and hitting the tenth.

The remaining garrison was pushing into the door at this point, and they were all taking aim at the swordsman at once, ready to hit him from different angles so that he couldn't block them.The youth hesitated here from striking down his last foe, and looked out at them. He saw them for the briefest moment, but then reacted. But he did not attack them. He merely sprawled his arms out, fell back, and landed back first in the snow.

The soldiers at the door looked puzzled at this…before they realized that the heavy gun was no longer in their possession.

A hail of heavy bullets, almost as thick as railroad spikes, came out and began to tear up the front of the building. The huge bullets tore through their initial targets and hit the ones behind as well. The new gunner spread out his fire, and went to the walls of the building too, making a huge spread across the entire facility. He made sure that they pierced every part of it that a soldier could hide in…or at least, what he considered to be places to hide. He kept his spread going for a minute, making sure that he got every soldier that was still in their "barracks". But once he was satisfied that he had all of them, he cut off the firing. Then, nervous and shocked at what he had done, he panted and stared out ahead of him.

Parts of Icicle Inn were burning. Glass slowly fell out of its pane and smashed against the ground. Blood was everywhere. Slowly…the weak doors of the village opened up, and out walked the nervous residents who had been left behind. They tensely looked out at what had happened in silence. All was quiet except for the cooling of weapons and the burning of houses. The ex-prisoners looked around as well, stunned at what had happened. The whole thing had to have taken less than three minutes, and two of those were the heavy gun firing. But now…it was over.

* * *

Lying in the snow, his exposed skin freezing, Ragnar slowly let out a long sigh. Then, he rolled forward and began to rise to his feet once again. Once he was up, he wiped his blade off against the snow, and then slid it in behind him into his sheath. He looked around the town for a few moments, seeing all that had happened. And slowly…he began to realize it had worked. His plan had worked. They had done it. They had liberated the town. Twenty-five poor country miners, slaves for three years…had defeated a garrison of a hundred men and not lost one of their own. They won. Three years after they had come, Ragnar had beaten them and freed his city again.

Slowly, the realization came to everyone else too. And slowly…they began to smile, realizing that they had done it. They had kicked out the people who had tortured them and used them for years, making their lives a living hell. They had freed their families. With that in mind, they began to look out in enthusiasm, realizing that it was over at last. Slowly, the rest of the people began to come from their homes too. They began to look around and see what had happened, before looking to who had done it. When that happened, mothers ran out and embraced their older sons. Wives and children ran out and embraced their fathers. The whole population began to come out, and run to the former prisoners. People began to cry, but also show their joy at how everyone was safe and had escaped.

At last, on one side of the street, one man in a New Shinra uniform, hugging a young woman with one arm, called out. "Hey!"

At that, everyone broke off for the moment, even those in the midst of embracing their families. Ragnar himself looked to the source. The man threw off his helmet after this, and revealed himself. It was the gaunt man from earlier. Ragnar saw him, and realized the woman with him must be his sister. It didn't look quite right… Her hair was a pale blond. She was also dressed more formally and masculine, looking used to work. However, her face was thin and smooth like the man's, and that seemed enough for him. He now turned to Ragnar, grinned, and waved his fist at him.

"Three cheers for our new leader! Hip-hip!"

Hearing this, the other men smiled and turned back to Ragnar. It was true. He was the one who had led them here. He was the one who made the plan. He was the reason they were all safe and free now. And so, they raised their fists and shook them at him as well.

"Hooray!"

"Hip-hip!"

_"Hooray!"_

"Hip-hip!"

"HOORAY!"

Ragnar couldn't help but feel nervous at that. Strange…after the deathtrap he had just waded through, only now did he feel anxious. He turned a bit red as he stood there, and winced uneasily. However, he managed a somewhat nervous smile, and a wave back to them. But he thought to what the man had said.

He had called him…leader.

The youth was stunned at that. He was a leader? Well…he had organized this. They had all acted under his orders. But did that make him a leader? What did? In truth, he hadn't known exactly what was supposed to make him a leader. It had escaped him until now. It was some quality that he hadn't discovered in his training with Bahamut, although the esper kept telling him it would come. He kept saying he had the inner qualities for it…that he had something inside that would come out in the end. And thinking of that…Ragnar realized that he might have been right. Maybe he did have it inside him. Maybe, just like everything else…he only needed the one push to let it out.

Still, it didn't make him any less nervous. He had never led anything before. But now, he quickly began to realize that was who he was now. These people had come this far under him. They probably expected him to have other plans as well. And they had to. After all…they had won the day, but they were far from in the clear. It wasn't going to take long to send a patrol to find out what all the gunfire and explosions were. Or to wonder why radio contact was gone. After that…they'd be swamped again, with more soldiers and weapons than they could combat. No…they were most certainly not in the clear yet, and Ragnar realized now that he was responsible for these people.

As the youth thought of all this, the townspeople began to become more joyous, along with their family members. However, the thin young man now began to approach the upstart leader. His sister followed closely with him, smiling all the way as she came. Within moments, they were in front of him. On seeing this, Ragnar snapped out of his private thoughts, and turned back to them.

The thin man grinned. "You certainly did it, Mr. Vice. Or should I call you, Sir? You are our new commanding officer, aren't you?"

Ragnar, on hearing this, turned a bit white for a moment. "…Excuse me?"

The man snickered at this. "Well, I thought for sure that this is only the first step of our rebellion against New Shinra. I mean…I'm correct in assuming that we're fighting against them now, right?"

The young man hesitated at this. Commanding officer? Rebellion? He hadn't expected all this. He began to feel a little overwhelmed. However, it was a bit late to be worrying about that. He had already passed the point of no return. To his amazement…he realized that was exactly what was going on. He had planned to fight the New Shinra someday…and he had opened the hostilities. Like it or not, he had reached the point where he had become the leader Bahamut wanted him to be. There was no turning back now.

It was a bit of a staggering thought… However, the young man wasn't going to turn away. He thought about it a bit harder. Yes…why not? Bahamut had told him that he wouldn't be able to do it alone. He had to raise an army…so why not start here? These people were with him. They saw him plan. He had led them well. And they respected him already… So why not? It was a bit sudden, and a little overwhelming to think of… But Ragnar decided in favor of it.In the end, he reached the conclusion in the positive.

Ragnar turned back to the man, and gave a nod. "Yes. Yes we are."

The man grinned. "Can't wait to get started." He held out a hand to the young man after this. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Zola. Or…Private Zola now, I suppose." He hesitated a moment, and then smiled. "General Ragnar."

The youth chuckled at this…a bit uneasily…and then reached out and took his hand. He gave it a shake in reply. "Glad to have you. You handled that weapon pretty well out there."

Zola gave a shrug. "To be honest…I have actually had some training in weapons. Just never a gun. Here…this is my sister, Noonian. She's quite the fighter too. Better than me, I think."

The woman smiled in reply to Ragnar. When she did, Ragnar felt himself feel a bit uneasy on seeing it. He couldn't help but get the feeling she was a bit more voluptuous than normal. Something about her mannerisms…made her seem slower and sly…and she seemed to move more easily and flash her smile a bit wider than normal. It was odd…almost like a seductress, it seemed. "Hello, General." She answered with a nod.

The young man hesitated a moment, but then gave a nod in reply. He said no more to her.

"Hey Ragnar!"

The youth turned and looked up to the new voice that had called. It was from the tower. The soldier there had discarded his helmet as well, and revealed himself as Mack. "What do we do now?"

Ragnar called back in a booming voice, making sure everyone heard him, and placing his full commanding power into it once more. "Everyone…get as much food, clothing, medical supplies, and weapons as you can manage, or anything else you think we might need. We're leaving this town in five minutes."

* * *

It was a rough trip, but they made it by late afternoon.

No one had anything for transportation. The people would have to hike through the snow all the way back to the City of the Ancients. Luckily, when one was hiking, the heat they gave off tended to offset the feelings of cold, and it was a clear day. The people were also loaded down. As many people as possible got out their backpacks and loaded them with all the supplies they could manage. There wasn't as much as they liked. The New Shinra were intelligent in the regard of taking away anything that would enable escapees to hide in the frozen wilderness. As far as weapons, the New Shinra had long since confiscated anything that could be used against them. But there were plenty of dead soldiers now to gather from. Most able bodied people were able to grab a rifle or machine gun. Of course, there were also some elderly citizens…all the ones that the New Shinra hadn't eventually dealt with…and children too. Two of them were infants. Those people had to be let alone to be able to carry their own children. Ragnar himself took as much as he could carry, and led them down the trail.

For hours they trudged through snow, coming down off of the Icicle Inn area. They left an easily defined trail, unfortunately, but it couldn't be helped. Their motley crue kept going until they reached the bare rocks that Ragnar had crossed months ago. They were even more exposed now, and they took a rest there around noon. One in the back with binoculars constantly kept a lookout for enemy patrols. Luckily, there were none. They were hopefully preoccupied at the moment with the destruction they had caused. At this point, hard as a trip it would be (especially on the older and younger citizens), Ragnar led them to the mountain ridges to the west and over it, taking a shorter, yet harder to cross path. That took quite some time to get across. The worst part was dragging the heavy machine gun. Yes…it had proven so useful that Mack had insisted it be dragged along, and Ragnar agreed. That was the biggest nightmare to take over the mountain, but at last they did.

Once across, it was a small matter of working their way back into the valley, and then winding their way through the narrow passages back to Ragnar's entrance. They once again had trouble when they reached the cliff, having to lower most of their equipment down (or throwing what they could), and then climb down themselves. But once through, it was an easy march into the City of the Ancients itself.

Ragnar led the group straight back to the grove. For now, it was the safest place. He could assign them to homes later. At that, they began to dismount and unload. It was getting late now. The sun was nearly down. Most of them were exhausted, and wanted to go to sleep as soon as possible. The children especially. Ragnar led them to the main house, and then had the others wait for a moment. Until now, he had been content to lie low, but at this point he posted a guard. He dismissed the people to move about as they wanted to for now, but that eventually they would have to have some sort of order.

It took a few hours to get everyone situated, but once they were and things had calmed down a little, and people began to wander around the City looking for good places to do their business, or potential houses to get shelter in, Ragnar broke off from the others. He was sweating a little, and feeling rather tired himself. It had been a very long day for him. He had barely slept last night, and he had to march twice as far as everyone else. Also, leading everyone around was a bit of a strain. It soon became obvious that everyone thought that Ragnar was the one who knew what he was doing, and had some great plan for them all. In truth…the young man was winging this, planning as he went along. And now that he had time to think, he went over to Mack. The other young man was currently posted in front of the supplies. He had his arms crossed and looked down at them dismally.

Ragnar walked up to him. "So…what do we have?" He asked a bit tiredly.

"Well, we have the coats and clothing on everyone's back…" He muttered. "Then we have this. Near as I can figure, we have enough to feed everyone for maybe a week."

Ragnar's eyes widened. "A week? That's it?"

Mack merely shrugged. "About ten sleeping bags…three full sets of camping cooking gear…four tents…about forty machine guns with eighty magazines…including the ones in them…twenty rifles with about a hundred shots…one heavy machine gun with about two hundred rounds left…six sets of binoculars…five first aid kits…and eight bottles of children's cough syrup."

Ragnar groaned and placed a hand to his face. "Great…"

Mack sighed as well, and shook his head at it all. In the end, he turned back to Ragnar. "So…what now?"

The young man sighed too. He looked around the area for a moment. What now? He didn't know where to begin. They had water and shelter here. They could make fires. But they'd need a lot more than just grubs and berries now. And the amount of weaponry they had wasn't going to last them long against anything. It certainly wasn't enough for an assault. The youth crossed his arms and frowned at what they had. Starting to think about this, he turned and began to look around at the group, and out into the surroundings…

Suddenly…he caught a flash of fabric just ahead.

On seeing that, Ragnar froze. A chill went through his spine. He had almost forgotten about that… Now, he stared ahead silently, his eyes wide and showing his emotion. Mack quickly picked up on this. He furrowed his brow slightly, and then leaned in a bit to the side, to look to Ragnar's face. "Hey…you alright there?"

The young man continued to stare ahead for a moment. Then, he slowly blinked. Without turning back to Mack, he uncrossed his arms and began to walk forward, out of the grove. "Yeah…" He halfheartedly called behind him as he moved. "I just…need to check something. I'll be right back." Soon, he was walking away from him, and focusing all his attention on the exit to the grove as he approached it.

Mack opened his mouth to protest, but it was too late. He was already off. Frowning slightly, the man shook his head, and then looked back down to his supplies. He groaned on looking at them. He wished they had enough shots to at least practice using them…

* * *

Ragnar was well away from the others when he reached the edge of the city. Ahead of him, the forest loomed. The setting sun had already cast it into shadow in the valley of the mountain ridges. It was silent here again. The voices of everyone in the grove had been cut off, and Ragnar was alone out here in the dimness of the closing night. Only his footsteps echoed as he stepped out from the shell path, and onto the soil that was beyond it. He looked around from side to side, casting his eyes deep into the forest. He could see nothing in the mist…but he knew better. He knew he was there…and that made him swallow in anxiety.

"…Master?" He called out at last.

There was silence from the forest. Not even an insect chirped. Ragnar felt his stomach turn and swallowed again. However, he then heard a rather quiet, somber voice behind him.

"Did you really think you had me fooled?"

Ragnar spun around at this. To his surprise, Bahamut was right there. He had his arms crossed and was leaning against the last tree outside of the wood before going into the city. His head was bowed, and it was obvious that he was frowning. He looked especially dark and cold tonight. Ragnar could almost feel his aura coming off of him…and it made him tremble. He shook a bit as he saw him there, and swallowed again.

"I…I thought I had gotten away last night…"

"You got away because I let you leave." Bahamut immediately retorted, keeping his head to the ground and his eyes nearly closed. "You think I didn't hear you go? I had been reading your thoughts all night. There wasn't a single thought that wasn't about trying to escape me, no matter how clear you thought you were being. I smelled your anxiety. I heard your heartbeat accelerate. And in the end, I calmly and patiently watched you leave, looking right by me while I stared right at you, with you never knowing the difference. I knew all along you disobeyed me."

The esper looked up slightly at this, enough to pierce Ragnar's gaze with his own. It was so cold and shocking he stepped back a little.

"And now…you're going to face the consequences."

The young man slowly exhaled, but then stepped forward and protested. "Master…it was a success though. I did it. I freed everyone from the mines. I freed everyone in my town. Not one person died. We escaped to the city."

"Oh, I've been watching that too, Ragnar." Bahamut slowly and darkly answered. His voice was so void of mirth and positive feeling that it made Ragnar shudder. His own optimism was quelled. Slowly, the esper stood up from his tree and began to walk forward. "Well, well…General Ragnar Vice, is it?" He addressed him, his voice nearly mocking him. He began to encircle him slowly, looking down on him as he did. As he did that…he made Ragnar feel rather low and small. Ragnar always did when Bahamut looked down on him, because he respected him so much. "You have a new army now, correct?"

"…That's what you wanted me to do, wasn't it?" Ragnar finally managed to respond, nearly choking the words out. He forced himself to look up and look at Bahamut again, though he couldn't look him in the eye. "You wanted me to be a leader. I am. And we've already had our first victory."

Bahamut walked forward a bit more…but then halted. He was right in front of Ragnar now. His gaze was still cold, and glared down on him. Ragnar tried to look up and look him in the eye. However, under his gaze…he felt small again. He could feel Bahamut's aura come over him, and it made him feel uneasy and sick.

"Did you now?" Bahamut simply answered. "Tell me, Ragnar…is your force large enough to take on the New Shinra yet?"

Ragnar blinked a moment, but then shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Of course not." Bahamut echoed, as if that was the natural response. "But…you're force is large enough to be considered a threat, yes?"

The youth hesitated. "Well…um…"

"The answer is yes, Ragnar, whether or not you think that's the case." Bahamut answered. "You've raided a prisoner's mine, attacked an enemy barracks, staged a revolt, and killed about 100 of their soldiers. So yes, you are considered a threat.

"So now think of this… The enemy thinks you are a threat, and yet you are not yet in a position to fight back." Bahamut's voice began to rise in volume and emotion. "The New Shinra is able to send out an army of 20,000 at any given time on short notice. And once they find out where you are…they will be sending out that army with fully armed troops, machine soldiers, heavy artillery, and goodness knows what else…which you now have to fight off with less than a hundred basic guns, untrained people, and while protecting children. You have nodefenses or supplies toforce or weather a siege.You have no exit plan in case they fall on you. You have no back up or place to seek asylum. You don't even have a boat to get these people out from the Northern Continent. Add to that fact that all other prisoner camps in the north will now have twice the amount of guards posted to keep this from happening again…and the fact that this move will cause New Shinra to launch its plans early to try and take the rest of the world…and I would say, for lack of a better phrase…_you are in pretty deep crap._ Don't you agree?"

Ragnar felt about six inches tall. He hadn't been thinking of any of that. But it was true. Even if he didn't trust Bahamut's judgment, he could hardly argue against any of it. At the thought of that…he paled inside and bowed his head. He felt like such a fool. His master had been right. This whole time, he had been trying to keep him from doing something stupid. That's why he wanted him to stay. But he didn't listen. He was right…he shouldn't have violated the first tenet. And now, he realized he was going to suffer badly for it. He raised his head and looked hopelessly to the esper.

"Well…why didn't you stop me then?"

"Don't use me as an excuse." Bahamut nearly hissed back. "I'm not your mother. I'm not going to keep you from wandering into a busy street. You're a man. You make your own decisions, and you live with the consequences. And if I did…you'd only resent me more. You had already decided. Even if I had told you any of this, you wouldn't have believed me. You wanted your little 'revenge', and that's what you decided on. What I told you wasn't going to make any difference. If I stopped you last night, you would have just looked for another opportunity to get away, and don't deny it."

Again, Ragnar was humbled. Bahamut was right again. The young man felt like both an idiot and low now. He kept his head bowed to the ground. The esper looked down on him. His anger was apparent…but it didn't last. He couldn't stay mad forever at his student, after all. However, as the anger began to fade away, a look of fear began to replace it…and of deep worry. He slowly shook his head at the young man as he looked at him.

"It's no use feeling bad now, Ragnar." The esper stated. "For better or for worse…you're on your own now."

Hearing that, the youth's eyes widened. He looked back up and to Bahamut's face. "…What?"

"I'm done." Bahamut simply answered. "You know it's not my policy to get involved in these things. I won't violate that now. You're on your own. This is your army now. I wanted to give you six more months of preparation…but it's over now. You'll have to make do with what you have, and learn the rest as you go."

The young man was still astonished. "You're…leaving me?"

"I never said this was my battle. It was yours. I don't affair in the battles of humans. My goal was to be your mentor. Nothing more. My time has passed, and the age of the espers has finished. The world will have to find new heroes to defend it. Now is your time."

Ragnar was shocked. He didn't know this would be what it meant. "But…you can't leave me now…" He began to insist.

"You're the one who wanted so badly to start now. So go to it." Bahamut simply answered. "I can't trust you to listen to me anymore. Besides…if you only do what I tell you, you're still dependant on me. You're supposed to be the leader. If you feel yourself unready…you should have thought about that before running off last night."

Ragnar still stepped forward, and got into Bahamut's face. "But I need you! We need you!"

"You know how I hate repeating myself." Bahamut coldly answered, staring back at Ragnar without yielding. "I said I don't meddle in human affairs. If you want me to serve you…then you will have to prove yourself my better in combat, just as always. Do you seriously wish to try in a battle to the death?"

The youth hesitated at that. He stared back at Bahamut, his face flushed with growing fear and anxiety. However, in the end, he swallowed, and then lowered his gaze. Very slowly…he stepped back and away from him. Bahamut watched him coldly as he did so, until he was back in his previous position. The young man slowly inhaled, and then exhaled once again. He shook his head. There was a moment of silence, but then he spoke up quietly.

"…You're right." Ragnar finally said. "This was my choice. I'm the one who formed this force…who led the attack. It is my responsibility. And I can't just let other people tell me what to do if I'm supposed to be a leader…" The young man hesitated here, and slowly sighed. He began to feel very nervous and fearful within…but he also began to realize his duty, and what he had willfully chosen. "I said to myself last night, no matter the consequences, I was going to do this. And now…I have to live with the consequences whether I like it or not."

The esper continued to stare expressionlessly back at Ragnar. As for the youth himself, he tightened his sweating fists nervously. He hated himself now for being so stupid in the end…for refusing to listen to Bahamut. But now, it was too late. And he was right…the time of the espers was over. It was his time now, and his age. He couldn't expect Bahamut to fight this war for him. Now…he was a leader. These people counted on him. He had to try and take care of them now. It was his duty as their leader, a duty he took on himself when he led that first attack back at Icicle Inn. Somehow…he had to keep them alive. He had to lead them to victory. He had no idea how or where to begin…but he had to try.And as best as he could, he would do so.

As Ragnar resigned himself to this fate and feared how he was going to act in the future…he slowly felt a warm grasp rest itself on his shoulders. It was comforting…and encouraging now as he found himself having to abandon being an individual child and become a man. It seemed to feed him strength through his body. He looked up, and saw that Bahamut was standing over him now, looking down on him. His look had turned somewhat somber at this point. However, his blue eyes focused hard into his, and held his gaze.

"…I can tell you this much." He finally began. "Start by gathering whoever you can to fight with you, and establish a base with enough supplies and weapons to sustain them. Then go from there. I'll give you your first step…but that's all. From here on in, I'll only tell you what the Planet wants me to tell you."

Bahamut removed a hand from Ragnar's shoulder, and dipped it into his coat pocket. A moment later, he emerged with a simple paper envelope. He handed this to the young man. Ragnar stared at it a moment, but then took it from his grasp.

"Follow the instructions inside, no matter what they say." Bahamut informed him. "They'll get you started. After that…you're on your own."

Ragnar looked back at him silently, but gave a nod. The two continued to stare at each other for a few moments. Both were silent. In the end, Ragnar inhaled deeply, trying to steel himself inside as much as he could, and then spoke up.

"I guess…this is goodbye."

"For now, yes."

The two looked on a bit longer. One to his favored student, the other to his adored master. They were silent again for a short while. Then, at last, Ragnar leaned forward and embraced Bahamut. The esper was surprised by this for only the briefest moment. Then…he slowly embraced him as well. Though they had been together only a short time, there was a bond between the two of them now. In spite of everything else, they were friends.

"Thank you, master."

"Good luck…my pupil."

The two held for a moment longer, but then finally broke away. Ragnar looked up to Bahamut as he looked back at him. After another pause, Bahamut finally looked away. His face was calm, and his gestures were calm. He looked past Ragnar andinto the Sleeping Forest. Slowly, he began to walk towardit. Ragnar saw him, and followed him with his own gaze. He turned and watched as he went past him and into the mists.Thesilent, mystical wood slowly surrounded him as he moved into it, keeping his back to Ragnar as he did and letting the mist shroud him. Darkness continued to fall, and the trees blocked his view. At long last…he brushed past some leaves…and was swallowed up into the wood. Ragnar saw him no more.

After this, Ragnar inhaled deeply, steeling himself again. Then, he turned away and began to walk back toward the City of the Ancients. As he did, he tore open the envelope, pulled out a piece of paper inside, and began to read the instructions.

* * *

"You're leaving?"

"For a week." Ragnar answered a bit later. The sun was down now, and night had fallen. Ragnar had returned to the grove. Many of the people were asleep now. However, a few of the men, Mack included, were still awake and either standing guard or touring the city for a feel of the location, or anything else they'd need. Currently, Ragnar had drawn Mack aside and back to the entrance of the grove. He had read the instructions by now, and he knew what he had to do first. He had disobeyed Bahamut once and suffered the consequences. He wasn't going to do it again. He didn't whisper now, not caring if other people heard. He informed Mack at full volume of his intentions.

"We need food, supplies, and weapons." Ragnar answered. "We won't last up here for very long. Plus, I need to see if I can recruit anyone else to help us."

"I think we'd have to settle for mercenaries." Mack grumbled in reply to this. "And I don't know about you, but I'm a little light."

"We've got no choice." Ragnar answered. "I'm going to head south and try and get a ship to the lower continents. I'll see what I can do there. I'll be back in a week with whatever I can manage."

"What if you can't manage anything?" Mack responded.

Ragnar sighed. "Come hell or high water, I'll be back with a boat to take us off the Northern Continent. Even if I have to sell myself back into slavery or my organs to science."

"What if you can't even get off the Northern Continent?" Mack insisted, still sounding worried and uneasy. "What makes you so sure you can even find a ship taking you off the Northern Continent? There aren't many ports up here…"

The youth leveled his gaze at the man. "You have any better ideas?"

Mack hesitated at that. He stared at the young man for a few moments longer. In the end, he sighed. He crossed his arms and frowned sourly at their upstart leader.

"…You have _got_ to be back in a week. After that, there's no telling what the people here will do."

"I will. I promise."

With that, Ragnar turned and immediately began to walk out of the grove. Mack kept his arms crossed and shook his head as he watched him march off. He let him go for a little while, before he finally called out to him again. "Aren't you even going to take any gear? Food? Sleeping bag?"

"Save it for the others." Ragnar called back over his shoulders, and continued to walk away.

Mack shook his head again watching him. He hoped that escaping hadn't been a bad idea, and that Ragnar knew what he was doing. His ideas had paid off so far…but they hadn't known him that long. He hoped that he could trust him with this too. If they couldn't…they might have only shortened the amount of time it would take for the New Shinra to kill them.

* * *

Zola was patrolling the outer rim of the City of the Ancients, near the Sleeping Forest, when he heard a man coming down the path. On doing so, he turned and looked west. It was dark out, but he was able to see well enough past it to detect a shape moving far ahead down the path. It looked a bit like Ragnar. He was marching down and out of the city on the shell walkway. Zola continued to watch him for a moment, keeping his head turned that way, until he saw him step off of the path and go into the woods. After a few moments longer, he had disappeared.

The man merely shrugged. He supposed Ragnar had his reasons. Maybe he was only going to the bathroom. He turned around and looked back to the forest to continue his patrol…

…And found himself staring right into the angry, passionate face of a ghost.

Zola's eyes widened. "You…!"

The man couldn't get out anything else before a hand clamped around his throat. Talons began to break out of the skin on the end of the fingers, and dig into his flesh. Bahamut, sneering at him in human form, lost the human look to his eyes, and they blazed yellow and reptilian instead. He whirled the man around and slammed him against the nearest tree so hard that it cracked a bit underneath the pressure. With that done, Bahamut glared darkly at him with near murderous intent. Zola himself paled and looked down at him in terror.

"You survived for over two thousand years after I left…" The esper sneered. "I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised to see you still here after five hundred. Tell me…do you have any reason I shouldn't kill you now?"

Zola swallowed. He was being held against the tree by the neck, in such a way to let him know that Bahamut could snap it at any moment, but he could still speak and breathe. He shook his head desperately and looked to the esper innocently. "Bahamut…please…you've got me all wrong…"

"Do I?" Bahamut hissed back. He raised his other hand. With a flick, his talons sprung out of the end of it, and he brandished them before the man. "You never show up without _him_… Where is he? Is he still alive?"

"Bahamut, you know as well as I do that he's dead." Zola stammered in answer. "And even if he wasn't, I wouldn't care. You heard him that day five hundred years ago. He was going to kill me and Noonian, after everything we did for him. I have no loyalty to him anymore."

"Yet you have loyalty to a human only a fraction of your age?" Bahamut challenged. "What do you want from him? What are you plotting?"

"We're plotting nothing!" Zola insisted. "We've been living as humans since that time! We have nothing else! We were captured along with the rest of the townspeople when the New Shinra moved in. We didn't escape from them because we didn't see a point to making ourselves fugitives of humanity again. When the boy showed up, saying he wanted a revolution, I encouraged that! I see this as having something to live for!"

"You declared war on humanity five hundred years ago." Bahamut coldly answered. "Why the change of heart now?"

"Without Wyvern, I have nothing to crusade in favor of." Zola answered. "I formed my own life. I've been living among humans for years now. So long as I look like one of them, they don't cause me any trouble. They haven't been bad since the last of our kind died out. And this one…this kid who was with you…he actually wants to help out the Planet. That makes us on the same side. I don't want to see it destroyed or hurt anymore than you do."

"Really?" Bahamut declared in obvious doubt.

"Bahamut…" Zola went on, being more quiet and slow. "You may find this hard to believe…but with Wyvern gone and me finding my own way in this world…I've had a change of heart. I've seen humans taking care of their own children, laughing, playing…doing everything we do. I've noticed how much we're the same after I change appearances. I actually believe in some of the things you used to believe in now. I _want_ to change from the person I used to be. If I serve Ragnar, that's a way for me to do it. I can actually help the world and atone for some of my crimes. Besides…you know that without Wyvern I have nothing to gain from betraying him."

"Nothing obvious, at any rate…" The esper darkly retorted.

"Would I lie to your face?" Zola innocently asked.

"Only if you wanted to die slowly…because I can see right through you."

With that, Bahamut released his grasp on the man. Immediately, Zola fell to the ground in a heap. Bahamut hadn't choked him, but his throat still throbbed in pain. He reached up and clutched at it, feeling the bruises along it. As for the esper before him, he sheathed his claws and his eyes dimmed back into human form. But he continued to glare down on the man.

"If you or your sister step out of line…I'll be back. I don't meddle in human affairs, but where espers, or half-espers, are concerned…you can count on it."

With that, Bahamut walked by Zola…finishing by giving him a light kick in the side as he did so. The kick had to be light, because as painful as it was, and much as it made Zola fly to the opposite direction and moan in pain…it didn't break any bones. Soon, the esper went back into the woods, and was vanishing into them once more.

As for Zola, he winced as he recovered and then breathed slowly. Most of all, however, he felt tremendous relief at having escaped death. He turned back to the woods and looked nervously out after the esper. However, he did not return. He had disappeared again…or at least appeared to disappear…and had left the half-esper alone. Zola slowly recovered a bit longer, and then rose up from where he stood.

Soon after, he turned and began to make his way back to the City of the Ancients. He had lost his desire to patrol for tonight…

* * *

_To be continued..._


	46. Welcome to Edge

_Leave the city at once and go straight south. Do not stop until you reach the coast._

Ragnar had fulfilled the first part of the instructions at least.

By now, the youth was rather tired and growing hungry. All night last night, and up through the early hours of the morning, he had done just that. He hiked all the way to the south. He passed through the dark Sleeping Forest until he reached regular woods on the other side. At that point, he had to watch for creatures and monsters that were unfriendly. He also got to enjoy the sensation of being devoured by mosquitoes. The regular forest was also more overgrown, forcing himself to push through less clear ground. He bumped his ankles, had his already ragged clothing torn more, and got a few scratches and scrapes from low-hanging branches. On top of it all, he had already gone so far yesterday that his feet were killing him. Yet still, he pushed on.

Sometime after midnight he came through into Bone Village. Ragnar didn't know much about this place, only that it was some sort of excavation site. Nowadays, students on an archeological dig were the only ones that visited it. There were none of them now, and Ragnar wandered through the large skeletons and continued his way south. The sun gradually began to rise after that. The forest broke up around him, and the hills became more clear and rolling. He was still at a pretty high elevation above sea level, but he continued going down slightly as he made his way south. Once the sun was up, he was still walking. His legs were burning a little by then, and he was getting rather thirsty. Yet still he kept walking. It grew warmer out…much warmer than usual. He wasn't used to being in so much heat. He thought of discarding his cloak, but instead pulled the hood off and continued on.

Sometime before noon he finally reached the sea. He saw it from a ways off, of course. He didn't quite recognize it at first. The horizon had just looked funny. But as he drew closer, he began to realize that the horizon was widening. As he went closer than that, he saw it was flat, and had a tint of blue on it. That was when he realized he was looking at the ocean. He was astonished by it. He had never seen anything like it at Icicle Inn, and had never imagined it being so big and endless. All up and down in front of him, stretching to one end of the world and back, was nothing but water. It looked like the end of the world. Not the slightest hint of land could be seen anywhere, and as he drew nearer he still saw nothing. The breezes began to grow salty as they blew up from the ocean to him. The ocean itself was pretty calm, not having any waves or signs of any trouble. In fact, there wasn't a soul anywhere for miles, as far as Ragnar could see.

The youth continued walking down to the shore. His feet gradually went off the ground and sank into the soft sand. At that, he began to realize something unfortunate about beaches. Sand frequently got in your shoes. He initially stopped to dump them, but soon realized that was hopeless, and ignored it and kept going. Not long after, he noticed something just ahead. An old, rotted pier, half crumbled, was sitting on the beach and just over the ocean. The young man walked up to it, and felt it once he was there. It was wet and old, but stable enough. The sun had already baked most of it dry. With nothing better to do, Ragnar sat on top of the edge of it, and relaxed.

The young man yawned loudly. He hadn't slept since the morning of the day he found his sister, which was two nights ago. He hadn't eaten since then either. Hunger was gnawing at his belly, and he felt thirsty and tired from his long trip. He was glad that his legs got some relief at least as he reclined. He paused for a little while just to take a break from his endless march for the past hours. But once he had relaxed, he tiredly reached back into his pocket and pulled out the wrinkled envelope from earlier. He pulled out the piece of paper, and then looked at it again. He skipped the first two sentences and went to the next.

_A fisherman will be by around noon. Get on his boat and go south to where he'll let you off on the Eastern Continent._

Ragnar sighed and put the paper away. He looked overhead. The sun was nearing noon, but it could still be an hour off for all he knew. He looked back down and looked to the wide ocean. He was rather thirsty, but he had read somewhere that the ocean was filled with salt water, and it would kill you if you drank it. With that in mind, he had to sit there. The sun was hotter here on the beach, and it wasn't long before the youth loosened his cloak around his neck and let it fall behind him. He thought of going upshore to get some water, but he didn't want to risk missing the fisherman. He was stuck here.

Bored, Ragnar put his fingers into the envelope and waved them around inside. As he did, however…he felt something that wasn't just the instructions. At this, Ragnar looked down to the envelope and opened it wide. Sitting right in there, tucked behind the flap, was gil. The youth blinked, but then reached in and grabbed it, and pulled it out. He looked at the money and counted it. There were five crisp new 100 gil bills.

Ragnar looked in puzzlement at these. So, Bahamut had left him some money. But what for? He didn't know. It probably had to do with one of the later instructions. He slipped the money back into the envelope, and put it away in his pocket with the paper. After that, he sat and waited.

Some time passed. Between the gentle rocking of the ocean and the warm heat, Ragnar nearly fell asleep. He leaned back on top of his cloak and closed his eyes, feeling the sun beating down. He didn't quite nod off, however. He stayed awake for a short period of time, still waiting. But just as he was about to nod off…he heard a disturbance on the water. It wasn't a wave either. It was something else…something continuous. Hearing it, the youth opened his eyes again. He immediately leaned back up and sat erect on the old pier, and looked out to the ocean.

Sure enough, a boat was coming. Judging by the sun, it had to be about noon. A hundred feet from the shore, an old motorized fishing boat was going along the sea. It was old and battered. The paint was cracked and chipping away. It was rusted in most spots. The motor was practically chugging, and putting out a lot of smoke. Though Ragnar had never seen a boat before, it was easy to infer that this one was rather old. A single grizzled old man was working it, puttering it ahead slowly. He had a crotchety look to him, Weather-beaten and no nonsense. His face was dry and red from the sun, and he looked almost wrinkled like a raisin rather than old. His own clothing was dirty and shabby, not to mention loose. He didn't appear to be very friendly…but Ragnar was sure this was it.

The young man immediately stood. He waved out to the boat and called. "Hey there!"

The old man looked up from his fishing, and stared out at Ragnar. "Ahoy!" He sounded in a rather unfriendly voice, his face looking still crass and unapproving. "What are you doing out there? What do you want?"

"Are you going to the Eastern Continent?" Ragnar called out.

"So what if I am?"

"I was wondering if you could give me a lift!"

"Do I look like a ferry to you?" The old man yelled back in a grumpy voice. "Get lost!"

The youth recoiled a bit. He wasn't expecting that. Kind of in the mode of destiny, he was sort of expecting the person to just let him right on. To get denied was a bit of a surprise. Maybe this was the wrong boat… However, it was close to noon, and Ragnar didn't see another boat for miles. He had a feeling this was the one…but how was he going to get on it now?

Suddenly, Ragnar remembered the money…

Immediately, the youth cried out again. "I'll pay you a hundred gil!"

"I said beat it!" The old man yelled back.

"How about three hundred?"

"Stop bothering me!"

Ragnar sighed once to himself, and hoped he wouldn't need this for anything else. "Five hundred!"

The old man hesitated at this. His face was still sour, but he seemed to think this over for a moment. In the end, he grunted and made some sort of scowling face. He reached over to the throttle and powered down. The old fishing boat finally came to a stop as the engine spluttered and died. He turned back to Ragnar and shook his head.

"You stubborn kid…" He grumbled. "Fine! If you help me with the fishing for the rest of the day and give me the money…I'll give you a ride! Now get out here!"

Ragnar sighed in relief. Thank goodness. Quickly, he reached down and took up his cloak again, and began to fasten it around his neck. It would make swimming a little hard, but that was ok. So long as it wasn't upstream, it would be a breeze. The old man shook his head again at him as he saw this.

"The only reason I'm letting you is because I know I'm not going to get to fish much longer, and I need to get as much as I can!" He yelled back at him. "What with that storm coming in!"

The young man paused at this. Storm? In response, he turned his head out to the sky. On his right, far in the distance, he noticed something. To his surprise, he hadn't noticed it earlier, and he had been looking out only a few minutes ago. Yet there it was now. Far on the western horizon, a row of clouds had formed. They now filled the sky in that direction.

Ragnar stared at this a moment longer, but then turned back to the boat. He waved it off for now, and jumped into the water and began to swim.

* * *

_This had better be worth it…_

The old man had been a worse taskmaster than some of the people he had worked under in the mines. He yelled at him constantly, always getting mad at him when he stepped in the wrong place, got too close, or did something else that made him uncomfortable. He made him handle all the nets, throwing them out and hauling them back in. It was hard work to handle all by himself, but the old man didn't have machinery for doing it in any other way. It was a good thing that Ragnar had trained so much. Still, considering the strain his body had been through over the past few days, it still tired him out. He was even hungrier than before after the three hours the old man had him fish. However, he found no sympathy with him. He had half a sandwich left from lunch, but when he asked for it the old man merely gave him some tirade about freeloading off of his charity. Ragnar didn't bother to explain to the man that he wasn't receiving charity at all but was giving him three hours labor plus 500 gil. At any rate, Ragnar was glad when he finally got going.

The boat ride was the most boring part. It took hours to go across the sea, even though the boat at full throttle went much faster. Ragnar was a bit mystified at first. After going a little bit out to sea, the Northern Continent vanished too. They were surrounded by water everywhere for miles. There were a few gulls flying about, but soon they went away, and they were all alone in the midst of the ocean. Ragnar was amazed at all the water…but as the hours went on he began to get rather bored with it. It and the engine noise only made him more sleepy and tired. He tried to sit down on the boat, but the old man snapped at him for that. One would think that if he sat down anywhere or touched anything he would break it, even though he had been hauling in fish with the same equipment. He was forced to stand. At least in doing so, he couldn't smell the fish as bad.

As the sun went down, the clouds finally came overhead. The old man had been right. They rolled in much more quickly than Ragnar thought possible, and when they came they brought wind with them. The ocean began to wave and ripple a little, making the voyage a bit more bumpy and uneven. It made the young man a bit nervous. Ragnar saw the sky grow darker and grayer as the clouds continued to close in. It was rather bleak out by the time they filled the whole sky, and it made the sea a bit colder, even for Ragnar. Then, it began to rain. It was only a light rain at first, but it didn't take long to get Ragnar all wet. He once again foolishly believed the old man would be kind enough to let him under the small overhang that covered the controls. He yelled at him, saying he'd distract his driving…though all he had been doing for hours was holding the wheel steady. The young man was forced to stay out in the rain.

The sun was setting when Ragnar finally reached shore. It was almost completely black out. However, there was one overhead light near the shore. As they got closer, Ragnar could just see through the rain to see that it illuminated a shabby-looking pier with a house about as old and weather beaten as the boat he was riding on. The boat slowly pulled up to this, and Ragnar immediately leapt off the second he was in range. Any slower, and he might have jumped in and swam. The old man muttered that he was going to leave without even saying thank you. Ragnar managed to turn and give him a thank you at that, only to have the old man yell at him to get lost already. As Ragnar turned and complied with that, he heard the old man yelling behind him that he was ungrateful, not even stopping to help him put the ship up.

Needless to say, Ragnar never wanted to see that old man again.

The road leading from the old man's house was dirt. He walked down it until he reached one made of real concrete and blacktop. There was one single solitary street light out here. Ragnar opened up his directions again and looked at them at this point.

_From where you land, go to the road, turn right, and walk to the city._

Ragnar put the directions away again and looked down the road. He saw lights far in the distance, just faintly through the rain. However, they spread quite a ways, and Ragnar supposed that this had to be the city. It was weird though. He had never seen a city that large before, assuming all the lights being cast off were from it. Nevertheless, he began down the road.

Now, however, the real thunderstorm began. Lightning and thunder began to crash, and a fat downpour soon doused the youth. Soon, he was sloshing along in his totally soaked clothing toward the city in the distance. It actually vanished for a short while, concealed by the rain, until Ragnar managed to get a few miles closer to it. By now, the young man was totally miserable. Hungry…tired…stinking of fish…clothed in soggy rags…and walking along an empty road all the way to a city that had to still be a good twelve miles away.

Ragnar was soaked off and on for hours as the thunderstorm fluctuated. Gradually, as he drew nearer, street lights began to come on again. At that point, he had to move to one side of the road, for cars actually did start coming by. Most of them gave him a nice wave of muddy water in the face. Yet still, he pressed forward. He kept his eyes turned up often, and tried to focus on the city as it got near. It was good, for soon he had something new to fascinate him.

He had been right…the city _was_ huge. It was the biggest city he had ever seen. Getting closer only made it fill his vision, rather like the ocean had. As he looked up and into the sky through the flashes of lightning, he saw building and skyscrapers the likes of which he had only read about tower into the heavens. However…they looked a bit odd. Some of them appeared to be only ruins…or broken in some way. And they were all dark. The real sources of light came from below. What they were was still hidden, behind a large wall that loomed over a hundred feet high ahead of him. The road seemed to come out from it, out of a large open gate. It was to this place that Ragnar continued. It was a bit intimidating. Most of the ruin was dark, and looked rather forboding and uninviting. But cars were coming to and from it, and so he continued to push his way onward. He still felt some nervousness as he passed through the huge metal gate and into the city.

Ragnar soon found out he was right. Most of the inside was a ruin. Nothing but wrecks of buildings, twisted metal, and one destroyed machine after another as he walked forward for miles. The city looked dead, almost like an uninhabited ghost city. What more, it was a bit terrorizing. It was full of darkness and shadows all around him, and Ragnar knew he saw some things moving around in the darkness more than once. Most of them were much bigger than rats. The youth tried to stay close to the road as much as possible without being hit by the cars…or doused with more mud. The rain was still falling, after all.

At last, the youth entered civilization. As he continued forward, he gradually began to see more street lights again. This was before he came upon a concrete tunnel the cars were passing through. He entered this and slowly made his way through it. It was well illuminated by yellow lights inside, and it was kept clean too. This place wasn't a wreck like everything else. The downside was that it was thinner than the road outside, and Ragnar had to press himself against the wall to get through it. At least he was out of the rain. When he finally passed through and continued to walk, he found he had entered the part of the city with life.

This amazed the young man. He had never seen so many homes or buildings in his life. There wasn't just one main street here. There were dozens of them…hundreds…going in every direction. Stores…houses…buildings…there were tons of works of architecture all over the place. And there were people too. Not so many as there would be during the day, but many none the less compared to what Ragnar was used to. Mostly, there were more cars, everywhere now. Until that evening, Ragnar had only interacted with cars for a short time in his life, whenever one happened to come through Icicle Inn. However, he was a bit displeased with these ones. The cars he had seen before smelled fine. All of these put out some sort of dirty-smelling odor. Still, Ragnar wished he was in one now instead of the rain. Everywhere was concrete and steel. The city was big and bustling, even at this time of night. And above it all, Ragnar saw with some puzzlement, ruins of an even bigger and more advanced city rested. From the looks of them…they hadn't been destroyed too long ago. He was curious as to how exactly it happened. Was this the place where Meteor hit? He didn't know, just like he knew nothing of what had gone on in the world since Meteor was destroyed.

Ragnar could see his way through the area now. And many of the stores that lined the streets on the sides gave him room to dip under and get out of the rain, as well as neon lights to illuminate himself with. After working his way about another mile into the city, he ducked to the side again. He reached into his soaking wet clothing and pulled out the envelope. It was soaking wet too, but luckily the ink hadn't bled. He opened it up again, pulled out the paper, and then read it.

_Go to Sector Seven, called Edge. Be at the corner of Rufus and Third at 1 AM _precisely

The young man looked up and out to the streets around him. One of the buildings on a corner had a large clock. It currently read 10:30 PM. It seemed he had some time, but he had no idea whereEdge was, or even where _he_ was. He had better start looking. He shoved the directions back into his pocket, and continued down the street for now.

For a few minutes, Ragnar continued to work his way down the street, trying to look around and get some bearing of where he had to go. But then,he spotted something up ahead as he walked down the sidewalk. An information kioskwas on a block corner, placed under an illuminated sign. On seeing it, Ragnar quickly ran ahead through the rain and ducked under the lip of it. He saw a railway map for the transit system here, as well as the overlying roads. He couldn't afford the railway, unfortunately, but he was able to find Rufus Street and Third Street. In addition, it appeared that the city he was in was circular, and divided into eight equal pieces that all had their own numerical designation. To his relief, Sector Seven: Edgewasn't far from here. He was in Sector Eight already. And the directions were fairly straightforward. After finding his way, he looked overhead to try and see where he was.

_Midgar._

Ragnar hesitated on hearing that. He remembered that name. The New Shinra almost always spoke about it as being their base when they first arrived. However, they never had gone back there. They built a new one up north. Considering the destruction that surrounded him, Ragnar began to wonder if the reason was because it was destroyed when Meteor came. But if so…he wondered if there was still a presence here. It made him nervous, but he continued onward.

It took about thirty minutes to weave his way through the streets to the location. It kept raining the whole time. Stepping into puddles was disgusting here. Everywhere was slimy and filthy. The city was pretty dirty to him, especially compared to Icicle Inn. Little did the youth suspect that if he had been here three years earlier, it would have been much worse. Yet he kept going, making his way through the streets and turns and going toward his destination. As he went on…he grew a bit more uneasy. Many of the people who passed by him started to look rougher, and smelled of something that appeared to be alcohol or who knew what else. Many ran into him as they went along, seemingly on purpose sometimes, but always without an apology. Others went around in groups laughing to each other about something. Ragnar grew uneasy when any of them stared at him. He had a feeling that this late at night was not a good time to be out.

The young man was glad that things got a bit wider and more illuminated when he made it toEdge. He passed through some square as he made his way along toward his destination. As he did, he paused long enough to note a strange looking sculpture in the center of the square, up on a podium. It looked like a metal piece of art that appeared to be a burning sphere. There was some sort of plaque on it, but Ragnar didn't want to waste time reading it. He kept going.

At long last, at 11 PM, Ragnar was there. Tired and wet, he sloshed a few more steps forward, until he found himself under a street lamp. On two green signs criss-crossing it, he saw the two simple phrases. Rufus St. and 3rd St. Sighing in relief, he walked to the sign and leaned against the post. He turned around and rested there a moment, slowly sighing, and looking around him.

After a few minutes, Ragnar began to get bored of this. The rain was still falling, and he was feeling rather waterlogged. It was dark out, and as cool as the rain was it made him feel a little cold, even considering where he was from. Walking through cold rain for hours eventually worked its way on you. He was still starving…still tired…and he hadn't sat down in hours. Of course, outside, the only place to sit was right in a puddle of filth-filled water. That didn't appeal to him much either. But he wanted to get dry at least. He still had two hours…

Ragnar looked around himself a bit.There was a small building just behind him. It looked fairly new and clean, and from the sounds of it and the lights, it appeared to be some sort of bar or restaurant. He heard some sort of music coming from within. Seeing that, Ragnar thought it was good enough. At least he could order water…even though at this point he never wanted to see a glass of water again. Slowly, he turned and began to walk to the entrance. Moments later, he was under the front awning, and putting his hand on the swinging door. It easily gave, and the soaked youth walked in.

It felt great to get out of the rain again. Ragnar sputtered a bit to get the water out of his mouth that rolled down his face, and then with a tired exhale looked around. The inside was rather nice. Simple wood paneling design with white walls overhead. Lots of pictures hanging around the area, mostly of landscapes or people doing things at old bars or at old games. A few newspaper clippings were up, that Ragnar ignored. It was indeed a bar. A rather large bar area was just ahead, looking rather well stocked and clean. It had an older look to it, but that only made it more inviting and less "dive-like". The place wasn't jam packed at this point, but it did have a good crowd. He heard a rather loud bit of music coming from an amplifier on entering, and turning slightly to the left he saw that there was a local band playing. They were country from the sound of it. A few of the patrons turned and looked at Ragnar when he came in, though most were too absorbed in their drinks. Those that did stared a bit at him. Ragnar was muddy, torn, and looking rather pale and wobbly by now. Hunger was taking its toll and making him wave a little on his own two feet. However, he looked away from all this, and to the front.

Slowly, Ragnar began to make his way toward the bar area. This one only had one or two drunks on the end, a female bartender,and right in front of him the area was clear. Each step made his shoes squish out another amount of water on the floor, and he left a long drip trail as he came. It didn't take long for the bar hostess to stop smiling and waving at one of the patrons and look at him in the same stunned silence. She seemed to forget about the glass that she was polishing and instead stared at him as he slowly half-dragged his body to the bar. Once he was there, he squished as he slowly pulled himself up on top of a stool, and then leaned over and folded his hands in front of him.

"Could I have a glass of water, please?"

The bar hostess blinked once at him, her mouth slightly open but her face expressionless. Her brown eyes slowly looked down and looked him over once. After that, she very calmly shut her mouth and formed a plaintative expression. She turned slightly to set the glass and towel down, and then brushed back a bit of her long brown hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. After that, she mimicked the young man somewhat in leaning over and folding her hands in front of her. She focused her brown eyes into his.

"Kid…" She began slowly. "Three things. One…I don't allow weapons in my bar."

Ragnar hesitated, and then looked back to the handle of Ragnarok. He had forgotten about that…but there was no way he was going to leave it outside while he went in. He turned back to the woman after that, and continued to look innocent.

"Two…how old are you?"

"I'm not a kid." Ragnar insisted. "I'm twenty."

"The minimum age to enter my bar is twenty-one."

Ragnar blinked a moment as he looked at her. "…You don't look much older than me."

"Why thank you. But I'm twenty-three, and the hostess, so I make the rules. Third…you've just tracked in about a gallon of water across my floor, and sat down on one of my leather seats to shed another gallon. And if someone slips and falls, I'm probably in for another insurance rate hike."

Ragnar slowly looked down and looked to his body. He was still dripping, from being thoroughly soaked. He looked back up to the woman, and let out a long sigh. With a somewhat dismal look, he frowned and began to twist to get back off of the stool. "…Sorry I caused you so much trouble." He half-heartedly retorted as he leaned off of it and stood on the ground again. "I'll just go find a nice, warm puddle outside." He added as he turned and began to walk for the door.

"When's the last time you've had anything to eat?"

Ragnar froze on hearing that. He hesitated a moment, and then turned back to the bar. The hostess was still there, hands folded in front of her and staring at him.

The youth paused for a moment. "…About two days ago."

"How would you like some chicken wings?" She asked.

The young man paused again, but then shook his head. "I don't want charity."

"It's not charity. You didn't let me finish." The woman answered with a small smile. "I'll make you some if you get out the mop and a rag and clean up the mess you just tracked in. Deal?"

Ragnar once again stood still. His stomach growled again. However, he looked to the woman, and saw her still smiling at him. She seemed pretty friendly, despite how she had reacted when he first came in. In the end, he gave her a nod. "Ok, deal."

The woman smiled a bit wider. "Come on back here. I'll show you where it is."

* * *

An hour later, and Ragnar was gnawing the last bit of meat off of his twentieth chicken wing. It had been six months since he had meat to eat, and he loved it. Anything besides beetles, grubs, and berries. The band had stopped by now and left, and the customers had cleared out. Apparently, closing time was midnight. The last drunk had just stumbled out the door. Sitting next to him was a bucket with a mop coming out of it, balanced against the bar. A wet rag was also in it. At the moment, Ragnar and the woman working the bar were the only people here.

The hostess finished filling up Ragnar's second glass of water, and passed it back to him. He gratefully took it and washed down the last bit of meat with it. After that, she resumed wiping it off, but kept her eyes on him.

"You don't look like one of the normal orphan kids." She commented.

Ragnar groaned and frowned again. "Seriously…I'm not a kid. I just look that way. I really am twenty."

The woman put her hands of defensively. "Alright, whatever." She answered. "You just really do look young. You sure eat like a person without a home, though. And you dress like one too."

"I live up north." Ragnar answered as he put down his glass.

The woman shrugged. "You're the first person on a vacation I've seen who dresses in rags, carries a sword, and is totally broke regardless. I don't suppose you have a license to carry that, do you?"

Ragnar hesitated, and then shrugged. "I didn't know I needed one. I didn't steal it, if that's what you're insinuating."

Again, the woman looked defensive and apologetic. "Sorry. Forget I said anything. You're just a little unusual from the standard fair, ki…" The woman cut herself off at this, and rolled her eyes a bit at her own screw up. She looked back to him after that. "What do I call you anyway?"

Ragnar looked up for a moment at that. He looked over the woman, and winced a bit. He felt a bit uneasy and anxious. He had been in a mode of being rather suspicious of people he didn't know for quite some time, after all. After a pause, he said something else.

"I don't suppose Shinra still has its Headquarters out of Midgar, does it?"

To this, the woman smiled and gave a chuckle. She bowed her head a bit and went back to her work, and shook it. "You must be from way up north…" She half-murmured. "Shinra has been out of business for three years. It disbanded after Meteor came. If that's what you came to town for, it doesn't exist anymore."

In response to this, Ragnar gave his own small chuckle, but he didn't smile.

The woman turned back to him in puzzlement at that. "Something funny?"

"Tell that to the people who gave me this, then…" Ragnar muttered under his breath as he placed his hand down on the counter, clearly showing where he had been branded with his serial number and his five marks.

The woman didn't hear him, but she did react in surprise, dropping her towel. "Oh my god…" She said aloud, cupping one hand to her mouth and reaching out the other to touch Ragnar's hand. She felt the bumps from the scars. "What happened to you?"

"It's nothing." Ragnar found himself saying in the end, though he did feel like saying Shinra to the woman's face. At any rate, he didn't want to spend too much time with her. It was great that she fed him and all, but he didn't need to be distracted by this woman. It was kind of a pity. She was a nice person, and he had a feeling that if he wasn't on his errand he would have liked to talk with her more. But as it was, he had to get on with his normal business. He pulled his hand out of the woman's touch, and then began to push off of the table, turning back to her. "Listen…thanks a lot for the food, but I'm going to have to be somewhere in less than an hour."

The woman blinked curiously. "…Outside?"

The youth gave a nod as he stood. "Yeah."

She frowned at him in response. "It's really not safe to be outside this late at night. Especially on a weekend. You're not going to any dark alleys or anything, are you?"

"No." Ragnar answered. He didn't dare tell her he'd be loitering outside of her bar. That'd probably only make her suspicious of him and what he was up to. She might even think he was profiling her for a robbery.

"It's still raining out there."

"I'll live."

"You could help me clean up until then. You'd spend less time in the rain."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

The woman crossed her arms and sighed at him. She stared at him silently for a moment, and finally shrugged. "Alright, suit yourself."

Ragnar gave a nod to this. "Thanks again for the food. Have a nice night." With that, he turned and walked back toward the door. Within a few moments, he opened it, passed through, and was back out into the stormy night.

The hostess continued to stare out after him once he was gone. Her look was still very disapproving. But in the end, she sighed and continued cleaning the bar.

* * *

Ragnar was still rather tired. It was a good thing the chicken wings had been hot. They helped give him enough kick to stay awake. To be honest…they were really good. He never had any that good before. He had been tempted to stay and clean if it meant another plate of them. However, he shrugged it off in the end. He had better things to do than hang around all night inside the… Where had he been again?

The youth paused for a moment to look to the sign he was now leaning against, telling the name of the bar.

7th Heaven.

He yawned. He hoped that whatever was coming, it wouldn't take long. He needed to try and find some place dry in this city to sleep. He had just been getting used to being dry inside the bar when he had to go back out into the rain. Now, he was sopping wet again, and looking around waiting for something to come up. So far, there was nothing. No signs of any people or events heading his way. He kept his arms crossed, sighed, spat out a bit of rain that ran into his mouth, and turned back to wait.

Suddenly, the sign and the lights went out to the 7th Heaven. Ragnar found himself plunged into considerable darkness. Sighing, he got up from where he was leaning, and began to walk back out to the corner and the street lamp. As he did, he looked across the street. Another clock was on the wall over there, and it displayed the current time. 12:57. With a shrug, Ragnar supposed he had better head over anyway. He turned and continued to walk toward the post, and at the end stopped and leaned against it. Not long now.

A fizzling sound was heard overhead shortly after leaning there. Moments later, the light overhead went out as well. Ragnar frowned. This day just kept getting better and better. Now, he was plunged into darkness again, and the nearest working street lamp was about three hundred feet away. Ragnar sputtered again. He really began to hope that this was worth it. He continued to look around and wait, but in the end this grew boring. Instead, he turned back to the clock. 12:58.

Ragnar focused on this and watched it, seeing the second hand tick by. He decided just towait until the time came. He wasn't going anywhere now. It seemed to take forever for the second hand to go all the way around the clock this time. It looked like it was moving slower as he waited there. Ragnar sputtered out more water and continued to wait as the second hand passed 12, turning the time to 12:59. After that, he began to grow a bit anxious. This was it…the real start to his journey. Something was going to happen in one minute, and when it did it was going to set him out on his mission to become a leader and save the world. This was enough to make him quiver a little with anticipation. Slowly, he watched the seconds continue to pass. He clutched his hands into fists and slowly exhaled again, as the second hand passed 6…9…and then made its way to 12.

Ragnar licked his lips once and turned all his attention to the clock. The second hand went by a precious few more steps…and at long last hit the 12. The minute hand clicked up once, and the time was exactly 1 AM.

The young man had just looked away to see what would happen…when something hard and cold smacked him in the back of the head. Crying out in pain, the youth sprawled forward and landed face down against the sidewalk. He landed rather roughly, and winced as he did so. He was dazed from the blow, and pain numbed his senses and reflexes. Added to the fact that he was still very tired, and he only slowly got up. Before he could push himself off the ground, however…a powerful kick nailed him in the side. Ragnar coughed out and cried in pain again, before another kick hit him in the other side. He winced, before someone added a kick to the face with that. After this, he felt someone jump on him, making him turn his head up and cry outin agony. In response, someone kicked him in the back of the head, shoving his face back down into the street, and then stood on his neck to keep him down.

"Hey junior." He heard a menacing voice sound overhead. "Isn't it a little late for you to be walking home?"

A crowd of snickers joined with this. It sounded like there were five of them. Ragnar couldn't see, not even their shadows. His face was being grinded against the pavement. He grit his teeth, and struggled to push up. Considering his strength, he actually managed to throw one of the people off of his arms, and put it beneath him. He began to push up, and threw another off of his back as he suddenly shot up from the ground.

That was before another cold blow hit him in the back of the head. On the second hit, it felt like a pipe. Crying out again, Ragnar went to the ground once more. This time, whoever had it hit him additional times in the back, each one making him writhe and cry out. The people came back, this time standing on his arms and back as they did so. Whoever had the pipe continued to hit him until Ragnar was too dazzled to fight back, and went limp against the ground. He heaved against it. He was too tired and sore now. If he had been rested up, he could have gotten out of this, but it was too much even for him now.

"So you've got a little fight still in you?" The first one spoke. "Well, if you don't have anything on you, kid…I'll be glad to beat that out of you too."

Ragnar soon felt hands going through his pockets. Moments later, he felt the envelope being yanked out. He groaned and tried to say something, but only got hit again in the head as a result. A moment later, he heard a snicker from overhead.

"Man…did you ever get set up." One of the attackers chuckled.

"All this guy has is this sword." Another said. Ragnar's eyes widened in shock on hearing this. He struggled again under them once he heard that, desperate to get free. He began to lift up under their hands. He couldn't let them have that, no matter what. Again, he was struck by the pipe. It took a few more strikes than before to get him down, but eventually he was too tired to keep fighting, and sprawled shortly after. He felt his sheath rise slightly off of his back.

"Check this out! It's got diamonds in it! It looks like gold!"

"Hey, not bad, kid. Maybe we'll let you live after all."

Another chorus of light laughing. Ragnar grit his teeth. He was dizzy now. He felt warm blood coming from the back of his head. After being so exhausted, he felt sick to his stomach and wanted to puke. But he couldn't do anything about it. He could only fume and curse under his breath at what had happened to him.

Then…he heard a "shik" of metal on metal.

Immediately, the laughter ceased. Ragnar was still pinned down, but suddenly all he heard was the rain. Everyone else was silent. But then, he heard a voice from further behind him. It came from a young man too…but it was so cold and hard that it made a ripple travel through Ragnar's spine.

"…Leave him alone."

Slowly, he felt people begin to get off of him. Relief came back to his previously pinned body, and his face was taken off from being grinded against the ground. He put his hands beneath him and caught his breath, struggling to push up and get back to his feet. But he only pushed himself a little off the ground before he got dizzy, and fell back to the pavement again.

"Hey man…" The first spoke again, having lost much of the fire he had before. "We just found him like this…we were just trying to help…"

Ragnar managed to turn his head to the side. He saw dirty sneakers standing in front of him, three pairs of them. However, he abruptly heard a sharp "ching" of metal. Moments after doing so, he saw the end of a bloody pipe fall down to the ground right next to his face. Shortly after doing that, the sneakers quivered. Then, in a flash, they turned and ran away as fast as they could. Ragnar heard sounds on his side running away too. They echoed on, going far from Ragnar, for a few moments, but then were swallowed up by the rain.

Ragnar breathedslowly...and began to hear footsteps come up to him. Another "shik" of metal occurred as they came close. After a few moments more, he saw a pair of black boots walk in front of his vision, and then calmly turn to be pointed at him. Ragnar blinked once, still feeling dizzy, and now beginning to feel sharp pain in the back of his head, before he looked up as best he could. Unfortunately, he could only look up to see a pair of black pants, black gloved hands, and what looked like half of a coat before rolling anymore would put him on the back of his head.

"Are you alright, kid?"

Ragnar blinked, but then managed a groan. "…I'm not a kid…"

"You look terrible. Did they do this to you?"

In all honesty, the youth couldn't answer. Not only was he feeling dizzy and sick now, but he wasn't sure what the man was talking about. He didn't know how badly he was injured, or if he was looking at his scars, old injuries, and rags for clothing. And so, he merely continued to look up at him.

Moments later, he felt a hard grasp take one of his arms, and another put around his waist. With a mighty tug, he felt his body taken up off the ground and yanked to his feet. Just as Bahamut had done months ago, he now found this man doing the same to him. Ragnar could move his feet now, however. He was just too dizzy to stand up. Rising in and of itself nearly made him vomit, and he looked it. The world swirled in front of him into a chaotic blur. However, he got his bearings back soon after, and things turned back to normal. He was standing now, and the man was walking him down the street.

"…I guess you better come inside."

Ragnar didn't answer. He let the man drag him a little ways. But then, much to his surprise, he turned him in the direction of the 7th Heaven, and began to take him up the pathway. He realized he was taking him back in the bar he left an hour ago. On seeing this, Ragnar, bewildered, turned and looked to the face of his savior.

A dark, yet smooth and youthful, expression greeted him. The man's face was in a rather cold frown. His hair was blond and very spiked, hanging in different directions, with one main spike coming out slightly to the right. Lastly…his eyes. Those eyes…they burned with a light that Ragnar had never seen before. They weren't like Bahamut's in terms of age and power…but they had an unnatural shine to them that looked unnatural.

"What's your name?" The man asked, without turning his head to the youth.

Unlike before, Ragnar felt ill at ease with this person, and something affected him that kept him from holding back this time. Before he knew what he was doing, it slipped out. "…Ragnar."

"I'm Cloud." The man replied, and said no more as he took Ragnar under the awning, opened the door, and then dragged him inside.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	47. Houseguest

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok, since a lot of people seem to be getting confused about this, I'll explain.

Bahamut does have the ability to see partially into the future. When he first used it, he saw scenes from FFX and FFX-2. However, those scenes aren't exactly what the future would be. As Bahamut implied, what he was seeing was something like hallucinations (like from taking LSD or 'Shrooms). What he saw in them was partially futures and possible futures, but most of what he saw was distortions of reality. That's why Shinza and Dr. Maester looked different from what they really were, and while Sin was a planet-destroying monster in his vision but was really only a Yalorian Battleship in the real world. The reason I did this is keeping with the themes of FFX and FFX-2 in which the world is a "dream of the Fayth". Essentially, the worlds of FFX and FFX-2 (at least in this fanfiction) don't exist outside of the realm of Bahamut's dreams.

As for how he knows more things about Ragnar, part of it is due to him conferring with the planet about Ragnar and his destiny. Part of it is him seeing partially into the future. Something that I haven't made clear before now is that Bahamut can see generally what will happen in the future, but when he tries to see something important that represents a "fork" in time's river, he gets sent to the world with the doors and the Keyblade.

(While I'm at it, I might as well explain that too. I am in no way suggesting that Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy takes place in the same universe. The most that I'm suggesting is that Kingdom Hearts takes place in an alternate universe parallel to Bahamut's own. Mostly, I just inserted Sora, the Keyblade, etc. to present an interesting way in which Bahamut can see the future, and to pay homage to the game rather than suggest a crossover.)

* * *

"Tifa! If you're still awake, you better come here."

Ragnar had been dragged through one of the doors on the side of the bar at this point. However, instead of leading to a kitchen or storage area, he found it led into some sort of entry room for a house. It was very rustic and old looking, much like the rest of the bar. But it was nice. It was dark inside. After all, it was 1 AM. Cloud continued to walk Ragnar forward, past a staircase. Overhead, a yellow light turned on, but Ragnar went past it before anyone came down. He took him on into the living room. There were only a few amenities here, such as a table, a reclining chair, a small TV, and a sofa. Cloud took Ragnar to the sofa, and set him down on it.

"Don't lean back." He told him as he did so. "Tifa will kill me if you get blood on her furniture."

Ragnar slowly exhaled in reply, feeling good to be out of the rain again, but now becoming more aware of his pain. He looked around weakly. It looked to be a basic living room, much like the ones at Icicle Inn. It was a bit better than Ragnar's family's had been, but not much. The people here had to be fairly poor themselves.

The youth heard a clicking as something was leaned against the wall next to him. He turned, and opened his eyes a bit wider on seeing it. A sword even bigger than his was lying against the wall now. It was also much thicker and heavier-looking, and it seemed almost as if there was another blade inside the larger one. Shortly thereafter, however, Cloud came back over to him, andreached forRagnar's sword.

On doing so, the youth immediately grabbed the strap around his chest, and held it protectively.

Cloud hesitated. "…I'm not going to steal it, kid."

Ragnar sighed, and looked up to him. It hurt a bit, but he bore with the pain and looked into the man's eyes. "I'm not a kid. I'm twenty."

"That sounds awfully familiar…"

Ragnar opened his eyes a bit, as he heard this phrase come from the stairway. Moments later, he heard footsteps come down the stairs, and then a body turned the corner of the post and stepped into the room. When it did, the person there froze and stared at them. Ragnar looked back. Dark as it was…he could tell it was the hostess from earlier.

She looked at Ragnar a moment, and then frowned and crossed her arms. "We meet again." She spoke, in a tone that sounded like she was ready to scold him. "A bit sooner than I thought. Looks like your friends weren't happy to see you when they met."

Cloud turned and looked to the woman, and gestured down at Ragnar. "You know this kid?"

Ragnar frowned again. "I'm not a kid."

"We've met." The woman answered, still staring at him in disapproval. "I see you're back to your old tricks…saturating whatever room I'm in at the moment."

"Could you get the first aid kit, Tifa?" Cloud called out to her. "The back of his head is bleeding. He got jumped."

The woman, Tifa, frowned at Ragnar. "I told you it was rough outside on weekend nights…" She reminded him, and then turned and went for the cupboard. She opened it up, and immediately began to fish around. "Take off your clothes before you soak my couch."

Ragnar grimaced a bit at that. He wasn't sure he wanted to do that in front of a bunch of strange people he had just met. However, in the end, he complied. He started by removing his sword, and, after staring uneasily again for a moment, set it down at his feet, next to the couch. He then pulled off his wet cloak, and began to pull off his shoes with his feet and remove his wet pants.

"Now…I don't suppose you would like to tell me what exactly you were doing outside of the bar at one in the morning, would you?" Cloud asked as he did this.

Ragnar hesitated as he finished pulling off his wet pants. After doing so, he grimaced and continued, moving next to his shirt. "…You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Another chuckle from Tifa, as she removed the first aid kit and began to walk back into the room. "Try us." She spoke back. "Nowadays…if you stay in Midgar two years you'll see just about everything, but you'd be rather surprised if you knew half of the stuff Cloud and me have been through. Just keep it down. Denzel and Marlene are asleep." The woman was back in the room now, and she set the kit on the table and opened it up. She hunched down to the floor and turned to the youth.

Ragnar slowly finished pulling off his shirt, and now felt a bit embarrassed to be sitting in a strange house in front of two strangers, seemingly friendly as they were. What more, he was still wet, and shivered a bit once he was down to his skivvies.

Cloud pointed to the edge of the couch, where a blanket was folded up. "You can wrap up in that, you know."

The young man hesitated and looked over to it, and then suddenly seemed to realize it was there. He gave a nod, and then turned and reached for it. However…that was his first big mistake. He couldn't twist his body without showing off some of his scars. He had barely touched the corner of the blanket, when Tifa was suddenly on top of him, putting her hands on his arm and pulling him back. She was getting a better look at all that was there.

"Oh my…" She began to say, but cut herself off. "Good god… Cloud, take a look at this guy."

Ragnar turned red and felt rather embarrassed, but it was too late. Cloud now stood and looked over him as well. In the end, he could only bow his head and frown as they did so. After a few moments, they leaned back. Ragnar lamely pulled the blanket out the rest of the way, and pulled it around his backside and the rest of his body. It was a little late now, however. Cloud looked down on him again.

"…Either you make it a point to frequently get jumped, Ragnar," He addressed him. "Or wherever you came from wasn't that great of a place."

Tifa paused at this, and turned to Cloud. Then, frowning again, she turned back to the youth. "So…you could tell Cloud your name, but not me?" She half-scolded. "I don't suppose that whoever gave you those scars on your back also burned you hand too?"

Ragnar bowed his head slightly and looked uneasy again. The two older people looked at him, and waited for an answer. The youth suddenly did feel like some sort of kid who had been caught in the act of lying. He frowned. "…Thanks for your help, but I'll be on my way…"

"Sorry, you're staying the night at least now." Tifa answered, putting a hand on him as he tried to rise. To his surprise, she easily pushed him back down, despite how strong he was. Was he that weakened? Or was she that strong?

"Answer the question." Cloud darkly added.

Ragnar sighed again in response. He supposed that there was no way out of it, in the end. He reached up a hand and ran it through his hair, and continued to wince for a moment. He moistened his lips once. "Alright…the truth…" He slowly spoke aloud. He was silent again for a moment after that. Then, he inhaled, raised his head, straightened up as much as he could, and in the most normal fashion he could muster began to speak.

"…Six months ago, I escaped execution from the New Shinra HQ Dome. I was a mining slave before then. I worked my way south to the City of the Ancients, where I met the legendary esper Bahamut in human form. He told me that I was chosen by the Planet to save it, and he set about training me after giving me the sword Ragnarok. Two days ago, I went back into the Icicle Inn area, liberated my fellow mining prisoners, and we freed the town. The refugees have now fled to the City of the Ancients, and Bahamut gave me a piece of paper with instructions on it telling me to be at the corner of Rufus and Third tonight at 1 AM as the first step of my journey, which has the goal of eventually forming an army to conquer New Shinra and save the world."

Tifa stared in stunned silence. Even the stoic Cloud looked surprised at that sudden response. The room was silent for a brief time, and Ragnar grimaced and looked back to the both of them lamely, figuring that they wouldn't believe him. After a moment or so longer, Tifa turned to Cloud and gave her own shrug.

"He didn't look high when he came in at eleven."

_"I'm not on drugs!"_

"Shh!" Tifa quickly hushed, turning back to him and making him quiet down. "You'll wake the kids!"

Cloud himself looked rather skeptical. He stared at Ragnar for a moment after he had finished his story. The young man himself sighed and looked to them, not expecting either of them to believe him. However, in the end, the older man looked down to the ground, and saw the hilt of the sword lying against it.

"…I lost Ragnarok around the City of the Ancients a year ago." He said out loud. "But that's not it."

Ragnar's eyes widened a bit at this. He forgot about his story for the moment, and eagerly looked to the man before him. "So it was you? You were the one who owned Ragnarok before me?"

Cloud sighed slowly and leaned back a bit. "Yes, but that's not it. The sword I had was long and flat and white. This is something totally different."

"No, wait!" Ragnar responded. He immediately went down, and picked up the blade from the ground. He drew it out of its sheath, and showed it off before the two of them. Even in the dim light of night, it continued to sparkle and shimmer like flame. "Bahamut told me it changes form for the user…and that's what it did to me! It was originally a long, flat white blade for me too! But once I drew it out, it turned into this!"

Tifa frowned and crossed her own arms. "How many times did you get hit in the back of the head, Ragnar?"

Cloud said nothing. He looked at the blade in front of him for a moment, silent and contemplative. After a moment, however…he reached up one of his hands for the blade. Ragnar continued to hold the sword before him, and waited. A second later, and Cloud slowly put his hand down and rested his fingers against the metal.

A moment later, Cloud's eyes went wide, and he grit his teeth in what looked like pain. He drew his fingers back like they had been stung, and grasped them with his hand. Both Ragnar and Tifa saw this, and looked to him in puzzlement.

"What's the matter?" Tifa asked.

"It burned me when I touched it…" Cloud remarked aloud. "It felt like putting my hand into a fire…"

Ragnar blinked in surprise at that. He looked down to his sword again. It felt fine to him. A bit uneasily, he raised his hand and reached out to the same spot Cloud had touched. He was a bit nervous about checking it out, but in the end he put his own fingers on it. He felt nothing. The blade was quite cool to the touch, and felt just like it should after having been in cold rain for so long.

Tifa looked puzzled as well, and reached out and touched the metal part where Ragnar had touched it. Moments later, she too looked agonizied. She actually let out a small cry before she pulled her fingers back and clutched them as well. "Ow…" She remarked aloud, wincing and hissing in between her teeth. "How are you holding onto it, Ragnar? You don't even have gloves…"

"But it's not hot." The young man insisted. To accent this, he put his hand flat against the blade where Tifa had touched. He moved it up and down the sword with the same effect. "See?"

"It was when I touched it." Cloud responded, having recovered mostly from his burn by now. "If I held on for more than an instant, it would have left a burn."

"It was like putting my fingers on a red-hot stovetop." Tifa added, still holding her hand back.

Ragnar was confused at all this. "But…it's really not hot now. See? My hand is right on it."

Tifa at this point was definitely not going to touch it again. Cloud himself stared at it uneasily for a moment. Ragnar kept his hand on it the whole time, not shifting. At last, the man decided to try again. He reached his other hand up to the weapon. He held back a moment, and hovered his fingers over the blade right next to Ragnar's hand. Then, in the end…he reached forward and touched it once more.

Ragnar felt no change whatsoever. Not the slightest bit of heat. But as for Cloud, he cursed under his breath and yanked his hand back again. "It's still burning hot." Cloud remarked out loud, holding his fingers in a fist. "Aren't you feeling it?"

The youth shook his head. "It didn't change at all to me, and I was right next to you."

"So…" Tifa spoke out loud, venturing again. Her voice was a bit uneasy and slow. "This sword…Ragnarok…whatever it is…it burns everyone who tries to touch it…except for you?"

The young man hesitated, and shrugged. "I really don't know. No one else except me has touched it. Even Bahamut always had me pick it up myself, and he had me draw it out of the rock myself."

"Bahamut…" Tifa echoed. She was no longer simply dismissing Ragnar as crazy or delusional, but her face was still uneasy and unbelieving. She stared at Ragnar now with a calculating stare. "Bahamut as in…the big dragon we summon from materia? Neo Bahamut? Bahamut ZERO?"

Ragnar gave a nod. "But he wasn't coming out of a materia. He was right there in front of me. I lived with him for months."

Cloud put a hand to his mouth, and stared at the young man. He showed no sign of any change or what he was thinking, but he appeared to be examining Ragnar for a moment. In the end, however, he spoke out again.

"…What was that you said about 'New Shinra'?"

"Those are the guys who branded me, and gave me the scars on my back." Ragnar responded. "They're still up north, holed up on the Northern Continent in the Icicle Inn area."

"But…the Shinra Corporation is gone." Tifa answered, looking a little confused. "They went out of business with Meteor."

"I don't know what's been going on down here," Ragnar continued. "But up north…they're still in business or whatever you want to call it. I and the rest of the townspeople, along with anyone else they could enslave, built their new headquarters. We've been mining for them. They have a huge army up there. They showed up right after Meteor was destroyed. They said they were waiting for something…some shield to be destroyed on the Great Northern Crater so they could get some guy… But they stopped receiving orders, so they took us over instead. Now they're building an army secretly to try and take the rest of the Planet over."

Ragnar apparently said something that left a credible impact at that. Tifa and Cloud both seemed to lose some of the color in their faces. They turned and looked up to one another. Both of their eyes had traces of anxiety or fear in them. Tifa gradually began to look more worried. As for Cloud…his face began to grow colder. In the back of his eyes, there was something dark growing. The youth looked helplessly to both of them, waiting for an answer.

"…You think it's possible, Cloud? We haven't ever gotten an order from Icicle Inn since we started business…" Tifa slowly suggested.

"There's one way to find out." Cloud darkly responded. A change had come over him now, and he began to look rather charged and cold. Abruptly, he rose up from where he had been squatting, and went back over to the wall. He took up his large sword in a flash, and then turned and began to make back out for the door. Ragnar was surprised. What was Cloud doing? At any rate, Tifa seemed the same way. She rose from where she was and called out to him.

"Where are you going, Cloud?"

"To pay a visit to Healin Lodge, and I want to be there by morning so I'll have to leave now." The man responded. He continued to walk until he reached the door to the bar. He opened it, and then turned and glared back at Ragnar, pointing a finger out at him. "Kid…stay here until I get back." He ordered.

Ragnar groaned yet again. "I'm not a…"

It was too late. The door was shut again, and Cloud was already gone. Tifa kept her back to Ragnar for a moment. She crossed her arms and slowly sighed. The youth looked up to her. Some sort of deep melancholy seemed to have washed over the woman all of the sudden…as if she had seen something that she had witnessed before. She kept her arms crossed, and she rubbed against her arms as she stared at the door. There was silence in the room for a short moment. Then, at last, she turned back to the young man on her couch. She managed a smile to him.

"Alright…let's get you cleaned up so you can get to sleep. You look exhausted."

* * *

High up on the side of the New Shinra HQ Dome, there was a portion that could slide open and closed. It was sealed now. It was only designed to open for special events on the pavilion, which currently didn't exist. However, where it opened into was the most important part. It was a special installation in the top levels of the Dome, where administration resided. It was up here, and through this door, that the main executive officer was located.

Just inside the sliding hatch was a long, tall, metallic room. It was rather simple, but it was sleek and polished, making it look technical and new. It lacked most details. A set of metal sliding doors were at the back, and a small metal railing surrounded its sleek interior. Blue banners hung from the ceiling near the closed opening, dangling down almost to the floor. On each were the red insignia of New Shinra. It was more bold and harsh than the previous corporation symbol, emphasizing the new impetus.

Sitting closest to the hatch, facing the rest of the room, was a hard-looking, cold man. He looked to be in his late fifties to early sixties. His uniform was highly decorated, and had changed to green color from the previous red that it had been when he arrived in Icicle Inn years ago. After all, he was the High General now. His hair was flecked gray where it had once been black, and his eyes were narrow and cool, calm in all situations and having no patience or softness for delays. A thick gray mustache was across his lower lip, and his jaw was square and heavy set. He raised a rather large, powerful-looking hand to it now, and slowly stroked it. His hard, focused eyes were currently resting on what was in front of him, which he slowly turned through.

This part normally acted as a desk. The metal table lamp, phone, pen holder, and everything else an office desk needed was located there. This was much more elaborate than at the rest of the long table he sat at. Each other spot only had a small lamp and a place to set whatever files they were bringing to the table for the given meeting. Currently, the man in the lead focused only on an open file in front of him. It was filled with a brief technical report, and various pictures. Each showed much of the same things. Naked, dead soldiers… Soldiers lying in the snow from blows to the head… The torn up Icicle Inn with sixty-eight dead soliders inside… It was a mess. A massacre. And it had happened right in the middle of a secure area.

In the end, the man slowly sighed, and then closed the file up again. After that, he folded his hands in front of him and looked up ahead at the table. Other highly decorated officers were seated around it, and staring back at the man. They showed nothing on their expressions. There was silence for a moment.

At last, one particularly thin, cruel-looking woman, wearing a slightly different uniform from the others, and seated just to his left, reacted. Her hair was bright red and tied back under a special hat. This was the head of the as-yet unused New Shinra Navy, and wasn't a particularly nice person to be around. She gave a scowl and shook her head. "This wouldn't have happened if we would have had deployed the fleet by now. We've been ready since fall of last year."

Another man a bit further down, this one white-haired with a black mustache, yet a somewhat "fresher" look than the one at the front of the table gave a snort. This one was in charge of local security, but was also the head officer of the 1st New Shinra Army. "I hardly see, Admiral Ashiah, how the navy would have made any different to what was happening three hundred miles inland."

"It would have destroyed any pitiful hope they had of getting off the Northern Continent, thereby making a revolt moot." Ashiah retorted darkly.

"There is no way off of the Northern Continent now." The man answered back. "The only way off is on one of our boats. They're probably still on the continent, trying to hide."

"I am not interested in things that have happened in the past…"

Everyone went silent at this. They turned their heads and looked back to the man in front of the table. He folded his hands in front of him, and glared out darkly at the people at the table.

"I am interested in seeing how we are going to deal with this. It's been three years since we've encountered any trouble. Now…we suddenly have a revolt and a massacre, right when we're so close to being ready to deploy."

"General Leers…" Another woman began from a bit further down the table. This officer was dressed more like the regular ones. However, she was much older, in her mid-sixties by now. Her hair line was gray, and she had a bit of a wrinkled face. Still…she did appear to be younger than most women her age, and her mind was as crafty and keen as one half of her's. She was the head of weapon development and research, and was as clever as a room full of chess masters. "This won't really matter. The most they got away with was a heavy machine gun. We have sweepers more armored than that already. And as Colonel Zed pointed out, there is no way off of the continent."

The general slowly inhaled, and clenched his hands more tightly together. "What I am more concerned about right now, Colonel Martiza, than our ability to destroy our enemies…which proved rather ineffective two days ago…is finding out why exactly, after three years, this town suddenly turned over as one unit and attacked. I'm not that eager to have it happen again…and I _definitely_ don't want to see it happen again with these sorts of results. It's very strange, you see…" Leers' volume began to rise at this, and he reached down and somewhat stiffly picked up the photos. "I'm seeing some hundred of our troops dead in these pictures…each one heavily armed and trained for battle…" His eyes began to blaze here, and his neck muscles tightened.

_"But I don't see a single body of an ignorant, piss-ant, mountain hick brandishing a dull pick axe anywhere!"_

With this, Leers threw the photos down the table at the officers. They recoiled a bit on seeing them scatter, and began to become nervous. They bowed their heads and tried to appear small. Slowly, the general calmed down, and he began to lean back into his chair. He was silent again, looking over the people at the table. He folded his hands and slowly drummed his fingers against them.

At last, the white-haired man, a Colonel Zed, was the one who got the courage to speak. "All I know is…that area hadn't had any real problems in six months. Nothing other than theoccasional crazy making a break for it. Not since that one prisoner murdered his taskmaster."

"Prisoner 0083: Ragnar Vice?"

The other officers looked up to who had spoken. What they soon saw was the man on Leers' right. He too was a colonel. However, this one was one of the more high ranking ones. He was in charge of the forces within the Dome itself. He had no facial hair, just a close military cut on gray hair and a youthful face. He had a small file in front of him as well.

"I was looking forward to seeing him personally executed six months ago." The man continued. "But he was clever. He's the only one who ever managed to escape, disguising himself as one of us. By the time we managed to track his path to find where he had gone, he was already an hour away on one of our snowmobiles."

"Well, well…Colonel Seth…" Leers slowly responded, turning his head over to the officer. "You surprise me. You, I think, are the first officer I've ever encountered who came to a meeting boasting of his own ineptitude to catch a prisoner."

The man paled a little at that, but then continued. "I only wanted to point out that the man hadn't been executed, and he had been part of that work crew. It's possible that he could have come back and attempted to liberate it."

Ashiah chuckled. "That's quite a task for one scrawny man."

"We found that some outside party was likely involved." Colonel Zed threw out. This caused everyone to halt again and turn back to him. He gestured ahead to General Leers' report. "We found that at least thirteen of those reported dead were killed with a blade of some kind. The pick axes were too blunt for slashing, and many of the wounds were too deep for a combat knife. There were no swordsmen deployed in either the mine or the city. It's likely that another came in with a sword and did it."

Leers turned to Seth at this. The man shook his head. "Vice was a troublemaker, but he wasn't a swordsman. No one in Icicle Inn had combat capability."

The general sighed and leaned back in his chair again. "I don't really care who he is. If he's still here, I want him dead, something that should have been done six months earlier. Find the escapees and execute them as well. I was ready to move to take the rest of the continent in one month, and in one month I better be bathing my feet in the ocean. I'm not going to let one freak revolt ruin everything we've been working on."

* * *

A powerful blow from the other side snapped the door right out of its bolt, breaking through the wood. The door flung open so hard afterward, that whenit smashed against the opposing wall, it nearly broke off of the hinges. Shortly thereafter, Cloud, face cold and looking angry, stepped through the now open doorway and into the room.

It was rather simple inside, much like the last time he had been here. Mostly just a few items of furniture, and a few other amenities like pictures and interior design one would expect in a home of a millionaire. The shade was still pulled on the giant window, only letting dim light in the lightly brown painted chamber. However, Cloud ignored all of this, and zeroed in on one particular man sitting in a reclining chair with his arms crossed. He was looking a lot more like his old self, especially since the last time Cloud had seen him here. The same white coat was back with the black and white suit underneath, and once again his own youthful features were exposed, and his nearly combed red hair was put over one eye.

The man stared back at Cloud momentarily, and then slowly sighed as he lowered his coffee cup from his mouth. "Won't you come in…" He half-muttered in response to the manner in which Cloud had entered.

The ex-mercenary responded by looking around the room for a moment. He even looked to the ceiling. However, nothing seemed out of the ordinary or out of place. In the end, he snapped behind him as well, but still saw nothing but open air. Finally, he turned back to the room, and walked in.

"Where are your 'doormen'?"

"We never owned the Turks, Cloud. Wewere justtheir most frequent customers." Rufus calmly answered. "I hired them only to get the head, and then defend me while I had it in my possession. Once the contract was complete, we were finished. It's not like I could afford to hire them again, anyway. If you're looking for them, they're probably on the market for another customer." He began to sip after this.

"…Like the New Shinra?" Cloud answered with a sharp edge on his voice.

Rufus halted in mid-sip. "Oh." He simply said, as he pulled his cup away. "That's what this visit is about. And here I thought we were hitting it off together."

"Did you know?" Cloud immediately challenged.

Rufus sighed again and slowly set his cup back down on a nearby arm table. After that, he folded his hands and looked back to the man standing over him.

"Things kind of slipped my mind after Meteor. You know. Having half of your face burnt off, about seventeen broken bones, falling about three stories, and then spending the next nine months in a coma inside a hospital the world forgot tends to make you lose track of what's going on for a time. When I did wake up, I found that I was bankrupt and quite possibly the most hated man alive. With the HQ Building destroyed, all records of our accounts were wiped clean. What wasn't gone from the power failure was lost when fires and tornados destroyed the hard copies of records, or just plain stolen in the riots before and after the 'end of the world'. All of our supply depos, weapons caches, and records of our military personnel were gone. Any factory or warehouse I could recall from memory was raided and sacked. Any reactor with the name Shinra on it was deactivated and then systematically destroyed by vandals. Someone even sold my vacation home in Costa Del Sol. About the only thing I had left to my name was a trust fund account from my college days, about 3,000 shares of Shinra Inc. stock that were about as useful as toilet paper, and Healin Lodge. Since that day, everything that I can find and prove ownership of I've liquidated, and those funds were immediately eaten up by my attempts to clean up the mako waste and improve Midgar, so that hopefully one day I'll be able to set foot inside a city without being lynched and murdered."

"Quite a sad story." Cloud remorselessly replied. "It didn't answer my question."

Rufus rolled his eyes and sighed again as he leaned back into his chair. Moments later, he bowed his head and shook it slightly.

"…I knew there was a probability."

There was silence after that. Cloud opened his eyes a little, leaned forward toward the man, and then responded. "Excuse me…did you just say you knew there was a probability? What is that supposed to mean?"

Rufus frowned slightly. "It means that I knew I had deployed most of our army north, in one last desperate attempt to kill Sephiroth if the Sister Ray Operation succeeded. How else did you think you got into Midgar so easily? Or that Hojo got to the control panel? After the incident, most of our records were gone. What was left concerning the army was only useful for decommissioning, assuming that any of them would actually go through the motions. There was no way of tracking them down, and it was reasonable to assume that they had died in the seven days of chaos after Midgar went to the dogs and when Meteor arrived.

"If you're wanting to know that I knew that someone had cleaned out our accounts and raided our old munitions storehouses, then yes. Most of them were already clean by the time I woke up. The others soon followed. I had no idea _who_ raided them. There are hundreds of militaristic thugs running around nowadays who would sell them on the black market or use them for their gang wars. Now, I did know that several of our large accounts were hacked, but I had no way of knowing who did it. There was the possibility that if some of our army was still around and organized, they could have cleaned it themselves based on executive chain of command procedures.

"And yes…I've had enough time to notice that more and more mercenaries are getting hired. I also noticed that I've seen less and less ex-soldiers from our former army around. That could mean anything. I didn't think that it would mean that someone would be using my company's name as a standard. But I am not in command of this operation. I only knew about it as a rumor for months. I didn't even know they were using the name, 'New Shinra', until you walked in here."

Cloud slowly sighed. So…it seemed as if the guy was right. He had been telling the truth about some of it, at any rate. That's didn't help things much though. The ex-mercenary bowed his head, and turned and walked a bit in the room, thinking about this. "It doesn't make any sense…" He said after a moment. "Why would they still be doing this? Shinra is finished."

"You're thinking of Shinra as a country, Cloud." Rufus calmly responded, causing the man to turn and look back to him. "Countries do fall when their leader is gone. But not corporations. Life goes on. Business goes on. You saw how easily we transitioned when my old man was assassinated. There wasn't even a single day of panic when you nearly killed me, and I had to postpone inauguration a week. If nothing else, history will remember Shinra as the first example of a new form of government: the corporation-state. And as any good cutthroat CEO can tell you…it can be very hard to stomp out a big business."

"That's just it." Cloud responded. "They were employees, not soldiers for a country."

Rufus merely smiled and snickered at this. "Cloud, I don't know if Kadaj hit you hard enough to cause more memory loss…but obviously you've forgotten about what you had to deal with. All the forces we sent against you. The Fort Condor operation. Hell…the war with Wutai. SOLDIER. To say that we didn't have a well disciplined army that was ready to fight and die for us would be a joke. At the time of Meteor, we still had the largest, most powerful army on the Planet. Heck, we had the _only_ army on the Planet. Why else did you think that I had to take charge when Sapphire WEAPON started tearing the world apart?"

"But they thought you were dead. Why didn't they disband?"

Rufus chuckled again at this. He turned his head slightly, and shook it at Cloud, as if he didn't understand something very simple. "Oh Cloud…have you looked around lately? Noticed things? The mako waste is gone, but industrial waste is piling up from new industries. A cloud of smog is starting to form over Junon in the wake of switching to oil. There are more orphans on the streets of Midgar now then there was while we were in power. Highways have been built, but robberies and murders on them are up. Entrepenuers are on the way, but have you tried working for any factories lately?" He snickered. "Even you went from being a well-paid mercenary to being stuck running deliveries for a nickel-and-dime bar in Edge. Shinra may have been killing the world, Cloud…but it was employing quite a few people to help them do it.

"There aren't any jobs or places for ex-military men. We hired them, trained them, paid them, and rewarded them handsomely for being soldiers. You heard me yourself that day we fought. I was reorganizing Shinra to operate on a power basis. I recruited officers and soldiers who were designed to beat our opponents into submission. What were they supposed to do now? There wasn't even a Shinra Inc. left to send them to mop up reactors, like we used to send SOLDIERs out to after the Wutai war…which I'm sure you know all about." He hesitated here with a smile. Cloud showed nothing, but continued to stare.

Rufus took up his coffee and sipped it again. "My guess is that some of them did disband, but they soon found out that Shinra offered the better deal. Now they have a chance to form a real nation, and it should be easy for them, considering the muscle they have. They're still the only army left."

Cloud was silent again, as he watched Rufus slowly set his cup down on the table once again. He looked at him for a moment, but then spoke up once more.

"…Who's in command?"

"There were four officers I sent north, on the recommendation of General Heidegger, and reviewed and edited as necessary by me…because personally I thought the stupid horse-laughing son of a bitch couldn't even tie his shoes without screwing up. I'm still guessing he's the one who lost us the Highwind. I was reviewing people to replace him as soon as things were stable enough for a good transition. Who I was going to pick was Colonel Marco Leers. Highly decorated. Excellent leadership capabilities. Veteran of the Wutai war. I ended up sending him north instead."

"Who else?"

"Captain Pharia Ashiah. I never trusted her. I trusted the Admiral that was her superior officer. He was killed the third day into my war against Sapphire WEAPON. I realized ships were useless against things like that, so I sent her north with what was left of my fleet to keep it out of trouble. She was about as unstable as Scarlet. However…she did have access to our plans, including the new type of ship we were working on."

"And?"

"Commander Selina Maritza. She occupied a rather interesting position. She was somewhere between Hojo and Scarlet. Weapons development was her forte. She was a genius. Apparently, she had been working for the company since Gast first signed on. She shared a lab assistantship with him. She had her penchant for making destructive little abominations as well. However, she was a bit more stable than Hojo. Her problem was just the opposite from his. He treated his experiments like garbage. She grew attached to them." Rufus snickered at this. "You know…she was the one who initially wanted Red XIII nabbed. The reason for capture on her list was simply, 'Cute'."

"And the last one?"

"Commander Georgio Seth. Another highly decorated officer. He was great at battlefield engineering and communications. I figured I'd throw him in to help round things off. I had everything else I needed. I don't know how their ranks have changed since I deployed them. They've most likely promoted themselves by now, after forming this new organization. I'm a little curious as to how you know about it. I've barely gotten word myself…"

Cloud ignored this obvious inquiry. "Can't you call them and tell them to stand down?"

Rufus smiled and snickered yet again. "Sure. I'll just dial up Colonel Leers on his cell phone, tell him that he and everyone else is fired, and to get back here immediately and start looking for another job as a civilian. I'll make sure that he disarms all his weapons on the way here too, so I can liquidate them all. There's only about a hundred tanks and forty destroyers…assuming they haven't built more, and ignoring what they've had to have acquired."

The ex-president leaned a bit closer to Cloud at this. "Frankly, Cloud…Leers is in a good position, as is his army. They're pretty much poised to take what they want. The only explanation I can think of as to why they didn't come back right after Meteor was destroyed to take Midgar is because he thought it would be good to further consolidate his power. And as far as I can tell…he's done that job very well."

Cloud stared down at him for a moment. In the end, however, he too bent down and looked coldly into Rufus' eyes.

"…Here's my source. I have a scrawny kid looking like people have tried to flay the skin off his back for some time sitting in my house. He claims he escaped from up north in a New Shinra labor camp. He also says they're getting ready to come south on a full scale attack. How do we stop them?"

Rufus stared back for a moment, but then calmly leaned in a bit closer, putting himself practically in Cloud's face.

"…You're the one with the friend of the Planet, Cloud. I suggest prayer."

* * *

Ragnar let out a loud yawn the next morning. He adjusted himself slightly on the couch cushions. He felt great. He hadn't slept off the ground in a long time, and after working himself so hard for two days it was wonderful to lie down and rest. He didn't even care that he could feel the glare of the sun against his face, meaning he had slept in. Just being able to relax somewhere soft and comfortable was fine. He slowly cracked his eyes open and looked ahead of him into his surroundings.

The living room was much brighter than last night. And he could hear moving around close to the back of the living space. Something sounded like cooking eggs or bacon. He hadn't eaten eggs or bacon in over three years… However, he also happened to notice that he was no longer alone in the room.

A young boy, looking about seven, was sitting down and staring right at him. His hair was too long, and it was swept back a bit out of his eyes, which were now totally transfixed on Ragnar. He had his elbows on his knees, and was holding up his head on his hands to make himself more comfortable. The young man looked a bit uneasy after a moment, seeing this new visitor staring at him, and looking like he had been doing so since he was asleep.

"Hello." The boy finally said.

Ragnar made a slightly unnerved face, but then gave a nod from where his head rested on the pillow Tifa gave him last night. "Um…hello."

"Are you a mercenary?"

Ragnar's eyes expanded a little, and he blinked once. "Why do you ask?"

"You have a big sword like Cloud. He used to be a mercenary."

The youth swallowed. "…No, I'm not."

"Are you moving in with us?"

"No."

"Are you staying the night tomorrow?"

"…I don't think so."

"Have you killed anyone with that sword?"

Ragnar began to look uneasy. "…You've been thinking of a lot of questions while I was asleep, haven't you?"

"Tifa told me it's not polite to answer a question with another question."

The young man stared at the boy a moment longer, but then looked up. "Um…Tifa?" He called out.

Luckily, around this time the sizzling stopped, meaning that the cooking was almost done. A moment later, Tifa came through the door from the bar wearing an apron. Obviously the kitchen was back through there. She stepped in and quickly surveyed the situation. After a moment, she seemed to understand what was going on. The woman calmly began to undo her apron and walked forward. The boy turned and watched her as she came in. Ragnar's own look pleaded with her to help him out. In the end, she turned to the boy. "Denzel…why don't you go help Marlene finish setting the table?"

"Alright." Denzel answered, seeming to be ok with that. He turned to Ragnar next. "You can tell me about it later, ok?" Hethen turned and began to walk back out the way Tifa had come. After a few moments, he had passed back through the doorway, and left the two adults in the room in silence. After that, Ragnar sighed in relief, and turned back to her.

"Thank you. He was asking me if I ever killed anyone."

Tifa sighed, and gave a shrug in reply to that. "He's still a bit fuzzy on the life/death thing. Right now, he thinks it's 'cool' if you kill 'bad guys'. It's Cloud's fault, really. When he asked him that question, he told him yes. I'm afraid he's going to be attached to you too, now that he thinks you're a warrior as well."

Ragnar couldn't help but snicker a bit at this, as he leaned up and out from the couch. It just seemed a bit silly to him. However, at that age, it wasn't so bad. Kids that young always asked their fathers in the military if they had killed the bad guys. The media and books made it look like there were always bad sides in everything, and that things were just a matter of getting rid of the bad people and everything would be alright. It really wasn't that disturbing of a notion when you thought about it.

"So…have you?"

Ragnar froze. That question had come from Tifa. He slowly turned and looked to her, and saw that her face had turned perfectly serious, and was now staring at him. The young man swallowed again, and felt himself grow a bit more nervous than before. In the end, he turned back down to his body.

"I…um…have nothing to wear."

Tifa stared at him in silence a moment longer. But then, she let it slide. She turned to the side and went to the armchair. Lying in it was a pile of clothing. She grabbed it, turned, and presented it to Ragnar. "These are some of Cloud's old things. He won't mind. They'll be a bit baggy on you, but he used to be a string bean too, so it shouldn't be too bad."

Ragnar decided to take that as a neutral comment, and proceeded to throw off the covers and dress himself in what he was presented with. It was pretty basic. A dark blue set of pants, somewhat baggy, and a dark blue sleeveless sweater on top of it with a bit of a collar. He was finished quickly. After putting on the socks he was offered, Tifa next held out a pair of brown shoes to him, obviously Cloud's. These were closer to Ragnar's size, however. The rest of the clothing did hang a bit.

The youth saw this, and then shook his head. "Oh, that's alright. I've got my own shoes."

"No you don't." Tifa instantly responded. "Those things were full of holes and threadbare. I threw them out last night before I went to bed, along with those rags you had. These are your shoes now."

Ragnar grimaced slightly. However, he took them from Tifa soon after, and then began to put them on. Once he had finished tying both, he rose up from where he was and stood in front of Tifa. She stood as well and gave him a once over, and then a nod.

"Great." She commented. "Come on into the bar."

Tifa turned and began to walk back to the door. Ragnar hesitated again, just long enough to turn back and take up his sword and sheath. He tied it around his torso again, and then walked after her. He didn't want to leave Ragnarok lying around anywhere. Soon, both of them were passing through the door and into the bar area.

This place was nice even in daytime. It was very homey and inviting. The early morning sunlight came through the windows in just such a way to make it look rather pleasant and clean. However, what attracted Ragnar the most was one of the bar tables set up in front of him. That was where he smelled breakfast. And there it was…a bowl full of scrambled eggs, a basket of biscuits, and a plate of bacon. Ragnar felt his stomach do a barrel roll. He had to be in heaven. Along with all of this, there were two children seated at the table already. One was Denzel. The other was a young girl about the same age. She turned and looked to him when he walked in. Remembering from last night, Ragnar supposed that was the one named Marlene.

This one turned and looked to Ragnar as he entered. "Hello." She called out to him.

Ragnar gave her a nod and a small wave. "Hi."

Tifa pointed over to one of the unused places. "Just sit there, Ragnar." With that, she turned and began to walk to the other unused place. Ragnar himself walked over to the place Tifa indicated and drew the chair back. However, before sitting, he looked up to her. "What about a place for Cloud?"

"He never eats breakfast with us." Marlene explained before Tifa could answer. "He's usually gone by then."

"Oh." Ragnar simply answered. He finished by sitting down in the chair. The four began to pass the food around and give some to each member. Ragnar, at this point, could barely restrain himself from taking monstrous helpings from each. He remembered, he had to be polite to his hostess…and he tried to think of it as a self-discipline exercise that Bahamut would have given him. He could still barely restrain himself into giving just a normal scoop of eggs, a few strips of bacon, and one biscuit for starters.

However, once everyone was served, he dug into his meal like a hungry lion into a piece of meat. While Tifa just began to salt and pepper her eggs, she looked up in a bit of amazement as Ragnar shoved the whole mess of eggs onto his fork and crammed it into his mouth. He then began to shove the first strip of bacon in, while reaching out and taking a carton of milk and filling his glass. The moment he was done, he quickly began to down it while reaching for another strip. But at that point, he gave a pause. He suddenly noticed that Marlene, sitting just across from him, had her hands folded and her head bowed.

Ragnar felt a bit embarrassed as he swallowed what was still in his mouth. He looked uneasily around the table. "Oh…I'm sorry." He apologized lamely.

However, to this Marlene opened her eyes, and then looked up and smiled at him. "Oh, that's alright." She responded. "I was just saying a prayer for the Flower Girl."

Ragnar crooked an eyebrow at this. "Um…flower girl?" He turned inquisitively to Tifa.

Tifa had just gotten her first fork of eggs, but then hesitated. Something seemed to ripple through her for a moment, but then she looked up to Ragnar and shook her head. "It's a rather long story…"

Marlene, however, wasn't done. She turned and indicated a long braid in her back hair with a loose pink ribbon tying it back. "See? I wear my hair just like hers now. She's the one who stopped Meteor. And she sent the rain that healed Cloud, Denzel, and everyone else of the Geostigma."

"Um…Geostigma?" Ragnar asked in puzzlement.

Tifa sighed a bit from the front of the table. "Like I said…it's a rather long story."

"You didn't have the Geostigma where you lived?" Denzel suddenly asked. He was seated at the left of Ragnar, and now looked over to him.

The young man turned to the boy, and after a moment shook his head. "Um…no. Should we have?"

"No…but I wish we would have known there was a place where you couldn't get it." Denzel answered slowly in response, turning his head down a bit when he said so. He began to look a bit uneasy. "I had it. I just remember being sick and tired all the time… But sometimes when I'm outside playing, an adult will yell at me and chase me away. They say I did a lot of strange things when I had it. They say I'm a monster. Me, and the other kids who had it."

"Eat your breakfast before it gets cold, Denzel." Tifa suddenly said, cutting off this line of talk. Ragnar looked away from the boy and looked over to Tifa. Her face was expressionless…but he could sense something in her eyes. It looked like a touch of…sadness, and she was staring blankly at the boy. Denzel, on his part, complied and turned back to his food. Ragnar hesitated for a moment, but then began to understand. He didn't know what this was, but apparently it had caused a bit of trouble for this family. Tifa obviously wanted the subject closed. In the end, he turned back to his own plate again. Acting as normal as possible, he took up another strip of bacon and crammed it down, and followed with a bite from his biscuit. There was still an uneasy silence over the table.

In the end, Ragnar decided to try changing the subject. After swallowing his bite, he leaned up a bit and gave a slight smile. He looked to Marlene and Denzel. "Well, I don't know about you two…" He addressed, causing them both to look up to him. He pointed to his plate. "But your mommy makes the best breakfast I've ever had."

Tifa flushed red for a moment, and nearly dropped her fork. She cupped a hand to her mouth. Denzel and Marlene, on the other hand, looked to each other with puzzled expressions. Then they turned back to Ragnar. The girl shook her head.

"Tifa's not my mother."

Ragnar's smile began to fade shortly thereafter. He heard a sigh from the head of the table, and cast a glance up just to see Tifa trying compose herself again and act normal once more. The youth began to feel uneasy. He looked down to Denzel next. The boy shook his head as well.

"I don't have a mom or dad."

The young man felt like he had stuck his foot in his mouth once again. He nervously cast a glance up to the front of the table, and saw Tifa slightly hunched over with a hand to her forehead. She looked up once and cast her brown eyes in his direction, in a rather cross-seeming manner. Ragnar wished he could shrink down at this moment and scurry off into some hole in the floor. He bowed his head down, and nervously put his hands into his lap.

"Um…er…" He slowly began to say. "I…think I need to use the…"

Before Ragnar could say another word, the door to the bar was opened. This broke the uneasy mood over the breakfast table, and caused everyone to look to the front of the bar. Both of the kids soon lit up. Ragnar watched and saw Cloudcross the threshold. He shut the door quickly behind him. Ragnar could immediately tell that his look was troubled. It was grim again, like last night, but this time it was much more so. One look at him told Ragnar that something was on his mind. Wherever he had gone last night…the youth assumed he found out that he was telling the truth.

"Cloud!" Marlene and Denzel called out in joy together.

The man, despite his bleak mood, somehow managed to form a smile for a brief moment, and looked up to them. "Hey, Marlene. Hey, big guy." He addressed to them both. After doing so, however, his demeanor quickly turned dark again. While both of the kids continued to smile at him, Ragnar noticed that Tifa did not. She seemed to pick up on his mood immediately, and soon she began to look dark and troubled as well. The man turned to her in the end, and stared hard and serious at her for a moment.

"…We need to talk in the back."

Tifa immediately gave a nod, although her face looked worried and somber. She pulled away from the table and stood up. She turned for the back room and began to go that way. Cloud soon followed behind her, moving rather quickly.

Ragnar hesitated a moment, and began to gesture behind him. "I…um…I'll just be off to the bath…"

"I'm talking to you next, kid, so wait there." Cloud coldly cut off, and continued to walk with Tifa to the back. Soon, both of them had passed through the door and shut it behind them. They left Ragnar, Marlene, and Denzel in silence in the main bar area. Ragnar swallowed again, and slowly lowered his hand once more into his lap. He was now getting nervous himself. Uneasily, he looked down and back to his plate and the two children around him. He suddenly felt he had lost his appetite.

After a moment, Ragnar realized something. He turned to Denzel, and saw that the boy was staring right at him just like he had before. The man hesitated as he turned back and saw him.

"So…have you killed any bad guys?" The boy finally asked.

Ragnar slowly sighed. What a trip this was turning out to be.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	48. Call to Arms

"Oh no…" Tifa remarked, bowing her head again and placing her hand against it.

Cloud slowly exhaled himself. He was standing against the wall right now. He let Tifa sit on the couch, right where the "messenger" had been sleeping last night. The ex-mercenary had his arms crossed and was looking to the floor. The two were silent. This was rather bad news for the both of them. The woman ran her hands through her hair and slowly sighed.

At last, she looked up. "You're sure about this?"

"Even if I couldn't trust Rufus, that kid got that serial number and those scars somehow." Cloud answered.

Tifa slowly exhaled again, bowed her head, and placed her hand against it once more. She slowly shook it. "…What are we going to do?"

"If they are going to move out, which both the kid and Rufus says they are…then they'll hit Midgar first. Maybe they'll just occupy it…or maybe they'll set up impressed labor like they did up north. If that's the case…there's no way I'm going to let them brand Marlene or Denzel like cattle."

"We can't fight them." Tifa responded. "We can't take out an army by ourselves."

Cloud slowly sighed again. This wasn't a good situation. Not in the least. He turned and looked to the door to the chamber, and frowned. Until last night, things had been great. Now everything was going to hell in a handbasket. It was easy to almost think that their "guest" was the cause, but he knew that wasn't true. He was just some poor escapee trying to get clear. He didn't know how he got that sword, but he figured with the amount of trauma his body had been through he had probably become a bit delusional, causing him to make this story about Bahamut and being chosen and everything. Cloud forgave him for that. After all…if anyone in the world should be understanding for implanting false memories in oneself, it should be him…

Finally, the man leaned off of the wall, and walked back toward the door. Once he reached it, he opened it, and poked his head back out. He saw that Ragnar was still at the table with Denzel and Marlene. However, both of them were leaning in close to him now, and he was hunched down next to them, talking in a dramatic voice.

"Then…Master Bahamut would take this long chain and tie me to this tree. He would then set these really big wasps out after me, and I had to dodge them just by running around the tree and trying to avoid them."

"Whoa!" Marlene exclaimed in awe.

"Cool!" Denzel added in admiration.

Cloud cleared his throat. In response, Ragnar looked up from what he was doing, and over to the door. He saw the man standing there, looking darkly out to him. The message was clear. The young man immediately turned back down to the children, and looked to both of them. "I'll tell you guys more later. I think Cloud wants to talk to me right now…" With that, he pushed up from the table, got up, and then began to walk into the back room. Cloud left the doorway and went back in with Tifa. Moments later, Ragnar passed through the doorway, shutting it behind him. By then, Cloud was back over near Tifa. He turned to Ragnar, and gestured to the recliner.

"Sit."

Without debate, Ragnar went over to the chair and sat in it. Cloud's cold look made him nervous, but he said nothing for now. He turned back to him once he was down, and sat up as expectantly and ready as possible. Cloud looked down on him for a moment silently. Tifa turned and looked to him as well, staring anxiously at him and what would come of this.

"…How many escapees are in the City of the Ancients right now?"

The young man hesitated a moment, but then gave a shrug. "I don't know…about a hundred. Seventy of them are able bodied. The rest are children or seniors."

"How many weapons do you have?"

"Maybe sixty guns and one heavy machine gun."

"Alright." Cloud answered simply. He paused again for a moment to cross his arms. "Here's what you need to do. Get back there and get them off that continent before they come after you, if you want to save their lives."

Ragnar paused, but then formed a perfectly serious expression. He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"You have to." Tifa threw in. Her voice was more emotional, but also very serious. "You can't stand up to them with just that many people and those few weapons. You'll be slaughtered."

The young man slowly exhaled for a moment, but it was only to steady himself. After that, he looked back up to Cloud and Tifa. When he did…the ex-mercenary was a little taken aback. His eyes suddenly became harder…stronger. He suddenly seemed much older than he had a second ago, and much more capable and firm. It was a sudden change that took Cloud a bit off guard, and nearly broke his own cool exterior.

"Currently, we're holed up in the City of the Ancients." Ragnar replied. "It's at the only natural bottleneck on the Northern Continent. The New Shinra has to come through there. If we back down now, they'll be nothing left to stop them from going to the coast and then spreading out wherever they want. The City of the Ancients is the only place we can make a stand and hope to have any defense against them. There aren't any other armies on the Planet. No one will be able to fight them then."

"You don't have an army either, kid." Cloud answered back. "You've got a load of civilians with guns they probably can't even hold steady, let alone fight with."

Ragnar frowned at that, but then shrugged. "It's all we have. It's all the world has. That's why I came down here to try and find help."

Cloud sighed in response. Another stubborn kid. He shook his head as he looked down at him. He used to be like him in his earlier days, he realized. He used to think he could take on the world. He was the big bad SOLDIER that no one could touch…before he realized just how vulnerable of a person he truly was. However…this guy was pretty firm and serious. He could tell that when the change came over him. Whether he was crazy or not, he was perfectly serious about fighting the New Shinra. He looked like he'd do it alone, if he had to. He didn't stand a chance whatsoever, not with what he had. But like he said…they had no other choice. The kid was right. That valley was the only bottleneck. The only way down from the frozen part of the Northern Continent was through there. If they broke through…then nothing would stop them. There was no one else on Gaia would would help now. There were no other armies. Misguided, confused, and inexperienced as this young man was…he was the only one who was trying to stop it from happening. And if he failed, then the whole world would suffer for it.

It was a difficult decision…one only complicated by how his life had changed in the past three years. But in the end…his conscience would only let him make one choice.

Cloud turned to Tifa. The woman looked up to him. She looked into his eyes…and already knew his answer. She leaned up in response and turned fully to him.

"If you're going…then I am too."

"No, you're not." Cloud answered.

"I can defend myself…"

"What about Marlene and Denzel?"

"The first chance they get, they'll go after you. Especially Denzel. I won't be able to stop them."

"There's no way I'm taking them up north."

"There's no one to give them to. I'd feel safer if they were with us, especially after last time…"

"You can't honestly want them to come with us."

"From what I heard, there's already children up there near the front lines anyway. If they break through and come to Midgar, it won't matter anyway."

Cloud bowed his head. He really didn't like this. It was easier when he was a loner. That was one perk to always being off on his own. However…it had also made him feel depressed and abandoned, and it made him hurt a little more inside each time he shut off the phone. If he had only been with Denzel that one day…or with Marlene and Tifa…maybe he could have stopped most of it from happening. He sure as heck couldn't have killed Sin without her help. And the more time he spent with Tifa and the kids…the less he wanted to be away. In the end, despite how bad he felt, he caved in.

"Alright." He stated in response.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Tifa managed a small smile. Cloud knew by now that she didn't care so long as she was with him, not about anything. He only hoped he wouldn't let her down…like he let down…

_No…don't think of that again. She never blamed you. Move on._

In the end, the ex-mercenary turned back to Ragnar. The youth looked up to him in response.

"Alright kid…you got yourself two new recruits for your army."

* * *

About an hour later, Cloud and Ragnar were outside and marching down the road. It was broad daylight now, and Ragnar winced in the bright sun. Cloud, on his part, seemed to own a pair of sunglasses, and he had put them on and calmly walked forward. There were more people out, now that it was the middle of the day. However, they ignored the two as they continued to walk down the road, despite both of them having large swords strapped to their backs.

Cloud had acted quickly after declaring his intentions. He and Tifa both got on their cellular phones and began to call people. Ragnar had no idea who, but they seemed to be rather earnest about it. After they were done, Cloud called one last person that Ragnar managed to catch the name of. It was some guy named Reeve. He told him to start getting all his employees with military experience or combat training assembled. He didn't know what this meant, or if it meant there would be more recruits soon. But after this, he called Ragnar out, and told him that he'd be coming with him. Now they found themselves walking down the street.

"Well, I guess I should say thanks for helping me out." Ragnar finally managed to say as they walked along.

"You just better be serious about this." Cloud responded, not turning back.

"Denzel said something about you being an ex-mercenary." The young man continued. "So does that mean you have experience?"

Cloud slowly exhaled as they walked along. After drawing in a deep breath, he let out a calm chain of phrases.

"I served one year as a private in the Shinra Corporation Military. I spent the next four years operating as a mercenary. Three years ago I was involved in two terrorist operations that resulted in the destruction of Mako Reactor No. 1 and disabling of Mako Reactor No. 5 in Midgar. For a period of two months, I was on Shinra Corporation's list of most wanted at the No. 2 position. I've infiltrated Junon and Midgar during states of emergency. I assassinated General Heidegger and Mrs. Scarlett for the Shinra Corporation military and made an attempt on the life of President Rufus. I ruined two separate operations of Shinra to obtain Huge Materia. I led a group of hired mercenaries during a skirmish with Shinra forces at Fort Condor. I'm fluent in the use of swords and firearms. I can operate motor vehicles and submarines. My body has been injected with Jenova cells and infused with raw mako power in an attempt to reorganize my cells into a clone of Sephiroth, consequentially making me faster, stronger, and more agile than most people alive."

Ragnar's eyes were a bit wide. Exactly who had he just recruited? He swallowed again after a moment, but continued to walk forward. "…Well…you've certainly got quite a record. But what are Jenova cells, and what's a Sephiroth?"

Cloud turned slightly to Ragnar at that. From beneath his shades, he cracked a smile. "You really have been out of it, haven't you, kid?"

Ragnar frowned in response. "Are you going to keep calling me kid as long as I know you?"

"I was thinking about it. We're here."

The ex-mercenary came to a halt. Ragnar soon came in behind him and stopped as well. He had been so busy listening to Cloud, he hadn't noticed that they had been walking up to a vehicle. And this was quite the machine. It was one of the newer model gas-powered cycles, but it was rather large and formidable looking. It had large pipes and foils on the sides for aerodynamics, and it looked armored as well to avoid heavy fire. The tires themselves were made of a special bullet-proof rubber. As Cloud reached it, he reached into his half-coat pocket and pulled out a small device. He clicked it, and a beep resulted on the large motorcycle.

"Ragnar, meet Fenrir." Cloud spoke as he went closer to it and the front console. "Fenrir, Ragnar."

"The name of the legendary wolf esper…" Ragnar echoed as he stared at the great black motorcycle.

Cloud turned slightly to him at that. "So…you know your mythology. I don't suppose Fenrir came by for a visit up in the City of the Ancients while you were working out with Bahamut, did he?"

Ragnar rolled his eyes and glared at the ex-mercenary. "I didn't make that up…and Fenrir is a _she_." He responded rather curtly. He looked back to the vehicle soon after. "I don't think I can ride this with my sword on my back…"

Cloud responded by pressing a button on the front. To Ragnar's surprise, two of the foils sprung out of the side, on either side of the driver's seat. There were rows for eight different swords in there. Six of them were filled. Cloud removed his own massive sword and inserted it into another one. He then indicated to Ragnar. The youth hesitated a moment, but in the end removed Ragnarok as well, and slipped it into the one remaining "holster" with that, Cloud pressed a button again, and the foils collapsed. After that, he boarded the cycle.

"I don't have a sidecar, so you're going to have to ride behind me."

"Har har." Ragnar answered with a grim look. "It's not going to be any picnic for me to have to ride around downtown holding onto another man's butt, you know."

"Just get on." Cloud answered. "You said you have a week, so we don't have time."

Frowning, Ragnar stepped forward and strattled the machine as well. As uneasily and carefully as he could, he put his arms around Cloud's waist. There was no other way to secure himself. After that, Cloud started the ignition, causing the massive, loud engine to roar to life. Ragnar winced at the noise, having never heard anything so obnoxious and deafening. Cloud didn't seem to mind however, and merely shifted and took off. He didn't bother turning. He just gunned it and pulled up on the curve, and from there turned onto the street, bumping the motorcycle hard as he went. Then he made it go up to full throttle, and with a snap it was soon whizzing down Midgar's streets.

Much as he hated it, Ragnar soon was holding on tighter. Cloud drove like a maniac.

* * *

After a few minutes of traveling at a blinding speed, to Ragnar, they finally came to a halt somewhere in a different sector. This one was more developed. In particular, they stopped in front of some sort of office building, although it was reconfigured for small manufacturing now. It looked fairly new. The lower level had a glass front with glass doors, showing the entrance halls of the building on arrival. It went up a few stories, providing lots of room for offices and personnel. Ragnar himself had only been in one building taller than two stories in his life, and that was only on the sub-levels. He looked up a bit as Fenrir slowed to a stop in front of it, and looked it over.

As Cloud put the vehicle in park and dismounted, Ragnar glanced over the letters over the entrance. "Moogle Technologies…" He read. "What will we find here?"

"Hopefully people willing to help us." Cloud responded as he pulled off his glasses. "Get off."

Ragnar did as he was told, climbing off of the side. After that, he looked to Cloud and pointed to the bike. "I don't know their policy on weapons here, but I really don't feel safe about leaving Ragnarok out."

"From what I've seen, no one can touch it but you." Cloud answered back. "But don't worry." With that, he pulled out his remote and pressed a button. A beeping sound resulted from Fenrir. He then put the remote back in his pocket, and turned to start walking into the office building.

Ragnar looked uncertain toward it, and then turned and began to run after Cloud. "You really think a car alarm is going to keep it safe?"

"That's not a car alarm." Cloud answered without turning. "It's a device that causes a 5,000 volt electrical current to circulate through the outer armor. Anyone who touches it won't be able to move that arm again for six hours."

The youth widened his eyes a bit at this, but then gave a nod. It was a handy security device. He finished coming up to Cloud's side, and the two of them continued to approach the front doors. After ascending a short series of steps and passing some shrubbery, they reached the sliding glass doors. They immediately slid open, allowing the two men to pass unhindered.

It seemed pretty regular inside, although Ragnar didn't realize it. He hadn't been in an office building before. There was a basic map ahead of them showing where everything was, and a secretary was working at the desk, talking on the phone to someone. Other than that, the place was sleek and modern looking, and it led straight ahead into a branching hallway at the very back. Yet the two hard barely begun to start walking across the floor when someone rounded the corner up ahead. It was a fairly tall man, wearing a blue suit, and red tie, and seeming rather clean and well kept. His hair was slicked back, and he had a black beard and mustache. However, he also had a rather decisive look on his face, and a feeling of action about him. He rushed forward in a fast walk right up to the two of them. Cloud went ahead and halted immediately, and Ragnar followed suit.

Soon, the man stopped in front of them as well. He gave a nod to Ragnar's new ally first. "Good to see you again, Cloud. It's been a long time…not counting Cait Sith." After saying that, he turned his attention to the youth. He gave him a smile and extended his hand. Ragnar hesitated a moment, but then reached out and took it. He received a hearty handshake. "Hello, Mr. Vice. My name is Victor Reeve. I'm the president of Moogle Technologies and the head of the World Regneration Movement for the city of Midgar." He hesitated a moment, and looked over Ragnar after saying this. His face became confused. "…Is that Cloud's old sweater?"

"Forget my hand-me-downs." Cloud broke in, cutting this off. "Have you got them together?"

On hearing that, Reeve turned back to Cloud and frowned. He let out a sigh, and then turned and beckoned them. "Follow me." After that, he turned and began to march back the way he came. Cloud and Ragnar quickly fell in behind and stayed hot on his heels. As they walked back and turned the corner, beginning to follow Reeve as he led them in and through the building, he turned back behind him. "You couldn't have given me just one day's notice, Cloud? I could have surveyed the whole company."

"We don't have a day." Cloud answered. "The moment we're done here, we're heading to Junon and getting the first boat to Corel."

"I only managed to get about a hundred and fifty in one hour. Luckily, this meeting is paid. Unfortunately, that means some of them will just be there to get a break."

"Um…excuse me." Ragnar suddenly announced. "But…what exactly is going on?"

Both men turned back to Ragnar at that. Reeve furrowed his brow, and looked back to Cloud. "You haven't even told him what this is about yet?"

"I was in a hurry." Cloud responded. "Ok kid…this is what's up. Reeve here employs a lot of former members of Shinra Corporation. Based on the fact that they're still here and haven't gone north, I'd say they don't have a lot of loyalty to current leadership. What you're going to do is talk to some of them…tell them what you told me…maybe omitting the Bahamut thing…and hopefully they'll care enough to join."

"This seems like a fairly bad idea to me." Reeve responded. "These guys didn't defect because they enjoy dying for a cause. And I'm assuming that the young man here is unable to pay them any wages. Then again, they are all family men. Most of the Shinra Corporation employees came from the slums, underneath the Upper Plate and subjected to constant mako waste. They probably aren't that eager to go back. So who knows."

Ragnar slowly exhaled. "What a way to start…"

"You have to start somewhere." Cloud simply answered.

A few minutes later, and the three men arrived at one particular door in one of the building's hallways. They had made a few turns by now, going deep into the facility. There were several workshops and small manufacturing areas along the way, but there were also a lot of offices and other rooms. This one looked like one of the others. On arriving at the door, Reeve stepped forward and opened it for the other two men. Cloud readily passed through to the inside. Ragnar held for a second, but then followed behind.

Inside was an offwhite-painted, basic carpeted auditorium of some sort. Unknown to Ragnar, this room was normally used for employee orientations, and special safety videos outlining new guidelines. It was basic and rectangular, with a row of ascending seats going toward the back, and a small stage in front with a chalkboard and white screen for projections or videos. It was pretty noisy in here on entering. As Ragnar passed through the door, he gulped slightly. The room was filled with people, filling up all but the last few rows. Many of them were rough-looking and blue-collar in appearance. They also seemed rather stubborn, and kind of surly about having to be here. Enthusiasm definitely wasn't very high. It wasn't just the number that astonished him, which was more than he ever had to address before in one sitting, but it was also the fact that they seemed like they could care less about what was going on up north. That made for a rather bad crowd. He hadn't expected to meet so many people who looked so indifferent to anything else. And he was supposed to persuade them?

The young man began to feel a little warm. His stomach turned once or twice. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he should try to look somewhere else. These men didn't appear to be the type of material that would be available to him. He thought of going to Reeve for a moment, and cancelling it all…

At that moment, Cloud moved up to the side of him, noticing that he was staring at the people in the room and looking a bit worried. "Think of it this way…" Cloud whispered into his ear once he reached him. "If you can't handle these guys, then you don't have any business revolting in the first place."

Ragnar turned his head to Cloud at that. However, the ex-mercenary was already standing back and moving to the back of the wall of the auditorium. He crossed his arms and leaned against it, and looked perfectly casual. As for Ragnar, he turned back to the room. They still made him nervous. Many of them were older than him, and looked a bit bigger than him too. However…he tightened his fists none the less and pushed out his fear. Whether Cloud had been joking or not, he was right. If he couldn't handle these guys, then what was he supposed to do against New Shinra? He had seen their armies and artillery in action, and saw how big they could get. If he could stand up to them, surely he could stand up to these guys. And why not? Hadn't he endured as much pain and misery, if not more, than the rest of them? Could any of them honestly do anything to him that he already hadn't experienced much worse? If their idea of chasing him off would be merely shaking their heads, saying he was full of crud, and then walking out…then they had no idea what true torment was. At that thought, Ragnar felt his spirit lift again. He drew himself up taller, and then stood firm. He calmly folded his hands in front of him, and waited.

Once all were inside and a few moments had passed, Reeve stepped to the front of the room. From his posture, he made it obvious that he was about to say something. The rest of the room clammed up after a few seconds. After all, he was still their boss. All eyes were on him after a moment. Once they were, he gave a nod.

"Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I'm sorry I had to take you away from whatever you were doing, but something rather important has come to my attention, and I thought it was necessary to call this meeting as soon as possible. What I am about to tell you I will soon be breaking to the rest of the factory in a special newsletter. It's being typed up as we speak. Three years ago, I would have thought that this was worthy of being the top story on the Shinra Media Network, but as it is not, most news can only get around by word of mouth. And because of that, I'm going to serve as the mouthpiece of this event.

"As we speak…Midgar is standing on what could very be the brink of invasion."

This caused a bit of a stir among the men. They formed puzzled expressions at this. They turned and looked to each other a bit uneasily, wondering what that meant. They turned back to Reeve in the end, however, and he continued.

"I received word only this morning that a rather large army has been gathering on the Northern Continent for some time now, and that it is nearly ready to begin a full scale assault on the world below. Midgar is most likely the first target."

One of the men raised a hand.

Reeve looked to this person, and pointed out. "Oh yes…Baxter, was it?"

The man gave a nod, and put his hand down. "Um…sir? Who exactly is planning an invasion? I mean, there's no army left in the world at this point."

"Well, that's what I thought until this morning." Reeve grimly answered. "That was before I received a call from my good friend here…" He gestured behind him to Cloud, who made no reaction in response. "Who had been in contact with Mr. Ragnar Vice, over here." He shifted to Ragnar after that. "Mr. Vice was a former resident of Icicle Inn until he was put into forced labor. He escaped after three years, and he came here to warn the rest of the world that the Shinra army is still alive and well."

"Shinra?" One of the men outburst in the crowd. A chorus of murmuring began to follow it. People began to look to each other and talk about it. Some looked worried. Others looked a bit puzzled. Some looked downright obstinate and grouchy. "They went out of business three years ago! Me and my entire unit defected! There isn't any army anymore!"

Reeve gave a shrug in response. "Well, I'm afraid Mr. Vice may disagree with you, as well as about a hundred refugees that have fled. Believe it or not…the fact of the matter is that while Moogle Technologies has gone global, neither we nor any other industry or market has had contact with Icicle Inn in three years, and I doubt that the fall of Shinra would have made them want to become self-sufficient. As far as we know, if we checked, we'd find no one has returned from there in three years."

"I know this guy who got back just two weeks ago." Someone in the crowd called back.

"I know I saw someone who came back last month…" Another added.

Reeve gave a tired look in response. "I'm sorry…but we can't really base much on knowing 'some guy'. A person who we _do_ know came from Icicle Inn is right here. Currently, Mr. Vice is attempting to arrest the progress of Shinra and keep them from proceeding with this invasion. He's just assembled a new fighting force, and he is looking for volunteers."

A series of groans went through the audience. Some men merely frowned and rolled their eyes as they fell back in their chairs. One particularly annoyed looking man shook his head and muttered out loud that he wasted an hour on a project to listen to a kid from the peace corps. Not all of them were this bad. A few merely looked a bit uneasy at the whole idea. These were the ones who believed the story about Shinra from the start, and had answered with worry. However, none of them looked raring to go. They ranged from outright refusal to timid avoidance. Ragnar looked over all of these people…and his expression never changed.

Reeve had to hold up his hands and ask for silence. It took a little while to quiet down. But once the people finally did, he exhaled again and then stepped back. "So without further ado, I present to you Mr. Ragnar Vice, who will now explain the situation in more detail before he gives his call for volunteers."

With that, Reeve stepped back, and went to the wall. The room was silent in response. Ragnar looked out again, and looked over the audience. Some were frowning at him. Others were still unsettled. Still others seemed bored and crossed their arms, hoping that this would be over with soon. The young man studied them as he stood there. His own face was expressionless, showing no emotion whatsoever.

In the silence that followed, Ragnar remembered one of the early rules of combat Bahamut taught him. Know thy enemy. A strategy that wiped out a division in one situation could be decimated by the next. And right now…Ragnar was getting to know his enemy. Despite what Reeve had said, he wasn't planning on explaining the situation, or asking for volunteers. Neither of those statements would work. It would sound like a cry for help and a beg for pity. Both would fall on deaf ears here, and would fail to inspire or incite anyone. They needed something different. And as he looked over them and studied them, he knew what it was.

At last, the young man stepped forward. Each one of his boot steps echoed against the floor loud and long, sending an echo through the chamber. Once he reached the front, he shifted once to stand, and then looked out at the audience. His face was cold and emotionless. He was hard now…and his eyes blazed with an inner power again. He turned to the audience and let them all see that power as he looked into their eyes. When they saw him, they didn't necessarily break externally. However…they were attracted. They didn't expect this person, looking like a teenager, to have such power in his gaze, and look so hard and focused. He seemed too young or too small to possess it. But again…he seemed bigger, and far more certain of himself and focused.

Cloud too noticed this from where he was. For the first time since he saw Ragnar…he began to look a bit intrigued by him.

"…I set foot on the Eastern Continent for the first time in my life yesterday." The young man began, slowly and simply enough. "Shortly after I got here, I realized how backwards I was…how little I had seen of the world. I had never even imagined a city as large as Midgar before in my life. I didn't know a car could be made to run without mako power. But there were much more extreme things than that that I hadn't seen. I hadn't seen the destruction of Junon or Midgar. I hadn't been higher than two stories in the air in my life. I had never even seen the ocean.

"You may think I'm pretty ignorant or uncultured. That I'm some pretty secluded mountain boy. You'd be right. People only show up in Icicle Inn in two ways: you're born there or you run away to there. I was born there. And I didn't know much about the world or what was going on. A lot of people probably think that they have some edge on me because of that. Maybe they do. What's second nature to a lot of people is still brand new to me, and it's going to be for years to come. That makes me a bit deficient in knowledge of machines and vehicles and stuff…that's true. However…I'm betting you all a hundred gil that I've seen some things you've never seen either.

"Have any of you ever seen someone die of hepatitis? …Ah, I see one hand back there. So have I. I wonder if you saw it the same way I did. I was seventeen years old, and I saw an eight year old child with a shovel going to an already full latrine. It was the colder part of the year, and they wanted him to dig a new one. But the ground was already frozen. The biggest one of you guys wouldn't have been able to do it. So he went to the already full latrine. You see…the feces and urine that constantly were going in there made the ground soft enough that you could dig it, and he was going to try and widen it. But he could barely move the shovel, and the edge had iced over. When he was trying to get around the edge…he slipped and he fell in. He fell right into about three feet of crap, and went under. His parents weren't anywhere around. They weren't allowed to watch him. They wouldn't let any of us get him out. Only the taskmaster was present. Of course, he didn't want to touch him, now that he was covered with it. So he just yelled at him to drag himself out. It took him about five minutes of digging through that scum and filth before he managed to do it. Then the taskmaster dragged him out behind one of the sheds. He stripped off his clothes, so that he was naked out in the snow, and then got out a hose and blasted him with cold water. He got him clean…but by the time he was done he was turning blue. He dragged him back to where he was being held with the rest of his family and gave them back…but not before he hit this barely conscious child because he made him have to clean him up. The kid had pneumonia after that. But that wasn't what killed him. It was the hepatitis. I know…because his eyes and skin were turning yellow before he died. He blacked out the day after the accident and never woke up. He just writhed in agony until it was all over. So yeah…I saw someone die of hepatitis. I saw him die because a New Shinra officer didn't want to get his hands dirty, and because the prisoner's physician came around only once a month.

"I see a few of you wincing. You think that was disgusting? Oh, that wasn't disgusting. Any of you ever see a really bad infection? See someone lose a limb? There we go…two more back there. Again, I wonder if it went anything like this. I had just stepped out of line the fourth time. After taking an iron to my hand and leaving the burn you see right here…yep, this fourth one…they threw me in a cell underground. The floor was covered with urine from both men and rats. There were piles of men's crap in the corner. The rats just went wherever. It was dark in there, and the flies would come in during the summer and land all over you, getting on the feces first and then landing on you, crawling around your mouth and your eyes. It stank worse every hot day, because the bacteria were loving the humidity and the darkness. Anyway…I had this guy who was my cellmate. He got pierced by shrapnel when one of the dynamite charges went off. He ran forward and pierced a soldier's hand with his pick axe while running out of the way. He had five pieces of jagged metal in his body, including one through his kneecap that kept him from walking. But because he 'attacked' a soldier, they branded him and stuck him in the unsanitary prison with me. There wasn't anything we had there to keep it clean. Even the water they gave us was brown. So I had to watch him run a temperature so hot he marinated in a pool of his own sweat, and I watched the spots around where the metal was turn from red to green to black, before it started oozing vomit-colored pus. Then one day, the day before they let him out…he said his knee was itching. I looked down…and I saw he had maggots running around inside the wound. Some of the flies laid their eggs there because they thought he was a rotting carcass. Needless to say, when they took him out, they chopped off his leg. But he wasn't any good to them if he wasn't working. They had to put him back in the mine before he recovered, giving him some metal post for a leg. He never got over the infection. In two weeks, he fell down dead at the pick axe.

"Yeah…I imagine that sounds pretty bad. But that wasn't the worst I saw. Oh no. One of the guys working next to me had a family back in the town. They were supposed to stay there as reserve labor while we all went to work. He had three kids, two older boys and a little girl. She was about ten. When I first met him, he was the meanest guy you ever met. He was always causing trouble. He yelled back in the face of his taskmaster. He broke his chains. He went on one hunger strike after another until they had to shove a tube down his throat. We all loved him…thought he was great.

"But New Shinra wanted to make an example out of him, so that they wouldn't have to just execute all of us when we ran up five marks. They took him out one day, drew him to another part of the mine. But he was still close enough that we could hear him screaming…until he sounded like they put a bit in his mouth. He kept trying to cry out after that. For hours on end…we just heard him scream and scream. Some say they wired an electrode to his package. Some say they just beat him until he screamed, because he was pretty beaten up after he came back. Some say they threw him in a hole of grease and dropped in a bunch of hungry rats. But we saw all the bullies take him back that day…all the men who wanted to prove they were superior to all of us…make us beneath them, if you catch my drift. Personally…I think they passed him around back there. He just kept on screaming…he almost drove us mad. We just wanted anything to stop that screaming…

"But he came back the next day. After that, he didn't cause trouble any more. He didn't say anything to us. He addressed all the officers as sir and madam. He never complained, and from that day on the taskmaster knew he could always count on him to do the extra work when he felt like giving it to him without complaint. A lot of my fellow inmates told me that he was a coward and a turncoat for just caving into them. I didn't. I figured they had to have done something terrible to him back there, and I forgave him that. I just tried to let it slide and thought no less of him…until one day.

"We were all being led back for the day. It was night out, and we had to assume a special position. All of us stood with our fronts to the wall of the officer's barracks, while they went by each man, inspected them, and checked them out. It took about a half hour to do all this. I was standing near the end of the line, but this guy was even further down the line. It was late now, because they had us working a double shift as punishment for low quota. But other than that, it started off as a regular night. But then we heard screaming. Anyone near the inspectors had their head turned forward and was ordered to ignore it. But we on the end turned and looked. I recognized that it was a little girl screaming. Everyone did. We turned and looked, and heard it coming closer. Then, all of the sudden, wearing nothing other than a torn night gown…came this man's daughter. She was crying out in panic and fear…screaming for help. She was being chased by two off duty soldiers. I knew because their helmets were off, their uniforms unbuttoned…and because both of them were clearly drunk. But they caught her none the less. They shoved her to the ground just inside the alley across the road. She kept crying out even then, kept screaming for help. And so…they took out their clubs and knocked the fight out of her…smacked her around until her blood began to stain the snow around her head and she went limp. All she could do was breathe when they were done with her. After that…they began to take off their pants…

"Most of us were getting violent by then. Some of us were trying to break free. We got shoved into the snow face first and pinned down. A few other guys actually yelled out curses and told them to come and try against someone who could fight back. They knocked these guys unconscious, gave them a mark, and carted them off to the brig. The rest of us felt our faces smashed into the snow and we kept watching. However…I say only _most_ of us were getting violent. There was one person who wasn't. That was her father. He looked up to it once, and his look was totally empty and hollow…void of any care or will or spirit left in his body. Until that day I never really knew what it meant to look at a shell of a man. He stared at his daughter as they hit her for about three seconds. Then…he turned and stood at attention, and waited to be cleared. While the rest of us went to the brig or had our bodies hog-tied for the next hour, he was the only one who walked in and went to sleep. He didn't say one word about it up through the day they deported him to a different labor camp.

"Gentlemen…please believe me when I say…I have never once…in my entire life…seen anything more horrible or disgusting. And if any of you tell me that you've seen anything worse…you're full of it."

The room was silent now. Ragnar spoke slowly and deliberately, emphasizing each vivid image he described, seeming to conjure up the pictures as he spoke. Now…many of the men were broken. They stopped looking gruff or hard now…before Ragnar. The young man's eyes blazed with the same horror and revulsion he had witnessed over the past three years, and as he looked around and looked into their eyes, he made them see that same abomination whether they wanted to or not. Now, he had their full attention. And he let the silence linger for a moment longer, letting them stew over what he had just said. In the end, he looked over them once more, and softened slightly, but still spoke with power and conviction.

"All of you in here…all of you listening to me, wondering who I am and where I come from… I'm not about to tell you all to get up and die for some national cause. I'm not going to tell you to die for death and glory either. Both of those things mean nothing to me. A soldier in an army for a nation does what he does out of nationalistic pride or for some benefit. I have no nation to follow. I have no salaries to give, or generous retirement packages, or health insurance, or anything else. I don't have anything to compensate a soldier who does this for a living. And I don't have any medals or ticker-tape parades or crowds of adoring people cheering you on as you trample on the enemy 'over there'. And frankly…I'm glad I don't. If I was giving out compensation or rewards or glory to anyone…including myself…that would cheapen it. It would make it a business. A job. Something you're obligated to do under a contract, and something for which you receive just rewards in recompense. I don't care about any of that.

"I'm glad I don't have any cause for a nation in this, or any reward…because that means to me that I didn't choose to fight because I was going to get money or plunder or land…it was because I saw what I saw for three long years, and I thought it was wrong. I saw what happened to people up there, first physically, later mentally, and finally spiritually…and I hated it. I hated it more than anything else in the world. I chose to fight not for myself or anyone else…but because I never wanted to see that again. Because I was not going to just stand there and let this continue, or for them to make a world where this is allowed to happen. _That's_ my only cause. That's my only reason for fighting. And God help me if I ever reach the point where I can look at this, and then just turn my head, walk into my house, and go to sleep. When I reach that point, I _hope_ someone does the world a favor and kills me.

"I'm not going to blame any of you if you say no to me. I can't give you anything except my own hope for the future, and for right now it is just hope. But I'll leave you with this. None of you have ever seen what I saw yet…but you will soon. Rest assured…you will soon. So take your pick. When your child falls into a puddle of shit, are you going to pull him out then? When you have maggots infesting your own wounds, are you going to demand a doctor then? When you see some sorry excuse of a drunken man having his way with your own flesh and blood, are you going to knock out the guy pointing a gun at you, run over to them, and bash their heads in with your bare hands then?"

Ragnar hesitated after saying this, and cast one last dark glance over the people in the audience, his eyes blazing forth with new passion as his voice lowered.

"…Or are you going to make your stand here and now…before it happens to you?"

The young man turned away at that, and walked back over to the wall. He still looked older and stronger now, his eyes filled with some sort of new glory, and his body radiating a commanding presence and power. He had gone from a confused youth to a commanding man. Cloud was genuinely stunned, especially with the power and conviction with which Ragnar spoke. He found himself staring at the young man as he returned to the wall, crossed his arms in front of himself much as Cloud did, and then rested against it. He stared ahead, unblinking.

Reeve, on his part, looked a bit sick and nervous himself. He was staring at Ragnar with a bit of surprise at how he had changed. He swallowed a little afterward, and reached up to adjust his tie and calm himself down a bit. After that, he managed to step forward again, and look to the crowd. They were still silent now. No one talked anymore. Their heads were low, and their eyes stared at the ground. They were each deep in thought in the wake of the speech.

"We'll…take a brief ten minute recess, and then I'll leave a sign up sheet at the front of the room for the next half hour."

* * *

Forty minutes later, Ragnar still had his cold demeanor on. Talking about it had brought back the memories, taking him out of his temporary daze caused by the hospitality of Cloud and Tifa and the wonder of the City. Now, the seriousness of what he was doing came back to him, as well as his conviction for doing so. He and Cloud were in another room now. It was a small chamber with a table and chairs away from the auditorium, normally reserved for think-tank meetings. It too was white, simple, and businesslike. Ragnar was seated at the head of the table in here. His elbows were on top, and his hands were clasped and held up to his mouth. His green eyes stared blankly ahead, showing nothing.

Against the wall near the door, Cloud leaned with his arms crossed. He wasn't stoic and uncaring now. He kept his head up and focused on the young man. He had been staring at him for a while now, but Ragnar hadn't even acted like he noticed him. The two men were silent for most of the time since they arrived. However, the ex-mercenary wanted to say something. At last, he bowed his head a little to him.

"…Kid…" He spoke out loud. "I'm sorry if I said anything earlier that made fun of you. I didn't know the whole story…what you've been through."

Ragnar slowly looked away from where he had been staring. He turned his head slightly to Cloud, and then smiled and gave a snicker. It was halfhearted and quiet. "…Don't worry about it. It's not like you had to live through that hell. You shouldn't have known anything about it."

"You're wrong." Cloud flatly answered. This caused the youth to look up, and focus a bit more out of his dazed state and on the ex-mercenary. As he looked up to Cloud…he saw the man staring coldly down at the floor, in much the same way that he had been.

"I've lived through hell too. You probably wouldn't believe me…but it was likely worse than yours. I know what it's like to be truly miserable and despairing…to not have a single hope left in this world. And I've seen so many things happen before me that I couldn't stop…so many horrible, horrible things…that I lost count." The man hesitated in here, letting out a long, slow sigh. After that, he looked up and stared back at Ragnar. "It makes you forget sometimes that other people have had it bad too."

Ragnar looked back at him silently for a moment. However, in the end, he managed a small smile. "…You and Tifa took me in…fed me…clothed me…gave me a place to sleep…and you joined me though I sounded crazy. I'd say you showed me more than enough generosity and compassion. More than I've ever received from anyone in the New Shinra, at any rate."

Cloud cracked a halfhearted smile of his own at that, and bowed his head again. His voice grew lower. "…Shinra has a way of being rather merciless to those they consider their property…" He led slide over his lips. The words came out like weights being dropped, slowing down with each new one. As they did…Ragnar saw a new fire in Cloud's eyes blaze. A passion burned within his soul…and Ragnar began to detect the slightest traces of a deep pain hidden within him. It was so strong…so fierce…that he could tell its power just from seeing what it did to the stoic Cloud. It was something that shook him to his very soul.

In the end, Ragnar's smile faded. He stared totally at Cloud, forgetting about his own problems or the meeting.

"Cloud…you told me quite a lot happened to you in your life. What happened to you?" He finally asked, very slowly, and genuinely concerned. "…What did they do to you?"

The ex-mercenary kept his head bowed. His eyes continued to blaze…but now they seemed to enlarge, as if the man was seeing something else…or remembering something. And as he did…Ragnar saw his lips begin to part. It wasn't to speak…it was to make an expression of fear and horror…

The door was suddenly flung open with a loud bump. On hearing this, both Ragnar and Cloud snapped out of their respective dazes, and were normal again. Both turned and looked to the now open door. Reeve was standing in it, holding a small stack of papers in one hand. He was grinning, and looked to be teaming with enthusiasm. He walked straight up to Ragnar, and flung the papers down in front of him. The youth leapt back a bit from the sudden act, and then turned back up to Reeve in puzzlement.

"What's this?"

"One hundred and twenty-seven signatures." Reeve responded. "They've volunteered. You've just doubled the size of your army."

Ragnar's eyes widened. Was he serious? The young man turned down to the paper before him. He scanned it over for a moment. After that, he soon realized that they were forms. And like Reeve said…they were filled with signatures. Name, address, and phone numbers for a hundred and twenty-seven people. The youth's jaw dropped. Despite the conviction and passion he had felt when giving the speech…he couldn't believe it. They had listened to him. They had been persuaded by him. And now…they were joining. He had done it. He had obtained new recruits for his army. The youth let out a nervous laugh, and then began to smile as he saw the paper. He picked it up and held it in front of him, like some sort of mystical prize or trophy. He turned to Cloud soon after.

"I don't believe it." He said out loud, genuinely surprised. "I got to them. I made them want to join."

Cloud stared back down at him and cracked a smile. "Congratulations on your first victory, kid. But this is just a start. You're going to need a _lot_ more than that before you can fight New Shinra, so don't get too cocky."

"You've got more than this already." Reeve continued, reaching out and setting the paper down. "These are only the people who volunteered. Eight of the others agreed to start a fund-raising campaign for your forces, to start collecting food, supplies, weapons, and money. One of the others is donating an old truck. It's a bit of a fixer upper, but it runs. The other four guys wrote you checks." Reeve pulled away the first couple of papers at this, and then revealed what was beneath. Four small slips of paper were sitting on the table. Ragnar picked these up next, and looked over them. His eyes expanded again on seeing them.

"Whoa, Cloud…there's over 3,000 gil here."

"Actually, that's going to be over 23,000." Reeve pointed out in response. "I've still got to make my contribution, you see."

The ex-mercenary smiled at this as he stepped off the wall. "Sounds great. I can pass that off to Tifa. She can start buying the necessities to set up a camp while we make our rounds."

Reeve's face turned a bit downcast when he heard Cloud say that. "Yeah…about that…" He answered in a somewhat nervous voice.

Ragnar began to look puzzled as he said that, looking over the checks. "Hey…these aren't made out to anyone."

Reeve gave a shrug in response to this. "Well…you didn't really give us a name to call your volunteer group or army or whatever. I'd say just write out 'Cash', but for an amount that big it might take some time to clear through the banks. I know you don't have an account, Cloud…though I've been pestering you to get one for months now…and I don't suppose you have one either, Ragnar. That's going to further complicate things with the bank."

The young man frowned slightly and sighed. He turned up to Cloud shortly after that. "So what do we do?"

Cloud merely shrugged back. "Pick a name pretty soon."

The youth kept his frown, and then turned back down to the paper and the checks. Money aside, this was all great news. It was more of a start than Ragnar expected. If he could keep this up, then maybe they could pull this off yet.

"I've also had another idea, Ragnar." Reeve continued. "You didn't tell me you were so good at giving speeches. You really had the crowd in there."

The young man looked back to him at that simply. After a moment, he simply shrugged. "…That was my first time doing it."

Reeve raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?" He asked. "I took a nine month speech class before I could speak half that good… At any rate, it doesn't matter. The thing is, I was running a recorder in there for the minutes. And what I heard sounded great. It's a good start. Now we're planning on giving this story to the news anyway, to start getting out the message about New Shinra. If we ran your speech along with it, we might be able to make it a sort of 'drive for volunteers' as well. It might persuade more people and warn them about New Shinra at the same time."

Ragnar winced a bit at that, feeling a little uneasy. That was the first speech he had ever given. He wasn't sure he wanted it to be broadcast on an intercontinental basis. Besides…it felt like he was cheapening his mission a bit by doing it. He would feel too much like some politician or fund raiser. He wasn't too sure if it would end up helping or hurting him. He stayed silent about it for now.

"And…there's one last thing I want to give you to help out." Reeve added. With that, he began to step back, clearing room through the door.

As he did this, Ragnar noticed that Cloud suddenly snapped up and looked behind him. Moments later, the ex-mercenary groaned and placed a hand to his forehead. "Oh no…" He muttered aloud.

The youth would have asked him about this…if it wasn't for the odd sight that suddenly came waddling through the door.

"Hey Cloud! Check out my new moogle! He's got knuckles!" An odd, chibi cat creature uttered as it road into the room on top of the back of the largest stuffed moogle Ragnar had ever seen. The moogle itself looked rather mute and dumb in appearance, although, as the cat said, it had giant cartoonish boxing gloves on its hands with all-too-real metal spiked knuckles. The cat itself was white and black, and wore a loose red cape around his neck with a golden crown perched on top of his head. His eyes were thin lines, so Ragnar couldn't really tell if he was looking at him or not. However…as the massive moogle began to approach him, Ragnar found himself rising from his chair and backing up against the table. Reeve continued to look on proudly, while Cloud continued to groan and have his head bowed.

"Relax, man!" The cat told Ragnar as he came to a stop in front of him. "Gimme five!" With that, he held up his own little cat paw. However, in perfect mimicry, the massive moogle also held up its sharp-looking, gauntleted paw. The cat saw this, and literally turned red for a moment before dropping a large bead of sweat off of the side of its head. "Oops…forgot about that." He quickly lowered his hand again, and looked up to Ragnar nervously. "How about a fortune instead?"

The youth merely continued to look puzzled at the odd thing in front of him, wondering if he had, in fact, been knocked a little senseless last night to the point of hallucinating. As for Cloud, he groaned again and turned to look up to Reeve.

"I appreciate the gesture, Reeve…but I really can't stand being around Cait Sith."

The cat angrily turned to him at this. "Hey! I have feelings too over here!" He complained to the ex-mercenary. After that, he smiled wide. "In fact, with my latest model, I have sixteen new feelings in addition to my previous ones!"

Ragnar blinked at the odd creature for a moment, but then turned to Reeve and pointed at it. "Is this…a machine?" He asked.

"It's my masterpiece." Reeve proudly replied, crossing his arms and beaming at the feline. "I didn't start an electronics company without knowing all about it myself. Before I got into administration I was quite the computer whiz. Cait Sith was my masterpiece, although I received a lot of help from Shinra's engineers. They were experimenting with the world's first AI engine, trying to put it into a new type of spying robot that could learn and interact with its surroundings. The thing itself was too much of a dead giveaway. So I got the idea to use it in toys instead. The hybrid of the military model and civilian model was this."

"As it turned out…it seemed to be able to spy rather well anyway." Cloud darkly added. "Which is part of the reason that I don't like having it around me."

"Oh, come on Cloud. We're all friends here now." Reeve answered back in an innocent voice. "He helped you beat Sephiroth and take out Sin. No one ever suspects him until it's too late. He'd probably make a great spy for your new army, and despite how plush he looks he's quite bullet proof in there."

"Plus Reeve has been making a fortune selling toy versions of me to kids all over Gaia!" Cait Sith added. "So, technically, any money that he gives you is because of me. So what do you say?"

Cloud exhaled a blast from his nostrils. He turned his head over to Ragnar next. The young man looked to him, but then back to the stuffed creature. For him…beggars really couldn't be choosers. He didn't like the amount of chagrin that Cloud was putting off against it, but there was the old saying of the more the merrier. After a bit longer, he gave a shrug.

"…How are we going to take him with us?"

* * *

"Ok, I was wrong. _Now_ I'm embarrassed."

"You're the one who wanted to bring him." Cloud simply answered, as he ignited the engine on Fenrir. Ragnar was once again seated behind Cloud and hanging onto him. However, strapped to his back like some sort of giant version of the pack that teenage girls wore around was the giant moogle. Clutching to his head as best as he could was Cait Sith. The effect of wearing him plus hanging on to Cloud made Ragnar look rather effeminate at this point. He only hoped the size of the moogle would give people other ideas as Cloud pulled out, gunned the engine, and began to take off back down the road again.

"Just keep trying to think of a name." Cait Sith suggested.

Ragnar sighed, and turned back to Cloud. "I know it's a long drive. First there was that other stuff you told me…and then there was that incident in the meeting room…and now there's this guy." He gestured behind him at this. "Exactly who are you, and what have you been through?"

Cloud didn't answer or turn immediately. He continued to drive forward, down the road. "…It's a rather long story."

"It's a long way to Corel." Ragnar simply answered.

Cait Sith seemed to wince and grow a bit nervous here. As for Cloud, he inhaled slowly, and then exhaled once again. Ragnar watched him and waited as he silently drove along. After a few moments more, however…he finally spoke up again.

"Alright. If you're going to be hanging around me and the old group, then you probably will need to know at some point to have some idea of what we're talking about. It might as well be sooner than later. It started about eight years ago… No…I guess it really started about fourteen at this point, when I was a kid. I was one of the outcasts at my hometown at Nibelheim…but I was crazy about this brown-haired girl who lived next door…"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	49. Dear Friends, Sort Of

It had been a full day since Ragnar had his encounter with Reeve.

After finishing there, Ragnar was in for a very long ride as Cloud took them out of the city and across country. Eventually, they reached a new road going along southwest, away from Midgar and along the coastline. This was a fairly recent addition, but it made it much easier to get to Junon by land. Toward late afternoon they arrived, and they got on the first boat they could that they found was headed to North Corel. It wasn't a straight shot. The closest that a boat could take them was north of Costa Del Sol, past the old mako reactor and to a service road that could bring them there. It was going to be a voyage that would take all night, so Cloud and Ragnar slept while Cait Sith recharged his batteries through a wall outlet.

They arrived early the next morning, and once again they saddled up on Fenrir, which had been ferried across, and road out from the port they landed at and toward Corel. They were in a more rough and mountainous area here. There were signs of a lot of old mining equipment and tunnels. Cait Sith explained to him that the place used to be one of the largest coal producing areas on the planet. In the wake of the mako reactor, the town went under quickly. That didn't last long though. Once Shinra fell, mako reactors crashed as well. That was when a new invention began to gain promise that had been shoved aside under the era of mako energy (for being too expensive or competing): an engine that ran on purified oil. It just so happened that the Corel area was rather rich in the crude substance as well, and soon the place was busting again with activity.

As they drew closer, Ragnar began to see a rapidly developing neighborhood grow up around him. The roads became paved, newer stores began to spring up, and many two story houses were arranged in new subdivisions. Even more were being built. Currently, this place was getting to be one of the richest areas on the Planet. But mining oil was still a dirty business, and the people who lived there had lived in garbage and waste for too long to be too rushed about their work. The homes themselves were built in a more secluded, faraway area. The oil fields themselves were miles away, and it was to these that Ragnar was taken.

The place smelled rather foul. After passing into another rock valley, things grew dirty and black around them. The air was filled with smoke, much of their surroundings were stained black, and grime and oil were everywhere. Trains constantly rolled in on the rail system that surrounded this place, loaded up, and then ran out again. There were at least a dozen large oil well towers, pumping out of the ground the precious black substance. However, the main place of interest was the large refinery. Cloud rolled them to this. Ragnar got his best glimpse of what Midgar had once looked like. As Fenrir passed under the entrance and began to literally drive underneath it, he saw all sorts of metalworkings, girders, pipes, and industrial lights. Around this point…Cloud had to get Ragnar to snap out of it. He had been staring at one and looking nervous. It reminded him of the New Shinra HQ Dome.

Despite all he was seeing, Ragnar couldn't focus that well on his external environment, not even the refinery. That was because all of yesterday, last night, and today…he had been listening to Cloud's story. Cloud had been right…it was amazing…and probably held more pain and agony for him than Ragnar's own life had for himself. Every hour that passed, Ragnar began to look at Cloud with a little more awe, realizing that his own thin, hard body had passed through some other great challenge. And the misery and anguish that Cloud had endured…it was beyond belief. Ragnar, in the end, only ever really suffered in the physical sense. Cloud had lost his mind, and then nearly lost his soul.

Ragnar began to secretly realize some things as he listened to the tale. First of all…he realized who those strange people had been in Icicle Inn three years ago. They were the people he was interacting with right now. He had gone right by them, and hadn't even noticed. But now that Cloud said it…he began to remember the face of Tifa and Cloud from their midst…and even Cait Sith stuck out in his memory, odd as he was. He also found out why General Leers and his group came north. They were supposed to go into the Great Northern Crater after a man named Sephiroth…the source of Cloud's nightmares and anguish.

Lastly…and most importantly…he found out who the lady in the lake was.

Apparently, it wasn't Cloud and his band that managed to save the world threee years ago from their fighting. It was her in the end. She was murdered by Sephiroth…one of the man's many sins for which he felt no remorse or pity…but not before she had managed to pray for Holy to come and destroy the Meteor. It was her, acting within the Lifestream, that had called the Planet out to save itself from annihilation in the end. What more, last year, when there was some sort of disease called Geostigma afflicting people all over the world, it was her that sent a rain that healed whoever was touched by it. She had been the true last Cetra, the last of their race that had survived longer than the book indicated.

Knowing this, and hearing many details from Cloud's story, Ragnar began to wonder if the one the runes called Gen Avo Ach was actually one and the same with Jenova, the alien creature that had been the source of all of this misery. There were some similarities…and a mispronunciation of the Cetra word could have led to the current pronunciation of Jenova. Last but not least…that thing had the same desire to kill the Cetra as the original Gen Avo Ach had.

There was one other thing he wondered, though. When he arrived in the City of the Ancients, a voice had commanded him to keep reading until he understood the runes. Now that he thought about it more clearly…he thought that it had been female. Could he have…?

Ragnar snapped out of his thoughts as the motorcycle ground to a halt. Shaking his head a bit, the youth turned and looked to Cloud. The ex-mercenary turned the ignition off, and immediately dismounted. Ragnar looked up a bit, and saw that they were still in the refinery. A few workers were running around outside, but the true item of interest was a small metal frame staircase just across from him, leading up into some sort of simple office. It was illuminated through the closed blinds, but Ragnar could see little other than an occasional shadow moving by.

Ragnar moved to get off, only to have Cloud put his hand on his shoulder and shake his head. "Go on and wait here. We won't have any trouble getting this guy on our side. He's hated Shinra longer than either of us."

The youth eased back after a moment, but raised his eyebrow. "What'd they do to him?"

"Only drove him out of business, wrecked his town, bankrupted the citizens, burnt his house, killed his wife and best friend, and took his right hand."

Ragnar grimaced a bit after that. "I think I'm starting to remember this guy from your stories… I don't think he's going to fit on the bike too."

Cloud merely cracked a small smile. But then, he turned away from the bike and walked to the metal staircase. A moment later he had ascended it, and gave a knock on the door. Ragnar heard some sort of muffle from the other side, and Cloud opened it and entered. He shut it behind soon after.

Ragnar slowly exhaled, and began to wait. He looked around a bit at the passing people, who in turn looked back at the motorcycle and the massive stuffed animal astride his back. Time slowly passed. Ragnar kept an eye on it via the clock posted outside the office. After about ten minutes, he began to get a little bored. He turned his head behind him at last to the strange creature.

"How you doing back there?"

"Oh, _now_ you talk to me." Cait Sith complained in response. "I've been back here for hours, and all you've been doing is listening to Cloud's story. You didn't even stop him when I was poking you to try and explain myself for what I did at the Gold Saucer."

"Well, I can see why he's a bit nervous about you. Technically, you were built to be a Shinra spy. I'm a bit regretful about bringing you along…"

"Aw, come on!" Cait Sith whined in response. "I'm with you guys now! I work for Reeve, not New Shinra! Besides…you think AVALANCHE didn't kill its share of innocent people when they blew Mako Reactor No. 1?"

Ragnar hesitated at that. For being a stuffed robot, the cat had a point. Still, that hadn't been the intention in the end, unlike when Shinra destroyed Sector Seven with the upper plate, killing the people above it and below it. And AVALANCHE never had crazies like Hojo…

"Man, if you distrust me for giving the Sphere to Shinra, you should distrust Cloud a little more for giving the Black Materia to Sephiroth."

"Well, Shinra is still around. Sephiroth is gone."

To that, he merely heard the cat give a whistle. Unseen by him, the toy shook his head. "Heh…that's what we thought a year ago…"

Ragnar paused himself after that. But then, he gave a shrug. "Well…Cloud killed Kadaj. The rest of those 'Sephiroth larva' were dead. So isn't he gone?"

"Kid…" Cait Sith slowly responded, his voice a bit lower and darker. "…We never even found out how those three came to life."

The youth felt his back run a bit cold at how Cait Sith said that. He swallowed slightly, and turned his head back in front of him. That was something he'd rather not talk about at the moment. He had a feeling that Cait Sith really didn't want to either…

It didn't matter, because they would have stopped talking a moment later. That was because a large crash came almost right from over them as what looked like a rolling chair tore through the blinds and glass of one of the windows, and fell down right in front of them. Both Ragnar and Cait Sith leapt back a bit in surprise, Ragnar in the seat, and Cait Sith cowering behind his moogle, and looked up in surprise. The other workers froze and turned as well. Even over the sounds of machinery and steam that filled the plant, a steady stream of obscenities, curses, and goodness knew what else that obviously came from a very large, very angry man began to pour out from the now open window. The youth was stunned as he looked up to it. He tried to make something out of the endless curses, but he only managed to catch what sounded like, "Spiky-Ass" a few times…

Moments later, the door to the office opened, and Cloud calmly walked out and shut it behind him. As he did, the curses continued to come out endlessly, and if anything grew in volume. The ex-mercenary exhaled and began to walk down the stairs. Ragnar looked to him a bit uneasily.

"So…I take it he didn't want to volunteer?"

"Oh no. He agreed to that the second I told him, 'Shinra's back'." Cloud answered as he continued to make his way down. He next gestured to the chair. "_That's_ because I told him Marlene is coming along."

Ragnar remembered. Marlene was supposed to actually be the man's daughter, not Cloud's. She had only been living with Cloud and Tifa because Tifa was a family friend, and because he didn't want her living in a polluted, rough town like Corel. Marlene had spent most of her life in Midgar already. Another thing that may have had to do with it was the fact that he thought she might have needed a major female figure in her life. However…what may have been the biggest part is that Marlene wanted to be close to where "the flower girl" had lived, which was the infamous church with flowers that Cloud mentioned several times. Ragnar was beginning to regret he hadn't stopped to see it himself, half-destroyed as it was now…

Cloud reached Ragnar's side and turned to the door to the office. Moments later, a man nearly broke the door down as he stepped out. He was larger than the story's suggested. His work pants, shirt, and vest barely covered his hulking body. Considering his size and muscles, he looked like he could have eaten a guy like Cloud for breakfast. It didn't help that he had a rather heavy and dangerous looking minigun for a hand. His hair was cut short, but a thick beard and mustache were across his face. He glared down on Cloud with near murderous intent. The gun, however, told Ragnar who he was without confusion. It was Barret.

Although…after looking at him a moment…a confused Ragnar couldn't help but lean over to Cloud and whisper to him. "Um…he's black."

"I'm aware of that." Cloud flatly answered. "_Adopted_ daughter."

Ragnar hesitated a moment, and then gave a nod in understanding as he leaned back on top of the motorcycle.

"How stupid can ya' be, wantin' to take Marlene along!" Barret screamed at him, the first intelligible thing he had said since he began yelling.

Cloud merely shrugged. "Well, you're already coming along, so she can't stay with you. I tried telling Tifa to stay behind, so maybe you should yell at her. This isn't easy on me either, because Denzel will be going. Last time I tried to keep them away they came the first chance they got. And now they're a year older and even more precocial."

"Did ya' ever think of Elmyra!" The man blasted back.

Cloud sighed. "She moved away two years ago, and I'd be dumping them on her for I don't know how long. She doesn't have any income to support them since she retired. Besides, it's already on file that Shinra knows you have a daughter. Don't you think they'd be going after her once they realized you were a part of this organization?"

Barret fumed, and pounded his one remaining fist against the wall. He turned to the side and began to mutter some sort of obscenities once again. Cloud calmly stood and waited. It seemed this wasn't the first time this sort of exchange had happened between the two. Cloud usually won out, unknown to Ragnar, and that only made Barret more upset at him with time. In the end, the man turned back and grunted like an ox. He looked down over the two of them, and he turned his angry glare to Ragnar instead. The young man paled and recoiled a bit.

"So you're that Ragnar guy, eh?" Barret called out to him, and then snorted and shook his head. "You look jus' like Spiky Ass when I met him in that damn sweater. Alright, Scrawny Ass…I'm in. Give me a couple hours to get a few things together." With that, he turned and marched back into his office, slamming his door behind him. This time, the hinges did break, and he collapsed partially to set at an angle against the frame.

The young man blinked once to recover from that event. But then, he frowned and turned to Cloud. "That's not his new nickname for me, is it?"

Cloud shrugged again. "Well…you didn't like the name, 'kid'."

* * *

Despite the rather rough greeting, Ragnar was soon glad to have Barret along. He further expanded Ragnar's call for volunteers to the Western Continent. He was all too willing to contribute whatever tools, gas, and machines that he could afford, but more importantly he put him in contact with residents of Corel.None of themhad ever liked Shinra, especially after what they did to their town. Barret said he'd have another hundred recruits by tomorrow. For now, however, they left him to do whatever he could, and continued on down from Corel on their road trip.

It took most of the rest of the day to get to the next spot. The area only became more hilly and rough as they wound their way onward, eventually losing most vegetation and becoming dry and rocky. Fenrir was tough enough to handle it, but at more than a few skids Ragnar wished he had been wearing leathers or a helmet. After driving on for a few hours, the sun was starting to set, bathing the valley in a bright red glow. It made it look nice, in Ragnar's opinion. Very rustic and natural, and the red light reflected in just the right way as the sun lowered. However, he eventually got distracted as they neared their next location.

It was some sort of settlement built into a sharp angle in the rock valley. It looked very naturalistic. There weren't any electronics or special lights around, and all of the dwellings seemed to be made in the caves. The only power source was a few windmills. As they drew nearer, they eventually began to see that wood ladders connected everything to each other, and all of the designs around it were painted in a sort of native, ancient style. It essentially looked like some sort of throwback to an earlier age, when nomadic tribes lived in this part of the near-desert valley. Ragnar admired it. It was beautiful to him, just like the City of the Ancients. And as he drew nearer and began to hear the native drums and wind instruments playing, it made him feel peaceful and relaxed. As they drew to a halt at the front gate, and everyone dismounted, Ragnar looked up to the top, and saw the one piece of true machinery there…a giant observatory on top of the rock face, peering up into the darkening heavens. But he mostly saw an archway made of wood posts and a cloth stretched from pole to pole, reading the two word name of this place.

Cosmo Canyon.

A bit later, and Ragnar found himself following Cloud through the many twisting caves that made up the rock canyon wall, leading them toward the top of the archeological site. They had to climb ladders at many points, but luckily the trailing Cait Sith could climb. There were several people in Cosmo Canyon, but most of them were either archeologists themselves or people who were just enjoying living in nature, in this more basic lifestyle. Ragnar remembered from Cloud that Cosmo Canyon was filled with people who had a great affection for Gaia and the environment, but that most of them were far too pacifistic to consider as recruits. However, there was a rather powerful and wise person here that he wanted to enlist the help of.

The three finally reached the top of the cliff. Once there, they found themselves face to face with the observatory. It was indeed large, but also technologically advanced. This place was made mostly of metal, although it did have a bit of wood to give it a more homey look. There were several devices built around the main telescope, which towered over all. They looked like they were recording the weather. It was three stories tall, and rather impressive. Ragnar hesitated to take it in for a moment, marveling at the place. But in the end, Cloud pulled him away and led him to the front door.

Once there, the ex-mercenary stopped them again and knocked on it.

"Who's there?" A deep, somewhat old-sounding voice called.

"It's Cloud. I brought the kid."

Ragnar turned to him. "Did you tell everyone I was a kid? I'm twenty!"

"Come in." The voice from within answered.

Cloud reached down and opened the door soon after. He went inside, and a frowning Ragnar followed him in, trailed by Cait Sith on his giant moogle.

Inside certainly didn't look like a research facility. It looked like a basic home. It had a few more cables, valves, and pipes than a regular house, but just ahead was a table, sink, stove, and refrigerator. There was also a ladder for going up to the next level, and a sealed door to the right. The main area was at the end of a short hallway from the entrance. The three began to walk down it, and toward the main, dimly-lit room.

Not far along, Ragnar froze and stared ahead. There was one resident in the front room, it seemed. It was sitting in front of the table and looking at them through its one good green eye, for the other was scarred. It was some sort of monstrous creature that looked like a cross between a lion and a wolf. It had orange fur that was sleek like a desert animal's. Its had a slight mane, but it looked more like hair on the creature than an actual mane. Its tail had a tuft of bright red fur on the end of it…and if Ragnar didn't know any better, from the way it was moving, he'd say it was a small fire. It was laced with muscle, and looked to be a rather powerful and deadly animal indeed. Most of all…it focused its one remaining eye off of the others after a moment, and solely on him.

The youth swallowed a bit as he stopped. Seeing the predatory look of the creature, he didn't dare move any closer. However, as he stood there, he looked up to its head. He saw that there were feathers coming out from behind it, like a headdress. And he could see one metal feather tied in with it, used for slashing. He also saw that one of his limbs had a black tattoo on it…showing the number 13. Seeing that, Ragnar knew who he had to be. He turned slightly to Cloud, who had stopped moving with him and looked back to him, and then pointed ahead.

"This is…Red XIII?"

The man gave a nod.

Ragnar turned back to the creature, which had never looked away. He remembered Cloud talking about a half-wolf, half-liger creature that he had experienced on his journey, but he looked far more fearsome and feral in real life. Still, he tried to be as courageous as possible. Drawing himself up, and making sure not to make eye contact, he slowly began to creep forward toward the sitting beast. It didn't move. It continued to stare at him as he slowly and surely made his way to it. It never bared its fangs either. It just raised its head to keep following him with his eyes. After a few moments, Ragnar finally was standing right next to it.

Realizing it was an animal, he extended the back of his hand for it to smell. He made sure not to look directly in its eyes and smiled nervously. "Hey boy."

The creature looked up to Ragnar's face, down to his hand, and then back up to him again. Then, he rolled his eyes, sighed, and turned to Cloud. "You didn't tell him I could talk, did you?"

Ragnar snapped back immediately in surprise. Cloud smiled and snickered a bit. The young man turned to him and frowned. Apparently, he had been planning this. However, Cait Sith was much less subtle. He grasped his middle, rolled back off of his moogle, and laughed out loud. He was soon rolling as he fell to the floor and continued to let it peel. The young man kept his frown, and realized he looked like an idiot. As for Red XIII, he gave a sigh as he looked back to him.

"And as for your little attempt to 'make friends', boy, I wouldn't advise doing that to any more wild animals. And if I was going to attack you, your throat would have been ripped out the moment you crossed my threshold." For a beast, the creature spoke quite calmly and slowly, and in a sophisticated and controlled manner, like one who was governed by intelligence. "And I prefer the name Nanaki. Only my friends call me Red XIII, boy."

This had done it. Ragnar groaned and rolled his eyes before fuming. "Why does everyone keep calling me a kid! I'm twenty! _Twenty!_" He turned back to Red XIII after that. "Now even you're calling me a kid! You're not even that old! What are you? Five? Six?"

"Fifty-one." Red XIII calmly answered, causing Ragnar's face to fault and cutting off his diatribe. After that, he turned to Cloud again. "He's rather excitable, isn't he?"

"He can be." Cloud calmly answered.

Cait Sith continued to roll on the ground.

Ragnar himself frowned one last time before smoothing himself out. He drew himself up again and looked back to the creature seated on the ground. He crossed his arms. "So…are you with us?"

"Well, I think I have to be." Red XIII calmly answered. "It's obvious that you need someone with intelligence in your force."

The youth intensified his frown. "Was that supposed to mean something?"

"Only to one who expects it to." Red XIII answered. "However, I'll have to warn you. Cosmo Canyon can offer very little else in support other than some historical records. No one else in here is a warrior. The last time Cosmo Canyon was even in an armed conflict was over forty years ago. I'll go ahead and post a call for volunteers, but there is no money or soldiers here."

"It's still appreciated, and right now I'm looking to get anything I can." Ragnar answered. "I don't suppose there's any other…warriors like you around here?"

"Well, one can only hope, because otherwise I'm the last of my race." Red XIII calmly answered. "But for now, I'm all there is."

Ragnar sighed. "In the case…I don't suppose you own a car, because I don't think all four of us can squeeze onto Fenrir."

Red XIII's eye narrowed and looked at the youth tiredly.

"Young man…what would I do with a car?"

Ragnar put his hand to his forehead and groaned again, while Cait Sith, having just recovered from the first bit, now began to roll again at the latest one.

* * *

As it turned out, having more room was unnecessary. After spending the night in Cosmo Canyon, Ragnar learned the next day that Red XIII was quite capable of keeping up with Fenrir using his own four legs. It was a rather interesting sight, seeing such a magnificent predator keeping alongside a motorcycle as it went through the rest of the canyon. They did have to stop more often now, but it wasn't too bad. And they really only had to go a little bit further the next day. After that, they stopped by Symbal Ferry, a road people could take to avoid going through Nibelheim and straight to Rocket Town. Ragnar could hardly blame Cloud for wanting this. In order to cover up a massacre committed by Sephiroth, the town was rebuilt and reseeded with Shinra employees looking for a place to live. Although it would be interesting to see if the people there had abandoned it, that town had ceased to mean anything to Cloud or Tifa years ago. They had to rebuild what was left of their lives away from it.

The ferry ride didn't take too long, luckily. Just a few hours. From a distance, Ragnar was able to see their next destination as they worked their way up the coastline. Unlike many of the other places they had gone thus far, this hadn't been built up. The houses were all still small and basic, and it appeared to be a rather small residential area without much of interest. However, just outside the town was a much larger site. The rocket that gave the town its name was gone by now, but something new had been built in its place. A large, flat, concrete paved field had been zoned out, and it boasted several large, curved top buildings outside. Ragnar had never seen a hanger before, but that's essentially what it was. The field itself had a rather large ship on it, one that Ragnar marveled at in awe. It looked to be the size of a regular ship below, but on top of it was a giant foil with rocket engines on the side. It was gigantic, and gleamed beautiful and streamlined in the morning sun.

Ragnar turned and pointed to it. "So that's the Sierra, huh?"

Cloud gave a nod from his own place on the ferry deck.

The youth turned back to it and marveled. "It's amazing… All of those transport Gelinkas the New Shinra uses are so cumbersome and clumsy… That's beautiful."

"Make sure to tell him that when you meet him." Cloud answered. "Maybe that will make him a bit more inclined to let you use it, because we sure had a hell of a time trying to get him to use it last time."

* * *

"What was that?"

_"Can we step into your office where there's not so much noise!"_

Ragnar winced as Cloud screamed at the top of his lungs, plugging his ears as he did so. Red XIII had no such luck, unable to cover his own ears and their sharper hearing. He just bared his teeth and dealt with it. The four had made it to Rocket Town now. After working their way through it, they made it to the new airfield and the hangers contained there. The man they were looking for was in the first hanger, along with about twenty workers and the skeleton of a new airship that looked a lot like the Shera. At the moment, it was begin assembled, and was mostly in pieces, with everyone working on it, either welding or tightening or checking or whatever. Most of all, one of the engines was being tested, and like a typical jet engine filled the hanger with deafening noise. Even Cait Sith stuck his head in the mouth of his own moogle to avoid it.

It even seemed to annoy the man they were looking for…but according to Cloud, the man was perpetually pissed off anyway. They were standing across from him now. He was still young at this point, and a bit unshaven and rough looking. His hair was blond and tied back by a pair of flight goggles. He wore a simple green shirt and loose pants with work boots, and all of them were stained and ripped through having been worked with excessively. He had a looser jacket tied around his waist, and his teeth were clenched around half of a cigarette. For the past minute, they had been trying to talk to him over the sound of the engine. Cloud had just finished yelling this last part after leaning over and into his ear. After leaning back, the man nodded.

"Yeah, sure! But why the hell didn't you say that before?"

"I did say that before!"

"What?"

"Let's just get out of here!"

The man snorted, turned, and began to lead them away from the engine. The others followed in close behind. Even distancing himself a bit from the engine made all the difference to Ragnar. The roar was horrible. He wondered if he was going deaf at all from having been so near it. They continued to walk through the hanger, wading their way through piles of junk, tools, and metal, and passing by walls filled with blueprints and designs, and all the way to the back of the hanger. There was another office with glass windows back there, looking a lot like Barret's had. However, this one was on the ground floor, and was filled with dozens of models for various components, aerodynamic shapes, and some full planes. It too was overstuffed with blueprints, to the point of making it a rather unlivable mess. All this Ragnar could see easily through the windows, for none of them had any blinds. From what he heard about this guy, he wasn't the kind of person to let anyone do a job without him watching it. Once he was at the door, he opened it up and stepped inside, letting the others follow. While Ragnar moved in, he looked to the front of the door at a sign that had been nailed to it.

_Rocket Town Aerodynamics. President: Captain Cid Highwind._

Once Cait Sith passed through the door, his moogle immediately shut it. To Ragnar's surprise, the sound immediately died. The windows in the office had to be made with sound-proof glass. He turned and looked around a bit, now that he was in. There was a desk with chairs on either side, but both of them were full of papers and tools. There was a couch against one of the walls that looked slept in. Lastly, there was another open door near the back, which seemed to open up into some sort of living area that was far more well kept.

Cid maneuvered his way through the floor, avoiding his models but stepping on some blueprints, after first looking at them to make sure they were nothing he was ever going to complete. He let out a cough as he moved across the room to his side of the desk. As he did, he reached up to his ears, and a moment later removed a pair of foam pieces.

"You had earplugs the whole time?" Ragnar remarked as he looked at him, a bit incredulous.

"Of course I did. I ain't stupid enough to try walkin' around in there without 'em." Cid answered in his normal surly voice. He turned a corner on his desk, and made for his chair. He indicated ahead to the opposite one as he reached it, and began to lower himself into it. "You can sit there. Just throw thatshit on the floor. You want any tea?"

Ragnar looked around uneasily a moment, seeing that the floor was mostly already covered with material. However, he soon began to slowly pick his way to the chair that Cid indicated. As for Cloud, Red XIII, and Cait Sith, they began to go to the couch behind him. "Um…sure." Ragnar answered as he stepped around a rather large model.

Cid turned his head to the open door. "She-" He began to yell…but then cut himself off in mid-speech. "Oh yeah…" He said in a much more normal voice. "She's out on Hanger Two." He looked a bit puzzled himself for a moment, and turned back to the others. In the end, he gave a shrug. "Oh well…" He answered. He was in his chair now, and reached under it for a mini-fridge he kept hidden there. "How about a beer instead?"

"No thanks." Cloud replied as he eased himself down on the couch.

Ragnar, on his part, was at the chair, and was pulling things off of it. But on hearing this, he gave another shrug. "Alright, I guess so."

Cid looked to him and frowned. "I wasn't talking to you, kid. Try again in five years."

Ragnar clenched his teeth as he pulled the last bit of paper out, and put himself in the chair. "I'm not a kid. I'm twenty."

"Bull#$." Cid retorted with a snort. After saying so, however, he gave out another cough. With a bit of a frown on his face, he tore out his nearly dead cigarette from his mouth and smothered it in a nearby unemptied ashtray as he coughed again. After that, he reached up to his goggles, and got a fresh one out of a wrinkled pack he kept there. After sticking this one in his mouth, he went into the top of his desk for a metal lighter.

"I've been thinking maybe you should cut back, Cid." Cloud suddenly announced.

Cid looked up to him and glared as he ignited the lighter and put it to his mouth. "I've been thinking maybe you should get rid of that damn haircut that makes you look like a &#ing chocobo, but I haven't said anything about it." He spoke from around the edge of his cigarette. Cloud said nothing back, while Cid practically threw his lighter back into the top of his desk, and then slammed it shut.

Ragnar inhaled a bit from where he was seated. This guy was about as intimidating as Barret, though he was only about half of his size. Yet after a moment of silence, he was able to look up and speak to him. "Captain Cid…I know that the Shera means a lot to you, and I know you hate people coming around asking for your flying machines, but I'm really in a bind here and it could really come in helpful…and so…"

Cid sighed in response to this, and held up a hand to silence Ragnar. The youth complied, and Cid took a look drag on his cigarette before he turned his head up, looked him in the eye, and answered back in a much quieter, yet still gruff, tone.

"Look kid…or man…or whatever the hell you like, I ain't exactly a fan of Shinra, and I ain't no coward. But I'm afraid you're just plain out of luck when you came to me. To run a ship like the Shera for any length of time, much less a ton of them, you need a crew, you need money, you need fuel, and you need a hell of a lot of materials. One of the reasons I could get around so well back when I was running around with this ass over here," He gestured to Cloud at this. "Was because those planes ran on mako engines. That kind of energy source doesn't run dry for about six months at a time no matter how hard you work at it. Now all I got is gas derivitives for fuel. I also stole the Highwind back from the Shinra Corporation, and I'll tell you right here and now that if they hadn't given me an assload of funding back when I built it, it'd just have been another model gathering dust in this room.

"Now I've been trying to get this company you see here off the ground for three years. In that time, I and just about every other person in this whole damn town have liquidated just about all our assets trying to get the money we need to attract investors. There ain't a whole lot of people after Shinra who just have lots of money to throw around on stuff like this. Those that we have gotten expect it back with quite a bit of interest. If I ever want to be able to fly anything anywhere again, I'm gonna have to generate some money, and so far all we've been doing is taking it. That's because pretty much every business in the world has hadshit to pay for how much it takes to run a transport or a passenger run until about two months ago, when the economy started looking up. If I start spending more of their money now to cover my bills to run this ship on your errands, then I'm going to be sunk in a hole with no way out. And not only me, but everyone else in this town that gave everything they had to this.

"That said…you give me eight more months. At the end of eight months, I'll have the Horizon finished, I'll have a ship to keep running my business, and you can use the Sierra until you run it into the ground. But you got to give me some more time."

Ragnar looked anxious at all of this, and formed a rather uneasy expression. "We really kind of need it now…"

Cid rolled his eyes and sighed again. He turned back to Ragnar disdainfully afterward. "You got a big pile of money, a few tankers full of gas, and enough scrap to double the size of this town lying around somewhere, kid? 'Cause otherwise I can't help you."

"Well…how much money do you need?" Ragnar asked after a moment, giving a shrug. "Reeve gave me some money…"

"Did he give you about 35 million gil?" Cid lazily asked.

Ragnar's eyes widened. "35 million? If I had that, couldn't you build us our own ship?"

Cid exhaled another blast and took the cigarette from his mouth, looking to Ragnar both tiredly and angrily. "I told you once already, kid! You need parts! You need fuel! If you're taking it into combat, you need warheads and rockets too! And you got to pay your crew because even if they volunteer, their wives and kids sure haven't!"

The young man sighed and bowed his head. He had been looking forward to having that airship on his side too. If nothing else, it would have been great to move people off of the Northern Continent in an emergency. But it looked as if it would have to wait. There wasn't any way out of this. Currently, his growing army couldn't give any benefits to anyone. They didn't even have a real base yet. In the end, he looked up to Cid again with a forlorn expression.

"Alright…couldn't you at least move the troops and materials we have _now_ up north?"

Cid frowned again. He put his cigarette in his mouth and took another drag. He looked miserable about this too. It seemed as if he genuinely wanted to help, but his hands were tied at the moment. He tapped a finger against his desk, and removed his cigarette to flick some ashes into the tray. In the end, he turned back slightly to Ragnar, although he didn't look up to him, and grumbled in response.

"…40,000 gil."

Ragnar formed another outraged face. "Oh, come on…"

"That's the best I can #!$ing do." Cid snapped back, cutting him off. He continued to look to the desk, and puffed again on his cigarette. "That's subtracting my cut, minus the fuel price, and totally uninsuring the ship itself. I'm going to have to fit the bill for the fuel and oil myself if I charge you this. I'm also only charging you for two runs instead of however the $#!# many it's gonna take. The investors already have me by the balls. If I charge a client less than 40,000 for a job and try telling them I can't pay their dividends, they'll have my ass too."

Ragnar's face turned back into a frown. He slumped back into his chair and sat there a moment hopelessly. He reached his hand back up to his forehead and rubbed it. After a moment, he put it down and looked back up to Cid. "All we have is 23,000…"

Cid ruefully shook his head. "Sorry kid. That low of a price…it's gonna have to be all in advance."

The young man frowned and lowered his eyes again. For a moment, he stared silently at the floor, trying to figure a way out of this latest dillemna. The only thing he could really think of was asking Cloud and Tifa to mortgage the Seventh Heaven, which he would never do. But he had nothing himself, other than hawking pieces of his sword, which he would also never do. In the end, he turned away from Cid and looked behind him to the others.

"You guys have any idea where we can find another 17,000?"

The three looked back silently for a moment. Red XIII bowed his head and looked contemplative. Cait Sith gave a hopeless shrug. Cloud himself sat with his arms and legs crossed, and looked to the floor. In the end, he slowly sighed.

"Well…there's one last person we have to go to yet…"

* * *

"Alright! When do we leave? I'll go get my stuff!"

The much larger, darker, and slightly graying man seated next to the exciteable young girl answered by putting out a hand and placing it on her shoulder. She had just been able to get up at this point, but she found herself stopped here, and wheeled around to him. His face had not changed, and he looked grimly and sternly back at Ragnar from where he was seated. The young man didn't feel that boded well.

Wutai had been doing better since the end of Shinra. Now that their treaty was essentially invalid, the country was able to start manufacturing again and going from being a mere tourist trap to a power. Wutai still had much of its ethnicity present, including its trademark shrines, pagodas, streams and flowers, and its way of life. However, it was in the midst of modernizing now. Factories were going up all over the country, and more modern equipment and electronics were being produced. Wutai had been attacked by Shinra in order to essentially remove their greatest foreign labor competitors. With Shinra gone, the city was now the home of some of the fastest growing companies and richest investors. After all, while Midgar and all the businesses it held had been wrecked, and Junon and its businesses had been damaged, Wutai was all but untouched by the incidents with Meteor, and had quickly rushed in to fill the vacuum in world industries.

Getting to Wutai had not been easy. There was a ferry that took them across from Rocket Town to the shoreline of the continent it was located on, but after that they were forced to march across overland up one rocky mountain and narrow crag after another, spanning rickety bridges, rounding treacherous cliffs, and essentially going through many areas that ranged from foolhardy to travel to downright near suicide. Ragnar had wondered how Wutai was able to ship anything like this. Cloud explained that they had a canal located closer to the actual main city that Shinra had ordered shut down after their war, but had been reopened recently. However, it was in such disrepair that it was only a commercial route for now, though they were working on widening it. Fenrir didn't help that much here except on level ground, and the group was forced to camp along the way. That made Ragnar more nervous. He had only two days left…and by now the only way he could hope to get back would be on the Sierra.

The upper class of Wutai now had some more notoriety, now that their town had some power and prestige again. It had taken a bit of work before they were allowed to be seen by the current head of the town, Godo. Luckily, Cloud had quite a bit of clout with him and the rest of the leaders of the town, who called themselves the Five Mighty Gods. However, the person who he had the biggest connection with was Godo's daughter, a spunky-looking, black-haired, exciteable young woman named Yuffie. Unfortunately, this person was the only member of the old group Cloud hated more than Cait Sith. She was a liar and a thief. She had mostly stuck around with the group just to steal their materia, which she never apologized for. However, she had at least been nice enough to let Cloud have the materia after their last run together. That was…until she found out Cloud unceremoniously kept it in a chest lying around with the rest of his things free to public access…which was exactly where Kadaj's boys found it. After that, she used her thieving skills to also unceremoniously take it back. She maintained it would be safer with her. In truth, Cloud couldn't really blame her. It was his negligence that led to the summoning of a bizarre, Geostigma-twisted version of Bahamut named Sin.

The group was now seated on traditional Wutai floormats inside Godo's house. In front of them, on a slightly raised level, the man himself seated, with Yuffie at his right. The place was pretty nice inside. It had an indoor stream, lots of wall hangings, paper walls…a kind of culture that Ragnar had never experienced before. Ragnar had been most enthusiastic about getting Wutai's help. This country had lost the most under Shinra. If they came into power, they'd be forced right back into the dirt where they had been three years ago. There was strong anti-Shinra sentiment here too among the populace. Yuffie herself was rather high on that list. Many felt as if Shinra had insulted their honor and made them like dogs, and they weren't too forgiving about that in Wutai tradition.

For all these reasons…Ragnar was rather surprised when he saw Godo calmly shake his head. "No."

Yuffie snapped her head around to her father in shock. Ragnar was rather surprised as well at that, and formed a puzzled expression.

"No?" They both said at once, only Ragnar being much calmer, and Yuffie sounding far more outraged.

"Dad, what are you doing!" Yuffie continued. "They're getting into a war with Shinra! This is Wutai's chance to kick their butts and reclaim our honor! We should make them pay for what they did to us!"

Godo darkly turned his head to Yuffie at that. "You, my child, never participated in the war between Shinra and Wutai. You never had to see or experience the death that resulted, the breakup of families, or watch our town turned into ashes. You never had to be orphaned and starved in the streets during a siege, or be afraid to step outside and be marked by a Shinra sniper. There is more to war than just honor seeking and revenge."

Yuffie continued to fume. Then, she snapped back to Ragnar. "Fine! I'm the new leader of Wutai anyway, since I beat you in a fight, so I say we're helping them!"

"And _I_ say…" Godo responded to her, growing a bit cross in expression as he stared at her. "That you abdicated that position right after you beat me so that you could run off with Cloud and his friends, and since then you have not resubmitted to the trials to reclaim it. Hence, I am still leader."

Yuffie wheeled around in astonishment. "What! I have to do it _again_?"

Ragnar grimaced a bit at the father-daughter spat, but then spoke up in a more calm and controlled voice. "Sir…I know that there is a lot of danger inherent in war, and you want what's best for your people. But if we can stop the New Shinra from passing through that bottleneck, there won't be any danger to your country. If they do break through, however, everyone could be affected. You know what Shinra will do to you if they come back into power."

Godo turned away from Yuffie and stared back at the youth. He looked a bit tired, and slowly inhaled and exhaled. He bowed his head for a moment, and then looked back up to him.

"No, young man…I'm afraid it is _you_ who does not know that there is a lot of danger inherent in war." He slowly answered, not critically but plainitively. "I was once very much like you when I first became leader. The Shinra tried to buy our land out and claim ownership over our raw materials and companies. I tried to strike back against this. I thought that we were prime to succeed in a war. We had discipline and honor…and all the Shinra had was a soulless company. I thought for certain that we would be favored in the conflict, that surely our spirits would triumph over a few greedy bureaucrats with hired guns as their power.

"I was wrong. I learned that for all our tradition, emotion, and passion…things that we thought were unbreakable by any mortal thing…each could be countered by some device the Shinra could invent. The way of ruling through pride and honor collapsed in the face of industry and innovation. Today, I know that the strength of our spirits mean little to the blades of SOLDIER, or to the bullets of rifles. I myself had defeated over 200 swordsmen in that war. I was one of the few people who got to cross blades with Sephiroth and live. He defeated me in two seconds, and the only reason I am still here was because he wanted me to command the others to surrender. Notions of nobility…just cause…personal strength…I know now that those can only take you so far, and only defend your people for so long.

"Were I speaking only for myself, I might acquiesce. But I do not. I speak for thousands of children who have been born since our war who I would not see suffer a conflict or degredation like that again. Wutai has nothing to offer you anyway. We disbanded our army after our war with Shinra. We have no weapons or armed forces. A gun has never even been made in our land. Even if we were to join you, we could not offer you anything of significance."

Ragnar formed his second look of disappointment. Another expected success collapsed in his face once again. His hopes had once again been dashed. Yuffie looked to her father, down to Ragnar, and back again. Her face was still anxious and tight, and she had not been broken back by much of that dialogue. Almost pleading, she focused on Godo and wrung her hands into fists.

"Father…"

"I'm sorry, young man." The leader replied with a simple head shake. "Good day."

* * *

About thirty minutes later, the four were hiking down the same path they had worked so hard to get up that morning. Wutai had already shrunk into a line of houses and factories at the bottom of a valley behind them. Overhead, the four faces of Da-Chao looked down on them and on the travelers far away. Ragnar didn't look very happy, which was only typical. He had lost his chance of having a ship as well as having the help of a well-funded ally. What good would his volunteers do if they had no way to get them up north? It left him feeling rather downcast, and his head hung low as they slowly walked back. Cait Sith frowned and kept his own hands folded uneasily behind him as his moogle went along. Red XIII had a tired expression. Cloud was the same as always, walking with his arms crossed as they moved on.

"Two strikes…" Ragnar glumly sounded aloud.

"You did your best, kid." Cloud answered back. "Give it a few months. If your army can get enough prestige and renown, and more people know about the New Shinra, you might get people to join more readily."

"If we can survive that long…" The youth moped in response.

"We'll do our best to make sure you do." Red XIII answered. "After all, we're 'on this boat' as well now, so to speak. And we've been through worse."

"Besides, you got one more ally out of it." Cloud announced.

Ragnar turned his head back to that in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

In response, Cloud shot out a hand to his left, and grasped that air. However, right after doing so, it appeared like something was wriggling in his grasp. Not only that, but he began to hear a large amount of complaining and struggling from what sounded like a young woman. Ragnar and the others turned fully to stare at this. After a moment, Ragnar began to notice something. The air looked somewhat distorted around Cloud's hand. A second later, the ex-mercenary reached out and grabbed this distortion, and proceeded to yank it away. It came with him, and Ragnar soon realized it wasn't a distortion at all. It was some sort of fabric made into a cloak that bent light around it, making virtual invisibility. Not only that, but he revealed a small wriggling person underneath, trying to get free of the grasp that now had her by the collar.

"Yuffie?" Ragnar announced out loud.

"Let me go!" The small ninja whined.

"If you're looking for any more materia, you're out of luck." Cloud informed her. "You might as well go home."

At this, Cloud released the young woman. It was so abrupt that she nearly spilled back and landed on her rear, but she managed to stabilize herself soon after, and looked up to pout at the ex-mercenary. "Like hell I'm going back there!" She snapped back. "Dad may want to blow this chance to get Shinra back, but I don't! I don't care about the materia this time! I just want to get Shinra back!"

Red XIII raised an eyebrow. "You _honestly_ don't care about the materia?"

The young woman hesitated at this, and then frowned and shrugged. "Ok…maybe I care a _little_ about the materia, but I want to kick Shinra's butt too!"

Ragnar stepped over to Cloud during this exchange, and took the fabric from his other hand. He stretched it out and looked it over for a moment. "No military forces…yet they've been building these things…" He murmured allowed. He turned back to Yuffie after saying this. "Does Wutai have any more of these?"

Yuffie, in response, snatched it back out of Ragnar's hands. "First of all, that one's mine, and secondly it's just a prototype. It cost 8 million gil just to make that one."

"It appears that Yuffie isn't the only member of her family that knows how to keep secrets…" Red XIII observed.

Cait Sith grinned. "Want me to spy on them?"

"Forget about the cloak for the moment." Ragnar answered, and turned back to the girl. She was protectively folding her cloak up to put away. "Do you still have the materia you got from Cloud?"

The ninja looked up at this, and wheeled back to the young man. "Hey, that stuff's mine too, kid! Cloud let me keep it, fair and square!"

Ragnar bristled for a moment at that. "Even the nineteen-year-old is calling me a kid…"

"Well, I think we'll be needing it." The ex-mercenary answered. "You're going to have to get it."

Yuffie frowned in response, and crossed her arms in a pouting manner. "Aw man…it took me months to get all of that…"

"It took _all_ of us months to get that, including the time we spent getting it back from _you_ after you stole it." Cloud retorted. "Besides, you'll have more soon. Even the amount of materia we have isn't going to be nearly enough for an army to use against Shinra. We'll have to start using it as soon as we get back to the City of the Ancients so it will replicate. After that, you can keep the originals."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Yuffie answered, pointing a challenging finger in Cloud's face. "Man, I wish I had a tape recorder just now…"

Ragnar exhaled. So it wasn't a total loss after all. They had one person from Wutai at least, and quite a bit of materia. Still, the youth wondered whether or not they should actually keep it. Materia was worth its weight in gold on the world market. Selling a few good orbs would make quite a bit of money, like what they would need in order to pay Cid's fee. However, on thinking of this…Ragnar remembered that Yuffie was supposed to be quite the thief. Perhaps she had stolen a bit more than materia over the years…

In the end, the young man turned back to the thief.

"Say Yuffie…do you happen to have a bank account?"

The young woman slowly turned over to Ragnar as he asked this, looking a bit uneasy.

"…Why do you ask?"

* * *

_To be continued..._


	50. Planet Protectors Assemble!

"I expect to be paid back in full! With interest! With the first installment due next…ugh!"

Yuffie was cut off as she dipped her head over the side of the Sierra, vomiting shortly thereafter. Ragnar relaxed a bit after wincing. It wasn't from being on deck of the great airship, even though the engines were roaring out loud. It was from Yuffie's rather sonic whining. However, she was silent again now, and so he was able to look out again. It was an amazing sight. He thought he'd be scared to be so high, but apparently all of his time hanging around on heights when he was a kid had helped. Now, he marveled as he saw the land and the oceans rushing below. It was magnificent, unlike anything the youth had ever seen before. Added to the fact that they were finally going back to the Northern Continent, and Ragnar was in a good mood again.

Yuffie did not only have a bank account, but a sizable one. They were easily able to clear the checks and put them in her bank, and then have her write out the money for Cid. That part had been rather difficult. They practically had to hold her hand and force it to move out her signature on it. She hadn't stopped complaining about it since. However, they now had command of the Sierra for a brief time. Cid flew them back to pick up Barret, who had his hundred new recruits, and then back to Midgar to get whoever they could. There was quite a bit of equipment and supplies waiting there for them, as well as the new recruits. It turns out that after broadcasting Ragnar's message, some forty other people of college student age had signed on. A fund had officially been established in Ragnar's name, although it still lacked an army name for the organization. Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel were all there too, packed and ready to go. After picking them up, it was off to the north for the first load. Cid would swing by and pick up more after they were dropped off.

Many of Cloud's old group members were gathered now. The only one missing was a dark assassin named Vincent Valentine, who Cloud explained wasn't a very easy guy to reach. He had bought a phone since last year, but he frequently went into areas of dead space. Nevertheless, if he wanted to come, he would eventually.

The group was on deck with Ragnar. The kids wanted to come up too, but Cloud, Tifa, and Barret didn't want them to risk falling off. That left everyone else. Even Cid was there, for his pilots were running the airship for right now. Ragnar shortly stopped looking over the edge, and turned back to see them. Seeing them like this…they actually did start to look a little like the band he had encountered in Icicle Inn three years ago.

"Once again into the breach, lads?" Red XIII called out to the others.

"Seems we only ever get together when we're out to save the world…" Cid answered back from around his cigarette.

"It's a shame Vincent couldn't have made it." Cait Sith remarked. "Then it really would have felt like old times. And hey! With Ragnar here, it's almost like we have nine members ag-"

Cait Sith cut himself off. Cloud had looked up sharply at that, and gave the cat a glare. Immediately, it swallowed and backed down again. Ragnar swallowed a bit himself. Although he sort of felt like he was a new member of this little group, he had to remind himself he wasn't. And even if he was, he couldn't compare with the one they lost…

"Once we arrive and get settled in," Red XIII spoke up, changing the subject. "The first thing we will need to do is break the companies down into ranks, and then appoint officers over each division."

Barret frowned at that and crossed his arms. "Hell, we don't need any of that shit. We never had ta' do that back when we were runnin' around by ourselves."

"Yes, well, this isn't exactly like last time." The beast calmly replied. "We're essentially forming an army. We're going to have a lot more people under our command eventually than the roughly 360 we have right now. That's a lot of people to organize. They have to be trained. They have to move as units. They have to be sheltered and fed. Their families have to be housed. People need to know where they're going in times of attack. They need to know what to do to in order to retreat. They need people they can go to for information and orders…"

Tifa turned tothe young manwith a smile. "You've got a big job ahead of you, Ragnar."

The youth's eyes expanded a bit, and he turned to Tifa and pointed to himself. "Wha…me?"

"You're the leader, aren't you?" Cloud answered. "It's your responsibility. We volunteered to work under you, not the other way around. Besides, you know more about what we're getting into than everyone else, and you know the terrain much better too. You're the one who's been doing most of the recruiting."

Ragnar paled a bit. This was definitely a lot more work than he had originally bargained for. He didn't realize it was going to take so much bureaucracy and fine details. And he definitely hadn't planned on splitting themselves up into a real military unit, with officers and everything. Yet now that he thought about it, he realized the others were right. They did have to be organized and orderly, or they'd never get anything done. These people were volunteers and refugees now, but they had to be made into soldiers, just like Ragnar had gone from being an ex-prisoner to a warrior. It was a bit of a dizzying thought.

"_And_ you still need to think of a name for your army." Cait Sith reminded.

The youth groaned, and put a hand to his head. "Don't remind me…"

"He's got a point, Ragnar." Cid responded. "Ain't nobody gonna think you're much of anything on these pledges and drives if you don't even have a name for your organization. You need something for the world to identify you with."

"Alright, alright…" Ragnar griped. "I'll have one by tonight."

"Sounds good." Red XIII answered. "We can announce it right before we have our first meeting."

The youth raised an eyebrow at that, looking back up. "…Meeting?"

"Well, we just can't call everyone together, sit on the ground, and then make decisions." The beast answered. "We'll be having lots of meetings. We're going to need cohesion until we get everything working. We'll need to discuss spy reports. We'll have to bring supply issues to the front. We'll need a way to resolve problems. Then there are councils of war, award placements, not to mention all of the meetings we'll have to get this started…"

The youth tried not to groan as Red XIII continued rolling off one new responsibility after another.

* * *

Mack looked nervously ahead from the exit of the city, peering into the Sleeping Forest. Ragnar still had time…but it was running out. They would finish the last of the food that day. Just as the man had feared, the people didn't take easily to Ragnar's leaving. Some had calmed down a bit after Mack explained the obvious reasoning, but it was a well known fact that people in groups were dumb, panicky, and irrational. The rumors had already started that Ragnar had deserted them and escaped with his life, ignoring the fact that he could have done that months ago and had much better success with it if he hadn't come back and liberated them too. Mack looked back up to the sky, and saw that it was passing noon. He slowly exhaled, and then looked back down and ahead.

"He'll be back."

Mack looked slightly over to his left. Seated next to him at the front of the town was Zola. The man was a godsend. He always kept his cool, reassured the people constantly, and he was a sure fighter. He took the late watches frequently without looking tired, and he always had a cheery disposition. The one thing about him that was a little unsettling is that he had somehow found a new weapon. It was a rather odd large sword. It looked almost like it was made of serpant scales to Mack. However, the blade was not a single long flat blade, but was rather three thin blades looking like scales extending up from the bottom. It looked almost as if someone had mismade a trident, making the part with the prongs the long portion and the handle the small one. There were barbed spikes on top although the blades themselves were sharp, and he had a rather deadly looking point under the handle. The most surprising thing is that Mack knew it was heavy. It had to weigh at least seventy pounds. And yet Zola wielded it easily, and always carried it on his back without showing the slightest strain.

"He won't abandon us. He didn't then, he won't now." Zola reassured the man.

Mack let out a small snicker. "You seem to have a lot of faith in him. Do you know him?"

Zola hesitated for a moment at that. While still staring out, he slowly answered. "I don't know him…but I've been around. I know that look. I know that passion that I saw burning in his eyes…that spirit. I've seen it before. I've seen it many times throughout my life. For years, I didn't understand it. I didn't think it meant anything. But one day…I realized it was a true mark of greatness, of a spirit that can't be broken. And it leads a person to do incredible and impossible things. I told myself that day…if I ever find another person with that look, I'll be there's. I can think of no better person I would like to serve."

Mack raised his head a bit to this. Zola seemed to have gotten strangely serious all of the sudden. However, he ignored it, and turned back to the forest. He wished it wasn't so quiet here. On one hand, it was great to hear someone coming. But on the other, it could be rather nerve wracking and unnatural. You couldn't hear any birds or rustling or…

Zola cut off Mack's train of thought as he suddenly stood up. His head looked out deep into the Sleeping Forest. Mack looked up to him at that, and began to tense up. "What's wrong?"

"Something's coming from that way…" Zola answered.

Mack turned back to the forest. He couldn't hear a thing. It was silent as always. He turned back to Zola with a frown and shook his head. "You're imagining things."

"No I'm not. Keep listening."

Mack paused, but then turned back to the forest. For a few minutes, he didn't hear anything. Zola continued to stand and listen, but Mack couldn't hear a sound. He began to think that the man was either pulling his leg, or had a ringing in his ears. But after five minutes of silence…he did begin to hear something faintly. He couldn't hear it that well at first, and he thought he was imagining it…but it drew closer. It was a distinct humming, echoing through the wood to the City of the Ancients. Mack kept listening, standing as well and turning his head to the woods. Then, he recognized it. It was a humming. It sounded like an engine.

"Hey…something is coming."

Both Zola and Mack turned back to the forest and waited. The sound drew nearer and nearer, growing louder as it did so. There was a small path leading through the Sleeping Forest under the thick canopy, but they saw nothing.Both stood and waited, wondering what it could be, and hoping that it was someone they were expecting. They kepton for a few more minutes, but then, at last, it turned the corner of the path up ahead, and on it came toward them. Zola and Mack gaped in surprise.

"It's him!" Mack announced.

"And he found some friends!" Zola added with a growing smile.

It was indeed Ragnar. He was in the lead now, marching ahead with a bit of a smile on his face. But he was by no means alone. At his side was a blond, spiky-haired manputtering along slowly on a large motorcycle. A little boy was seated behind him. There was a truck behind him, being driven by a monstrous black man, and had a brown-haired woman in the passenger seat with a young girl in the middle. The truck was loaded to the brim with crates and boxes, almost overflowing. Various other figures surrounded it, including what looked like a red lion/wolf, a young woman with a rather large shuriken on one shoulder, and what appeared to be a stuffed cat riding a giant stuffed moogle. Besides that, there was a massive crowd of people following behind. Most of them had backpacks. A few of them had rifles too. On they came, filling the forest with the sounds of their marching, and making their way to the front of the city.

Mack and Zola grinned with delight. Ragnar had come through for them again. Both of them stepped off to one side as they neared, clearing the way for them to go into the city. Zola proudly gestured ahead, like some sort of traffic controller or barker leading the crowd in. As for Mack, he had to step forward as they came up. He wanted to talk to the man personally. Ragnar broke off from the others and walked up to him. The blond-haired man on the motorcycle likewise turned and rolled up with him, coming to a halt nearby. The kid seated behind him was stunned by everything. He looked around continuously at the city and the forest, and back to the people who now moved past Ragnar and into the city.

"Well?" Ragnar asked as he pulled aside. "How's this for a start?"

Mack grinned in response, and shook his head. "You are something else, man. You came back just in time to make some of those guys eat their words for lunch. I thought that if anyone was crazy enough to help you, it'd only be about a dozen people at most."

"Apparently, the kid doesn't know the power of his own voice."

Mack turned aside at that, and looked down with some puzzlement to who had spoken. It was the blond-haired man on the motorcycle. He stared back at him with a strange cold look. However, the kid on his back soon pulled himself up on his shoulders, and looked to Mack.

"Hi. You guys going to go to war soon?"

Mack continued to look a bit puzzled, and then gestured to them. "Who are they?"

"New recruits." Ragnar answered simply. "Listen guys…you two probably already know where everything is and where everyone has gone too. Go on ahead and help the rest of these guys get situated. We got a lot of work to do."

Zola overheard this, and gave a nod. "Sure thing, general." He answered back. After giving a salute, he immediately turned and followed the crowd. Mack gave a nod as well, smiling again, before turning and going after the others.

* * *

That left Ragnar behind on the side of the entering crowd, and looking a bit embarrassed. He nervously turned his head back to Cloud and Denzel. The boy was looking at him curiously, while Cloud had one of his eyebrows crooked.

"General?"

"You didn't tell us you were a general." Denzel added. But after that, he quickly looked around the area again. "Is Bahamut here? I wanna see him."

Ragnar grimaced and shrugged. "He started calling me that. I didn't give myself that title."

Cloud shrugged. "Whatever. Say, there's been something I've been meaning to do for a while since I met you. And now we have a bit of time, since everyone else is settling down. I was wondering if after I get Denzel situated, you might want to step out to a more private, open area for something."

The young man looked a bit confused at this, and gave an innocent shrug. "What's that?"

"Sparring."

* * *

Despite having regularly sparred with a legendary creature of inconceivable strength, the idea of fighting Cloud made Ragnar nervous. He was still feeling a few butterflies in his stomach when Cloud finally got Fenrir and Denzel situated, and the two had gone out to the east edge of the city, between the forest and the city itself. There was a pretty open area around here, with not many people to get in the way. An occasional one came by on some errand, but for the most part it was just Cloud and Ragnar all to themselves. Both of them had reclaimed their swords at this point, and had them out here.

The two men stood apart from each other. Cloud rotated his arms a little. Ragnar cracked his neck slightly. They paced around a bit as they did so. Ragnar continued to feel a bit nervous, but this helped loosen his tension a bit. Cloud sure didn't show his fear, assuming he felt any.

After a bit longer, Cloud raised his sword up into his ready position. "Alright. Don't expect me to go easy on you. I'd like to see how good you are."

"No problem." Ragnar added, although he only felt that way partially. "I'd like to see how good I am too."

Both stopped pacing, and faced each other. Cloud moved his feet out while Ragnar moved into his own ready position. It was similar to Cloud's, given their similar nature of weaponry. After that, both stared at each other. Ragnar tried to look as emotionless as possible. Cloud, on his part, glared coldly ahead, betraying no emotion or weaknesses. The two were silent for a brief time, as they sized each other up and began to look for openings.

In the end, Cloud struck first. Ragnar was shocked at his speed. He moved like a bolt of lightning straight at him, raising his sword to jab him. The youth was caught so off guard that he nearly lost the fight there. But at the last moment, he recovered enough to swing his sword down to deflect Cloud's. A clashing sound rang out as Cloud's sword was pushed to the ground. Not changing at all, Cloud pulled his weapon back out of it, raised it back over his head, and advanced with slashing maneuvers. Ragnar's eyes widened a bit again, but he stayed with it. He raised his weapon and blocked three consecutive strikes as Cloud advanced. Each of his blows were rather strong…and his sword was heavy and thick too. It took a bit of effort to deflect him. In the end, Cloud brought his sword back and put more weight behind it, and brought it down on Ragnar again. The youth managed to intercept it. It was powerful, however, and he soon began to buckle. But before he could break, he twisted his blade down, and both went to the ground again. Both pressed themselves close, holding the clash as they did so. Their bodies moved in and nearly touched.

"Impressive." Cloud simply stated. "You're at least at the level of one of the 3rd Class SOLDIERs. I didn't think that was possible for someone like you."

Ragnar, feeling his head grow a bit, grinned slightly. "What? You think I needed Jenova cells to counter that?"

"No. But you might need them for this."

With a mighty shove, Cloud abruptly threw Ragnar backward, breaking the clash. The youth was shocked at his sudden power, and stumbled back a bit. He barely managed to gain his footing before Cloud stepped forward and swung his blade up. Ragnar instinctively blocked it, which was a bad move. The power of Cloud's blow knocked his blade up and out of the way. He was wide open. The young man paled a moment, but then quickly leapt back as Cloud advanced to slash him across the chest. The youth's recovery and nimble reflex surprised the man a bit. However, Ragnar had more up his sleeve. By the time Cloud advanced to attack again, his sword was back, and he blocked two more slashes. On the second, he locked swords for a moment, and used Cloud's blade to push him back and around him, circling his opponent to a more exposed side. Cloud raised an eyebrow to this, but then turned and quickly followed. Ragnar blocked two more slashes from him, before Cloud dove in and tried to jab him with his sword again. To this, Ragnar raised his blade straight up and crossed it before him. He slightly sidestepped, and pushed it aside with his blade. Ragnar was left standing straight and tall, holding his blade straight up, and Cloud was left slightly hunched holding his sword against him.

"You must have been doing something for the past few months." Cloud continued. "You're actually keeping up with me. Maybe you wouldn't have just been dead weight if you traveled with us last time."

Ragnar smiled in response, and shrugged. "Well, I try."

"That sword must not just be glamour and one trick either. It's held up to my blade pretty well."

"Say, what is that sword anyway?"

Ragnar didn't wait for an answer after saying this. Abruptly, he sprung back again, leaving Cloud blocking air. The ex-mercenary was surprised again, and truly this time. The youth smiled and sprung back a moment later, bringing his sword around on Cloud's exposed side. The man was just able to bring his blade back around and deflect Ragnar's sword downward a moment later. However, the youth used this blow to bring his sword up, spin around, and then aim another swipe at Cloud's head. The ex-mercenary actually cracked his mouth open on this one, before bringing it up and stopping it. Ragnar followed with an overhead chop, and after that was intercepted swung his blade back down and around at the side. As he did, he continued to advance, forcing Cloud to step back. At last, Ragnar swung his own sword down with impressive force. Cloud intercepted this, but the power was too great even for him. The scrawny youth was stronger than he looked. His sword was forced down, and Ragnar put enough power behind his blow to hold it there in a clash.

Cloud hesitated a moment, but then cracked a slight smile. "…I call it the Event Horizon. I had it special made about a year ago by a weapon's company that used to manufacture for Shinra's SOLDIERs. It cost me about everything I managed to earn while fighting Shinra, but it was worth it. Mythril steel folded 2,000 times, edge sharpened to an atom, and two separate blades, Event and Horizon."

Ragnar raised an eyebrow at this. "Where's the other blade?"

In a flash, Cloud removed one hand from the hilt and grasped an indentation on the top of the sword. In another instant, a smaller blade ripped from the much larger one, and sailed right for Ragnar. The youth's eyes enlarged, but it was too late. An instant later, the smaller blade halted, just resting its edge on Ragnar's jugular vein, angled to decapitate him.

"It's going through your neck."

Cloud calmly stepped back after that. Ragnar was released, and nearly fell forward. He was still a bit white from what had just happened. However, the spar was over. Cloud raised the Horizon and inserted it back into the larger Event. It locked into place immediately, and he turned the whole assembly over and inserted it into a special sheath on his back. Ragnar himself blinked and steadied his body a moment, but then inhaled and leaned back as well. He wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow. Cloud had never begun to sweat that entire time.

"Seriously though, you're not bad at all. In fact, you're pretty damn good." Cloud continued after a moment of silence. "Not just in terms of skill. You must have been working out with your body and reflexes. Most of the time, they don't even see me coming. I've never seen a person move as fast as you do without having a mako infusion or Jenova cells. If the original Shinra was still around and you weren't on their wanted list, I'm sure Tseng himself would be knocking down your door recruiting you for SOLDIER."

Ragnar steadied himself a moment longer, but then exhaled. After that, he returned his sword to his sheath behind him, and gave a shrug. "Well…skill and power aren't everything. You should know that better than anyone. You were just a regular old human like most of us when you beat Sephiroth the first time."

"Maybe. But I wouldn't have lived to brag about it if I hadn't been turned into a lab rat right after that." Cloud responded. "And I didn't say you were perfect. You still lack experience, and some confidence. When I was fighting you, you were intimidated by me. You let me get under your skin. It wasn't until later in the fight you started getting a bit cocky. You know…I saw you back there when you were talking to those people in Midgar. You were like a different person, totally in control of the situation. I don't even think I could have stood up to you then. Why can't you be like that while you fight?"

Ragnar hesitated, but after a pause sighed and gave a shrug. "I don't know… That wasn't the first time that happened either. It's just…" He frowned to himself, and thought for a moment. "Somehow…I was just in the element there. I just felt like I had to say this, and that I had to make them feel the way I did. I wasn't going to let them give in to their fears or prejudices about me. I was going to make them listen. I was going to make them see the way I saw. And after that…I just felt confident. It just happened."

Cloud stared at Ragnar for a moment after that. The youth, still a bit confused, exhaled and turned back to the ex-mercenary. For a moment, the two just stood across from each other, looking to one another. In the end, however, Cloud cracked a smile again.

"This has been the wildest week I've had in a while, kid. Something tells me I'm going to have a hell of a time learning more about you."

* * *

The City of the Ancients was far more organized by that evening.

Everyone was settled in now. There weren't exactly places for everyone, but there were enough tents to house those who couldn't fit. There were a few large tents around too, to add a meeting area and a mess tent. That would have to do for now. Eventually, there had to be more in the way of barracks, but they were still just starting. Their already meager weapon collection was added to considerably, although many of the weapons were home rifles and handguns. There were only a few new assault weapons. They had more food now, and they began to have some medical supplies as well. Most importantly, the new recruits and technology around helped give people a better sense of community, safety, and well being. More transports arrived at two different times that day, bringing in more people, supplies, and a few portable generators. Soon, the city would have lights that weren't just from fires.

As the sun began to set, the first meeting began to convene. Ragnar wasn't sure exactly who to bring to the first one. He ended up deciding on Cloud, his friends, Zola and Mack. These people had shown the most initiative so far, and had the most battle experience. They all gathered into the meeting tent that had been set up. They only had a few kerosene lanterns for illumination, hanging from the ceiling of the old tent, and just a few folding chairs (two of them lawn chairs) as furniture. The room was set up audience style, with all the chairs on one side, and the speaker on the other. An old cooler had been drug in to act as a podium/pedestal/display table/misc.

The members of Cloud's old group had all gathered inside, along with Zola and Mack. The former was trying to introduce himself to everyone cheerfully. The latter was more wary, not quite trusting these people yet. In addition, despite how uncomfortable it made Ragnar…Denzel and Marlene had come along. There wasn't yet a "day care" or "caregiver" set up in the army, and so kids were staying with their parents. Here was no exception. Cloud and Tifa were seated next to each other in the front row, with Marlene and Denzel playing with some of Denzel's action figures at their feet. Barret was nearby, trying to stick close to Marlene. Yuffie was against the canvas wall, looking eager and earnest. Zola and Mack were next going down, with chair spaces between them. Cait Sith took the end, dismounting his moogle to sit on a chair. Last but not least, Red XIII sat on the ground at the end of the first row.

Ragnar was in the front, smiling a bit as he stood there. He had a piece of posterboard in his hands that had been folded in half. But now that everyone was gathered, he was ready to unveil it. Once the meeting had come to order and everyone was silent, he dropped one half of the posterboard, and proudly held up what was inside for all to see. It had been hastily scrawled in a black marker, but the writing was easy to read.

_PPA: Planet Protector Army._

The people stared back with dumbfounded expressions.

"Oh my…" Tifa announced uneasily.

"That's the corniest thing I've ever heard!" Yuffie blurted out, far less civil.

"Is that the best your Scrawny-Ass could think up?" Barret grumbled.

Ragnar's smile faded into a rather sour look. "Hey, I didn't hear anyone else offering any names. You all threw this responsibility on top of me, and you kept nagging me all week to think of something. Essentially we're in this war to keep the people of the world free and safe, and to stop Shinra from resuming the use of mako reactors and environmental destruction. We're essentially trying to save the world, so that makes us protectors of the Planet. Hence…we're the Planet Protector Army. And we're sticking with it."

Some grumbled and leaned back into their seats a bit. Zola himself pulled at his collar in a bit of an uneasy fashion. Cait Sith was struggling to stifle another fit of laughter. The others just decided to deal with it. Using the acronym PPA would be easier, anyway. Yuffie muttered aloud something that sounded like, "why don't we call ourselves the Forest Guardians or Nature Children". After this had calmed down, however, Ragnar unceremoniously dropped his sign on the ground, now that it was so ill received, and looked to the others.

"Alright…now, like you said earlier, we're going to appoint officers next. Since you all said I'm the leader…I guess that makes me the general." The youth hesitated after this, somewhat annoyed at how this all sounded like a bunch of kids getting ready to play war, and assigning parts to everyone. He forced himself through it, however, and looked to the crowd next.

"Since he has the most experience in battle, and because he led the people at Fort Condor, and because he knows about how a military system works…I'd like to appoint Cloud Strife as colonel and my second in command."

The others looked to Cloud at this. The blond-haired ex-mercenary looked around a bit at this. He seemed somewhat uncomfortable at this. He was a loner, after all. He didn't like having to look out for other people. He turned back to Ragnar at this with a somewhat dour look.

"Look, kid…thanks for the offer and everything. But I'm really more suited to grunt work."

"Oh, come off it, Cloud!" Cait Sith called back. "You led us, didn't you?"

Ragnar himself crossed his arms and stared back at him, smiling a bit slyly. "And technically, it wasn't an offer. I _am_ general and commander-in-chief, remember? And you _did_ volunteer to serve under me." The youth added with a cocky air.

Cloud frowned a bit in response, and let out a loud exhale as he bowed his head. He didn't get much reprieve, however. Denzel and Marlene both grinned as they looked up to him, hearing the "good news". Tifa also smiled slightly and put a hand on his shoulder. In truth, she sort of liked this too. It would force Cloud to actually interact with them on a constant basis, rather than just run off and be by himself all the time. Besides…she believed in him and his ability.

Ragnar turned to Red XIII next. "Alright…and since Nanaki has the greatest knowledge of tactics, and the highest intellect out of any of us, I'd like to appoint him major and my head military tactitian."

The beast raised his one good eyebrow, but then gave a shrug. "As you wish, though this might put a damper on my being in the front lines. I certainly have my work cut out for me until we get the army in better shape."

The youth gave a nod, but then looked over to crowd again and rested his eyes on another person. "Next, I want to appoint Tifa Lockhart to the spot of commander, and make her the head company officer. She knows the most about personal training and hand-to-hand combat, so I'd like her to take responsibility for organizing exercises and drills for the rest of the troops."

Tifa's eyes widened a bit, before she began to blush slightly. She nervously looked down to the ground. "Er…" She spoke out loud in a half-mutter. "I've…never really…worked as a sensei before… But Zangan did tell me I was his best student…and I think I remember enough of the katas and stretches… I guess I could give it a shot." She ended with a shrug.

Ragnar looked over the crowd again, and moved to the next person. "I'd like to also appoint Barret Wallace to the position of commander and make him head of gunnery. He seems to have the most experience with using a variety of firearms around here, so I'd like him to teach us all how to shoot."

The large man grimaced a bit and crossed his arms, but then sighed and gave a nod. "Alright, alright… But they better do what I tell 'em when I tell 'em. I ain't gonna run around with a corps full of stubborn asses like Spiky over here." He gestured to Cloud soon afterward.

Yuffie, after seeing this, brightened up and looked excitedly to Ragnar for whatever he would say next, in particular her position. However, Ragnar not only looked to her, but also to Zola and Mack as he turned his head across. "Alright…you other three, Yuffie, Zola, and Mack, I'm appointing as lieutenants. We have about 360 troops right now, so each one of you will be in charge of a company of 120. You can appoint as many sergants as you need to keep things in line. As we add more, we'll add more lieutenants."

Mack gave a nod in answer to this, tightening his own hands into fists and showing his determination. Zola gave a salute in response, as if to say, "You can count on me, mon capitan." Yuffie, however, was rather stunned.

"WHAT! You're lumping me in with these bozos? As skilled as I am? All I get is a measely lieutenant position? I'm one of the world's greatest ninjas, and I have to be in the same spot as guys who can't even tie their shoes correctly!"

"You know, we're right here." Mack called out to her with a rather irritated expression.

Here, however, Cait Sith leapt up and down on his chair, frantically waving a paw in the air. "Ooh, ooh! Me, me!" He called out earnestly. "What about me, Ragnar? What do I get to be?"

The youth turned to the stuffed animal, and hesitated a moment. He began to grimace again. "You?" He echoed back. He hesitated again and licked his lips. "Yes…you…" He said again, a bit slower and more uneasily. "You…um…you…er…get to be…um…" He hesitated and thought again, beginning to sweat a little. "Well, for right now, you get to be…um…" In the end, he looked up and plastered on the best smile he could manage. "In charge of company moral, and…guarding the children."

"Alright!" The stuffed cat cheered in reply, jumping for joy on its chair. As for Ragnar, he sighed in relief and wiped his brow again. It was a good thing Reeve programmed that thing to be so gullible…

* * *

Leers tapped his fingers twice against the top of his metal table. This wasn't an official meeting, but it didn't mean it was any less important. Colonel Zed sat across from him at the opposite side of the rather long desk. The rest of the room was empty. In front of him, Leers read a copy of the latest report. Zed had one as well, so that he too could follow along with what his general was seeing. In the end, the man looked up and leveled his gaze on the colonel.

"So you found them."

"Yes, but the situation has changed, sir." Zed answered back. "They've been bringing in troops from the rest of the world just like us. They're settling down with more supplies and weapons. It looks like they're actually trying to barricade the valley. I think they might be trying to keep us from moving south."

Leers gave a snort to this. "Cocky little bastard, isn't he?" He half-murmured to himself.

"The heavy machine gun is still their most powerful weapon, as far as we've been able to tell." The colonel continued. "But now they have enough numbers to make it hard, if not impossible, for us to wipe them out with a sortie."

"Well then, let's not just send a sortie." General Leers calmly answered, looking back up to Zed while leaning back and folding his hands. "Prepare the 1st Army to move out on the City of the Ancients."

The old manraised an eyebrow, seeming to be a bit puzzled by this. "Sir? The 1st Army consists of over 20,000 units. They don't even have 400. Isn't this a bit of overkill?"

"These escapees have created a rather annoying bump in my road south." Leers responded. "I'd like it flattened. Now there will be no reasons, or excuses, to have failure in killing them all. I want you to command the unit personally, colonel. Destroy the uprisers and then march on to the sea and secure the area. We will begin our push south right after they are dead. If this Ragnar Vice really is leading them, send him back to me alive, though I don't care if you have to break most of his bones to do it."

The colonel looked a bit uncomfortable at having to actually lead an army. He thought his job had been pretty cushy, and he had subordinates to work things for him. However, in the end, he looked confused for another reason. "You don't want us to just kill him in battle, sir? You'd like prisoners?"

"Just him. The others have already proven themselves to be too unruly to be safe POWs." Leers answered. "But Colonel Maritiza's been working on a new gun for me, and I want to correct its sight."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	51. First Battle of the Cetra Valley

_One Week Later_

The city had come back to life in the past week.

It wasn't to say that the mainland areas weren't busy either. The campaign to raise support was in full swing now. Reeve became the head of the affairs, along with the employees that had agreed to chair and manage the movement. The message had been broadcast in Midgar, and it was quickly spreading elsewhere on the Eastern Continent, and making its way to the Central Continent. There weren't as many people answering the call as they had to Ragnar himself, but the youth was far from turning up nothing. As they continued to call out, they started appealing to the younger generation, ages 16 through 20. These were the ones who had to grow up under Shinra and were bitter, but also the ones who still felt bold and daring enough to become activists about it. Many of these people were more environmental and naturalistic, as well as idealistic in terms of politics, as well. Running off with a volunteer army was an adventure for them. Unfortunately, there was no way to get them across the ocean until the new Planet Protector Army had boats or funds for shipping. Instead, the two hundred new recruits gathered in Midgar, and contributed their services to fund raising and donation drives. As of yet, there was no way of getting these north either, but the Planet Protector Army now had its own account, and it had already raised another 30,000 gil.

However, the north was where things were really going to town. The City of the Ancients had been divided up to become a new military encampment for the Planet Protector Army. Areas had been squared off to run drill exercises, in particular ones for physical preparation, and another as a firing range. The shell houses were broken off into specific sections, so that the first three divisions could be housed roughly together. Everyone operated on a schedule now as well. They were up early, did some morning jogging, taken to the mess tent for breakfast, and then got started on their training exercises, stopping only for lunch, dinner, and then lights out.

Tifa was tougher than she gave herself credit for. She ran the new recruits a bit harder than they expected the first day, and she soon was barking at them and urging them on when they slipped up a little. When they got into more physical exercises, she once again took up shouting and driving them on, her normally pleasant face turning into one of fury. She never expected anyone quitting early or, in her words, "dogging it", and yelled at them when they slowed down to push it again, gritting her teeth and nearly screaming. It got so bad that on the third day, Cloud had to be called over to get her to relax a little, before they drove off what recruits they had by her slave driving.

Gunnery practice was easier. A considerable amount of time was used for that, led by Barret's own gruff, grumpy disposition. However, given the low amount of ammunition, most of the time maneuvers with weapons, stances, and proper maintanence of guns had to be emphasized. There was time for some target practice, though not for as long or intensive as any of the new "officers" wanted. After the first week, only half of the new, inexperienced recruits even consistently shot within the target circles at a hundred feet. Luckily, those who had some hunting practice, like Mack, quickly got good with the rifles. About thirty of them could hit bullseyes if they steadied themselves enough.

Red XIII also got his own time for the day, which was essential early on. The beast created a system of alerts for the camp, and had all of the soldiers run through them. He also created a system to be used when the camp was in a state of defense, or when the army was attacking. He designated safe zones for the children and those who could not fight, and began to devise a code to be used for long distance communications when necessary. For now, the only way to pass information around was word of mouth, usually through officers.

It was suggested that Cloud teach some of the recruits to handle swords, but the man refused. He responded that none of them were good material for it, save for three individuals. Ragnar was one of them, and he and Cloud continued to spar every day. Cloud always won, but Ragnar was glad for the experience. Surprisingly, Zola also turned out to be rather good with a sword, and his own unusual weapon was heavy and powerful. However, he preferred to usually practice by himself or with his sister. Noonian, on her part, wielded a whip in one hand and a knife in the other for a deadly "hook and stab" combination. Cloud said she would have been good to learn a sword, but she merely replied that she preferred her style…flashing that unusual lusty look again…

Cloud, therefore, found little to do. He hadn't many duties, despite being the second in command of the army. Most of his friends handled all the details, and Ragnar made all the big decisions. However, on that morning, Ragnar had called him over for something important. Seeing as Denzel and Marlene had made friends with the other children and were off playing with them, while Tifa was trying to squeeze a few more crunches out of her current group, Cloud had nowhere to go but there. And so, this morning, he found himself walking through the camp and toward Ragnar's house and seat-of-command.

The ex-mercenary looked around as he made his way through the city. Some parents were out washing clothes or cleaning up around their new shell domiciles. Walking past him from time to time was a small company of soldiers led by recently appointed corporals. Their marching and line formation was haphazard at best, and the corporals looked more uncertain of themselves than their recruits. They frequently stumbled over lines. A ball occasionally went across the path, and a kid would chase it. Other recruits were brushing their teeth in rain barrel basins, or hanging out their laundry to dry.

Cloud tried to stifle a sigh as he walked through this town. He supposed he should be patient. It had only been a week, after all. They had a long way to go. But for now, they were still looking like a crowd of refugees playing soldier. They had to get better at combat, or the New Shinra would decimate them. It worried Cloud that they might not be ready when danger came. Even when it did come, he was worried that a bunch of civilians would panic and run when they started seeing blood fly. He was somewhat glad that Tifa was being so mean and vicious. That was a technique he learned back in the Shinra Corporation Army. You had to be ruthless and brutal to your recruits…so that when the spit really hit the fan, you'd be able to keep your cool in it. That, more than anything, would decide a battle.

It didn't help that they had so little. All they had were rifles and machine guns…and that one heavy machine gun. They needed more. The New Shinra had all of the equipment and war machines of the old Shinra. To combat them, they needed the same. And they still needed a lot more personnel too. But to get these things, they needed more money and resources. They had neither. For now…they just had to try and hold this as best they could until more help gathered. The ex-mercenary prayed they could… Personally, if he was the enemy…he would be knocking down their doors now, destroying them before they _did_ become an actual threat…

Cloud came to the entrance to the grove leading to Ragnar's house. Once there…he hesitated for a moment. He had to clench his fists and inhale a deep breath before going further. Ragnar had to have picked one of the most troubling spots in the city to live in, it seemed. It wasn't enough that she was buried just ahead… It also had to be where those things took the children, and did something to them to make them their puppets…just as he had once been Sephiroth's. Something still bothered Cloud even though Denzel was free again… The Geostigma was only supposed to affect people who had Jenova cells inside them. It was supposed to be an immune response, in effect… So why did a bunch of children who had never been considered for SOLDIER have it?

Cloud wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that.

Pushing it aside, he walked forward and into the grove. A moment later, he was passing by the pool in the center of the area, and going on to the giant shell house beyond. He quickly ascended the steps and came to the doorway. He stopped there, however. There were no actual doors on any of the houses. However, people had installed rods and lengths of cloth for curtains over the entrances. Ragnar's place was no exception. This was the only thing that served as a "door". Hesitating here, Cloud reached out and knocked against the frame.

"Is that you, Cloud?" He soon heard Ragnar call out.

"Yeah, it's me. What did you want?"

A moment went by. But then, Ragnar, from inside, seized the end of the curtain, and with a flourish pulled it away to one side, revealing himself. He immediately raised his hands and indicated toward his body, showing it off. "So…what do you think?"

Cloud looked over the young man for a moment. His clothing had changed. Cloud's sweater, pants, and boots were gone. Now, he wore a more formal pair of brown boots with tan pants. He wore a tan tunic over this, which folded across his chest and fastened against one side of his body. It didn't take long for Cloud to recognize this as a uniform type of tunic. He had cuffed wrists and a collared neck, and both had a star on them as well as a uniform stripe. A cape fastened to his collar and spread out behind him, also of tan color. Lastly, he had a single sewed-on credit over his breast. It was soon plain to see that it was some sort of military uniform.

"Ta-da!" Ragnar called out. "Check it out! It's the new uniform. Reeve paid for a helicopter mailing service to deliver it this morning. What do you think?"

Cloud crossed his arms and looked over it a bit coldly. "…It's impractical for combat."

Ragnar frowned and dropped his arms. "You said the Turks always fought you in full suits."

"Yeah…and we always beat them."

The youth sighed. "Whatever. Just give me your measurements. They're making yours next."

The man raised an eyebrow in response. "I'm not wearing something like that around."

Ragnar frowned again. "You're the colonel. You have to wear something to make yourself stand out. You just can't wear that half of a coat everywhere."

Cloud frowned as well and indicated to it. "Look…it's not half of a coat. I tore off that half so I could move the Event Horizon more easily."

"So it _is_ half of a coat."

"Well, yeah…but not in the sense you were thinking of."

"What other sense is there? It's half of a coat."

"The bottom line is, I'd rather wear half of a coat then something like that. You have any idea how hot it is to run around in a Shinra uniform? If you have everyone wearing something like that, they'll be too rigid and cut off to be able to run or act properly."

Ragnar sighed again. "Look…the rest of the army _won't_ be wearing something like this. They're making a combat uniform too."

"Then I'll wear one of those." Cloud simply concluded.

"Hey…I don't mean to put a halt to negotiations on what is, no doubt, the crucial matter of what clothes we're going to wear…but I think you guys should listen to this."

Both Cloud and Ragnar forgot about their discussion, and looked out into the grove. Standing just a little ways from the ramp leading to the front entrance was none other than Cait Sith. However, the plush creature looked about as serious as he could manage with his childish expression, and he glared at them dangerously.

"I've been out reconnoitering."

The men stared at Cait Sith for a moment of silence. But then, Ragnar formed a puzzled expression. "Reconnoitering? I thought you were in the camp, doing…"

The cat frowned, and waved a paw at him. "Oh come on. You didn't really think I was going to do that dumb old job of 'improving moral' and 'guarding the children' all day, did you? Don't you know a bold-faced lie when you see it?"

The youth hesitated, having not actually expected that. He thought he had the robot pegged. He turned over to Cloud, who looked back to him and gave a shrug. "What'd I tell you? He's a tricky one."

"As I was saying…" Cait Sith continued in a somewhat impatient voice, getting the two to turn back to him again. "I've been out reconnoitering. And I'm afraid we've got trouble. _Big_ trouble."

* * *

An hour later, the meeting tent was full again. The officers had reassembled and reconvened inside. However, they weren't sitting now. Everyone was gathered around the cooler at the front of the room. Some had drug chairs to sit near it. Most of them were just standing around. An air of anxiety was around them now, and they were all beginning to feel a little cold. They moved a bit stiffer, and looked to one another uneasily. After all, if what Cait Sith said was correct…then they all had very good reason to be very afraid.

A map of the surrounding area was on top of the cooler, causing all to focus their attention on it. Cait Sith was gathered with the others now, and hunched down next to it. He had abandoned his moogle for the moment, allowing himself to get closer to the cooler in the midst of everyone else. The creature pointed to the top of the map, about twenty miles outside of the entrance to the valley.

"That's where they are." He grimly explained. "The 1st Army of the New Shinra. 20,000 troops… of which 3,000 are heavy troopers and 2,000 are swordsmen…1,000 sweepers…30 heavy artillery units…20 transport trucks…and 1 Colonel who's been ordered to take no prisoners."

Ragnar's eyes stayed wide as he looked at the map. He raised up his arm and placed it against his head, feeling a bit tired and dizzy. He hadn't been expecting this. He had planned on a few sorties coming against them. Even after Bahamut warned him, he couldn't believe that they'd do this much. But now…they were sending all 20,000 to them. Apparently, General Leers wasn't going to let them impede his progress any longer. Perhaps this group was even meant to push to the shore and take it…after destroying any army that had carelessly put itself in their path.

"This is really bad…" Tifa announced, looking at the map in a bit of fear herself. "We're outnumbered over fifty to one. We don't have the weapons to begin to counter those heavy troopers or the artillery."

"Hey, sure we do!" Yuffie called out. "We've got materia, remember?"

"…Which we have only managed to replicate once since we arrived." Red XIII darkly added. "We couldn't do any better, no matter how hard we tried. Meaning will have one fully powered version of each, and only a basic one of each. That won't be enough to destroy an artillery garrison."

"How long?" Cloud asked, staring at the map stoicly.

Cait Sith exhaled a blast of air. "I dunno…9 AM…10 AM tomorrow? They're moving slow and camping. If you're asking me, we should pull out."

Barret scowled in response to this. "And after we pull out, there ain't nothin' to keep Shinra from movin' all over the continent! And attackin' Midgar!"

"I'm with him." Mack answered, gesturing to the man. "The whole reason we're in this valley is to control the bottleneck. If we leave it now, we're giving up our one advantage."

"But we have no experience. All of our troops are totally raw." Tifa responded. "And if stay and the lines break, they'll be nothing left to stop them from getting to the children and families. And I doubt New Shinra has enough pity to let them go."

"Believe me…" Zola answered with a dangerous edge. "If the New Shinra enslaves them instead of killing them…they'll be doing the less merciful of two evils."

"Staying to fight is hardly an option, irregardless of how well-trained our troops are." Red XIII spoke up. "The simple matter is that we have no way of taking out all of their tanks. They could roll forward and flatten our entire division easily. We don't have any weapons that are against tanks, or any artillery of our own. We could be blasted by mortars before we even had a target on our longest-range rifles."

"Well then…we'll need some damn artillery." Barret answered back.

Red XIII sighed in response, putting a paw to his own furry brow. "Even if we did have any artillery, which we don't and aren't likely to get unless we build our own foundry, there's no way to bring it up here before 9 AM tomorrow. We have 21 hours. And even then, the bottleneck works against us in that sense. All we could do was put it in such a position as to cancel each other out. The valley may be narrow, but there's no way up and around either side, so we can't initiate a pincer. If it's a shootout, then we don't have the troops to outlast them. We'd need to be able to hit them repeatedly with something powerful, and we have no artillery."

"Actually…maybe we do."

The beast raised an eyebrow to this. He turned and looked to who had spoken. He found himself looking at Ragnar, who was staring down at the map in much the same stoic way as Cloud was. However, Cloud looked up now along with everyone else, and they turned all of their attention to Ragnar. The youth was silent for a moment as he looked over the map below, and the thin valley that they now guarded. Something new was running through his mind.

In the end, he raised his head and looked to Red XIII. "Major Nanaki…if I read off a description from an ancient rune of how to build medieval siege weapons, would you be able to copy a diagram?"

The beast hesitated a moment at this, but then gave a shrug. "Sure. You may not know it, but I've gotten rather good at penmanship with my teeth."

Ragnar turned to Barret next after this. "Commander Barret…you've been making and modifying your own guns for years. You'd know how to make some explosives from scratch, correct?"

The large man crossed his arms and gave a nod. "Got ya' covered, Scrawny…I mean, General Ragnar."

The young man gave a nod in reply to that. Afterward, he turned to the others around him. "Alright…we'll start with that. I know where they keep the records on war in this city. First, I'm going to dictate to the major the plans. While I'm doing that, start dividing up the companies to begin building them. But don't start them just yet. I want to go one more place first…"

* * *

Two hours later, and Ragnar, Cloud, Red XIII, and Yuffie were back in the valley. It was empty for the moment, and there wasn't any sign of any enemy approaching. That would change soon. For now, Ragnar was glad that there was plenty of daylight. Taking Ragnar's other entrance made it much easier to get out of the city, but there was still the rock wall to contend with. As a first order of business, Ragnar made a note to get people working on it to put in a way where they could move large numbers of troops out quickly. They couldn't all just use the one metal ladder. For now, he didn't think about it. Ragnar was mostly preoccupied on the valley that they moved through.

As the youth walked along, he gestured up above him on either side. When he spoke, his voice echoed throughout, up, and down both sides of the valley. "Alright…there's no way that we can scale the cliffs on either side to make a pincer attack. However…as you can see, there are small areas up there from time to time that are flat enough to actually put something down on. There're enough of them to put a fairly good sized amount going down this valley. You could also probably put up a few people with materia. Next to them, there are loose rock slabs just waiting to be hit loose." After saying this, he turned back to Cloud and Red XIII. "You getting my idea?"

"Well…it would help us to do a lot more damage to them, at any rate." Cloud answered back with a shrug. "Although I'm not sure if we could still do them all."

"And there's still the problem about how we can get anyone up there." Red XIII added. "These cliffs are all but inscalable."

"I had a plan for that, too." Ragnar answered. After saying this, he looked past both Cloud and Red XIII. The two warriors looked a bit puzzled at this, until they too turned and followed the youth's gaze. After a moment, all three of them were looking solely at Yuffie. The young ninja looked back at them in confusion, turning her head from side to side, and in the end shrugging.

"…What?"

* * *

Yuffie let out a steady stream of incoherent grumbling as she struggled to finish climbing the sheer rock wall to the first ledge. A length of rope was tied around her waist, as well as a few tools to help secure it when she reached the top. From down below, Ragnar, Cloud, and Red XIII could only hear her mumbling at this point, having long since been unable to make out her words as she ascended. She at last reached the lip of the first flat area, and began to haul herself over the edge.

"Hey, you wanted me to respect your talents." Ragnar called up to her. "You're the only one who can climb these cliffs."

An obscene gesture was flashed from over the edge of the rock platform.

Despite the rudeness of this, Red XIII gave a nod. "Good. We can't see her body once she's up there unless she reaches out. That will help conceal it."

"So once she secures the initial rope, the units climb up it and secure enough additional ropes to haul the materials up." Cloud observed as he watched. "They build it up there. Not bad…but I'm afraid we're going to have to cut down a bit of the Sleeping Forest to have what we need to build these things."

"Don't be too upset about it." Red XIII responded, noticing that Ragnar was looking a bit worried on hearing that. "I think the Planet would rather have us use a few trees that can have their energies recycled back into the world, rather than let Shinra advance and drain more life from it that won't be coming back."

Ragnar paused, but in the end gave a shrug. He supposed Red XIII was right. In the end, he looked back up to the rock platform, cupped his hand around his mouth, and yelled up. "Hurry up there! You still need to do about thirty more of those up and down this valley!"

The cursing grew coherent again.

* * *

The camp was soon abuzz with activity. There was some initial anxiety, of course. Once people heard the news that a full-sized New Shinra army was engaging an eminent attack on the City of the Ancients, people were understandably worried. Most of the recruits thought that they wouldn't see action for weeks, and then with an army of some thousands, not 360. However, there was nothing for it. One good point in Ragnar's favor was that most of them had brought their families with them. That gave them extra impetus to fight. Besides, at this point, the only recruits that had joined up early were ones who were intent on fighting and not backing down. Now it was time to get some experience.

A few ropes were set up at the cliff, but it was far from providing an easy passage. People had to arrive early in order to get up in time. Hauling up their weapons and ammunition was no easy task either. No one had any official uniforms yet except for Ragnar, and so the best he could do was tell the people to wear light colored, dull clothing as they came. The units were broken up and given instructions as to how to go about building their separate machines. Luckily, most of the recruits so far had been factory workers, and knew a bit about constructing simple machines. Ragnar tried to assign one to every unit. After that, he sent them to each rope that Yuffie had hung up, and sent them up it to their separate platform. While they were doing this, other units were cutting the trees and fashioning them into the separate parts they needed for each siege machine. As soon as they finished enough to complete a siege engine, the components were wheeled out and hauled up by the ropes. On top of the platform, the people went to work assembling.

Back at the camp, Barret was getting to work making his homemade explosives. Normally he was used to building large shells for his arm gun, but now he was configuring them onto bolts that could be fired from the siege engines. He also built some simple explosives that could be timed and detonated. While he was doing this, and instructing other people how to make them, the spare gas was utilized. Others began to use it to fill up large glass jugs that had been brought over as supplies and since then empitied. They had to use all the gas they had, which was a bit nerve wracking to Ragnar. However, by now the sun had set and night was in full swing, and he decided in favor of it.

As the siege engines were completed, more things were sent up to the crews. Ammunition of various types was drawn up on ropes, each type specific to whatever type of engine was being constructed. The timed explosives were also set up on some of them…any ones that could be determined to be safe. They were to implant these against the rock walls on one of the sides of their perch. It was a bit risky. It was meant to be a last resort, to detonate them and send an avalanche of rocks down on the enemy once all ammunition was spent. However, there was no guaranteeing on some areas that the platform itself would be stable enough to not break off on the eruption, and these Ragnar had to avoid. Lastly, each five member crew on each ledge was given three machine guns, fifteen magazines, and one materia of offensive power. Three of the crew members would use the guns. One would work the materia. The last would man the siege engine.

Once this was done, the remaining units began to move out to fill the valley. Only a twelve person platoon was left behind to guard the families. Their main purpose was to tell them to run. Cait Sith stayed behind, taking up his post of guarding the children with his life. Even now, Barret and a few others continued to make some final explosives, ensuring that there would be a few more shots, but also making an impact type of explosive that would blow up when jarred too violently. These were sent up to some of the crews, those who had a few tools with them, and were using the last of their time to chip out the largest pieces of rock they could manage for their own ammunition.

The rest of the units filled the end of the valley closest to the cliff. About a hundred feet ahead of them, the valley narrowed to its thinnest point, a mere twenty feet across. Metals, rocks, wood, and whatever other things that could be used as a bullet guard were placed opposite this, leaving plenty of small holes for the remaining soldiers to poke their rifles and machine guns through. This was all piled up into a barricade, and then had the path in front of it filled with jagged rocks pointing up, shards of glass, pieces of metal, and whatever else could be managed. Last but not least, the heavy machine gun was put on the front line. This one had the only well established defense. Sandbags were placed around it, and a concrete wall that had been fabricated for it was placed in front, with an opening for it to move and shoot out from. Lastly, they covered this to make it look like another part of the lifeless barricade. Mack, the furthest along improved gunner without having expert skill, was put in command of this single battery. This was the last stand area. Anything that made it through…could go no further.

With that, people settled down and checked their weapons, or continued to make ammunition as long as they could. It was well past midnight now…and they had only to wait until dawn.

* * *

Cloud looked up at the sky from where he was hunched behind the barricade. Event Horizon was balanced against one of his shoulders. The valley was still covered in shadow, but the sun was up now. The sky was already a light blue. He looked back down to his watch soon after. 9:32 AM. So far, they had seen nothing, but they knew that they weren't far off anymore. He slowly exhaled, and then turned his head to his right.

Ragnar was there. He too was hunched up with Ragnarok across one shoulder. However, he was more fretful. He breathed slowly with the air of someone nervous, and his head was bowed and propped up against one hand. Every now and then, Cloud saw him stiffen himself to keep a chill down.

The ex-mercenary leaned a bit over to him. "Bad time to get cold feet, kid. You're going to ruin the moral of the others."

The youth looked up at this. His expression was tired, and he shook his head as he put his hand down. "I'm not nervous about fighting these guys. Well…I am. But I'm not afraid of them. It's about everyone whose fighting underneath us." The young man paused at this, and then frowned and shook his head. He bowed it and put it onto his hand again. "I must have been crazy. No one has ever managed to win a battle this outnumbered. The best they could do was make a costly victory for the enemy…before they were wiped out. All of these people have trusted me, and now they're going to…"

"Ragnar."

The young man froze. That had come from Cloud. That was the first time ever that Cloud had called him by his name, and not simply "kid". He looked up a bit, and then turned to the man. The ex-mercenary stared back at him with the same steely glare…but it wasn't cold or without pity this time. It was more forceful and edifying.

"You and I both know that you don't need to be talking like this right now." He simply said to him. "If your master was here, he'd say the same thing. You'll be beaten before we start if you do that. Nobody wins any game going into it saying they'll do their best or they'll make it a good loss. They go in saying they'll win. You know you're strong. You know you're skilled. You know that you've done all you could in the time you had, and that we all have a much better chance for it than we would have. Remember what I said…you have got to be confident in battle. You know you're more athletic, stronger, smarter, and more skilled than them. _They_ need to be scared of _you._ Show them who the real terror is here."

The youth paused and looked back to Cloud at this. As he finished his last sentence, Cloud cracked a smile and looked to Ragnar supportingly. As he saw this, the young man began to feel better. He did feel a bit more confident and stronger after hearing this. He did remember all he had gone through and worked through. Most importantly…it felt good to know that there was someone who believed in him. With that in mind, he smiled a bit, and gave him a nod.

"Alright."

The gaze of the two men at each other was broken a moment later asa big object passed in front of them. Both of them looked up at it as it came. It turned out that it was Barret, pushing himself in between Cloud and Ragnar. He crouched down in front of the barricade. Bothmen steadied themselves after a moment, and then rose a bit into a squat, and turned to look out as Barret now did, staring at the silent valley before them.

"Cutting it a little close, Barret." Cloud announced as he finished readjusting.

"I'm here, ain't I? And I don't see no damn Shinra yet. So quiet your spiky ass down." The man gruffly answered. With that, he lowered his own gun arm, and reached over with his right hand to push a button. As a result, a small hatch opened on the side. The commander reached into his pocket next, and emerged with a large shell that looked like a fired grenade. He dropped this into the hatch, and then closed it again. After doing so, Ragnar saw the minigun barrels suddenly go back into the arm with a metallic whir, and the middle portion opened up into a larger hole.

He sensed someone moving next to him on his other side a moment later. Ragnar turned his head and looked, and watched as Red XIII sat down next to him. He really was a deadly hunter, for the youth hadn't heard him come in at all. But now that he was seated, he swished his headdress once. It revealed a sparkling green orb inside a slot built into it. Noticing that Ragnar was looking at him, he turned and looked with his one good eye.

"It's the Contain Materia." Red XIII explained. "I think one Flare will be enough to take mine out."

Ragnar gave a nod. "Good. I guess that means all we do is wait."

Red XIII turned his head slightly at that. "And pray that the moment the first tanks see this barricade, they decide to roll over it instead of obliterating it with fire from their main guns."

Ragnar paled a bit at this, and a bit of sweat formed on his brow. He looked away soon after. "Didn't think of that…" He murmured aloud in a nervous voice.

Barret rolled his eyes and cursed.

"Nobody's perfect." Cloud added.

The youth slowly exhaled after this. Once he steadied himself again, he looked back up and out to the field. "Hey Cloud," He called out to his right. "Were Marlene and Denzel worried about you and Tifa at all?"

"Nah." Cloud answered with a shaking of his head. "Marlene said that Barret will look out for me. Denzel is just waiting for me to come back and tell the story. I think he wanted to hear from you as well."

Ragnar snickered and grinned a bit. "What do you know. I've been a general for two weeks, and I'm already got a f-"

The young man instantly went silent. When he did, the others likewise stilled themselves and turned to him. They didn't have to look long. Soon all of them began to feel it. The ground beneath them felt like it was slightly shaking. From a distance…they heard a very slow rumbling work its way down the valley and to them, like an echo. At that, they all cut any thoughts of any more chatter. They turned and looked back down the valley. As they did, the rest of the soldiers began to tense up on their weapons and look as well.

The rumbling slowly began to grow louder. The ground shook more as it came. Ragnar pulled up a pair of binoculars and looked ahead, but it was futile. The valley was so narrow and bent that he couldn't see very far ahead of him. That was the idea, after all, that they couldn't look to them either. That insured that they wouldn't be fired on early. Nevertheless, Ragnar began to tense up and wished he could see what was coming at him. The rumbling continued to gain volume over the next few minutes. The valley would take time to march through, and hence it would take some time to get here. But he didn't like it. As it increased in volume, it began to echo more and reverberate throughout the area. It made it quite clear that they were lots of them, and with the echo it made them seem even more. A few soldiers began to quiver, their guns rattling slightly in their grasp.

At last, the fateful moment arrived when a spark of static came from one of the walkie-talkies.

_"We have visual. Man…there's thousands…"_

Ragnar swallowed in reply to that. He looked to the others and gave a nod. He took the hilt of Ragnarok and held it down. Cloud likewise took up Event Horizon and did the same. Both men looked forward. Cloud had gloves, but Ragnar soon felt his palms begin to sweat over the metal of his blade, sending the metallic aroma up to his nostrils. He continued to feel cold, and felt a bead of sweat slowly roll down the side of his head. The noise continued to grow in volume, as the troops drew closer and closer. The sounds of giant engines and machines started to come as well. Treads were heard cracking the stone ground and sending their echoes back throughout the valley.

The echoes finally began to die down…and the sound became sharper. Ragnar lowered himself a bit more, making sure he was out of visual range, and placed his head in the spot of an opening instead. He continued to watch there assomething arrived.

Two full sized tanks rounded the corner. They could barely make it, scratching each other as they turned and rolled onward. The small space only allowed two through at a time. However, they were far from alone. More tanks were rolling in two lines behind them, filing in one after another as they rolled down the valley. Each one was heavily armored, and had their multiple guns turned forward. They didn't hesitate as they saw the barricade…but they didn't fire, either. It was still an intimidating sight. Some of the units nearly rose and moved away, which would have been fatal for the others. But Ragnar and the others on the front held tight, and so they held tight. As the last pair of tanks rounded the corner, Ragnar began to see sweepers moving in behind them, each one brandishing its pair of chain guns and scanning for enemies. He couldn't see behind them, but far to the rear, all up and down the valley, thousands of soldiers were on the march. They were like a carpet of ants filling the valley. No one could see anything but blue and black as they moved along. It looked impossible to overcome, that there simply wasn't enough firepower in their tiny band to hope to destroy them

Ragnar saw this…and raised his hand. As he did, Red XIII zeroed in on the tank on the left. Barret aimed his weapon at the one on the right. Both of them then held. Ragnar waited a few precious moments longer, watching them as they rolled forward, praying that they would hold a bit longer. The lumbering behemoths of metal finally inched their way into the narrowest point. They dropped speed here, so that the drivers could get them through without catching each other. They barely squeezed into the crack, filling the twenty foot space and making it impossible for anything to go through the middle or around.

That was the moment. Ragnar dropped his hand immediately.

"Flare!" Red XIII yelled, the first noise the army had made in thirty minutes.

If the crew of the tank heard, it was too late. A great red stream of light suddenly erupted out from behind the barricade. A string of burning hot orbs shot forward in this stream, burrowed through the tank on the left, and sank into the middle to form a growing ball. The tank turned red hot in instants, as the fires continued to mass inside of it. But that was only a second longer…before the tank exploded. The top of it distortedbefore erupting into a giant fireball. The explosive shells inside erupted as well, further igniting it. Twisted metal and debris were blown everywhere, and most of the units took cover. But not Barret. At the same time, he fired one of his own exploding shells at the one on the right, sending it straight down the barrel and into the main head. A moment later, and the entire top barrel was blown completely off the machine as the rest of it erupted into a similar fireball, sending more debris and metal everywhere.

Ragnar looked up through the hole for a moment. With a grin, he realized it had worked. He had been expecting the New Shinra to send tanks first, rather than a bunch of soldiers into a bottleneck. But New Shinra hadn't expected them to have any form of anti-tank weapon. Now that they used it, they had detonated two tanks in the thinnest point. They had removed the firing window for the bottleneck, but they had done something else as well. They had created a barricade of heavy twisted metal and fire, stopping anything else from being able to get through. The army was stuck with nowhere to advance.

And after hearing the two tanks explode, the separate units went into action.

Eruptions and balls of fire soon lit up the valley. Soldiers wielding siege ballistas on their ledges now fired exploding bolts out on the trapped army below. Soon, their bunched together ranks were getting blown up in masses. That wasn't all. Others manned catapults. Some of these catapults fired off one hundred kilo boulders that had been chipped off the night before. However, the first ones had a special surprise inside. After landing and smashing a few troops on their own, the explosives within erupted as well, sending burning hot rock fragments in all directions, as well as a terrific explosion. Still other catapults fired off the jugs full of gasoline, with a small lit rag in the mouth of each one. On landing, they erupted like giant Molotov cocktails, spreading flames everywhere. Jammed into this valley, the army had nowhere to run when they went off instead of into their own troops, spreading the fires.

The siege only lasted a short time before it was joined by magical blasts from materia. Ice, lightning, fire, green waves of destruction, flaming rocks from the heavens, and all sorts of other destructive forces rained down on the enemy. Lastly, machine gun fire began to go down on the trapped soldiers. One didn't have to be a good gunner here. There was no way for the enemy to avoid the fire.

The troops were thrown into panic. Until now, they had been expecting a bunch of dim-witted, half-starved country people with guns they could barely use. It hadn't occurred to them that they would have this many weapons, or would spring from so many areas on top of them. Bunched together as close as they were with destruction blowing up ten or twenty with each shot raining down only made them more panicked. It drove them into confusion, and got them to run and stampede each other, trying to get clear of the firepower that was falling. It didn't help that they could hardly fight back. From the enemy's position on the cliffs, and their own position in the narrow valley, there wasn't enough clearance for their heavy artillery to raise and fire on them. They could lift their guns and shoot, but by now the sun was beginning to clear the top of the valley, and light was being shone down on them to blind them. Not only that, but all of the fire and destruction was sending up clouds of smoke to further muddle them. About the only ones who could get any success were the heavy troopers, who possessed rocket launchers. One of them fired on one of the enclaves, and blew it up in a blast of fire, smoke, and dust. However…that too soon proved to be foolhardy. The explosion resulted in fracturing the cliff, sending an avalanche of rocks down onto the soldiers below, killing both the heavy trooper who had fired as well as some thirty of his brethren. No one risked firing again.

The bombardment continued for a bloody hour. The siege craft continued to fire away at the enemy below with as much as they could get off. Once they finished using the Molotov cocktails and exploding rocks, the catapults threw regular heavy stones. Once that was done, they fired pieces of debris. After that, the people went back to work hacking away at the walls to get more ammunition. The people with automatic weapons emptied all five of their magazines into the army before passing around the materia orbs, for the first person with it had exhausted themselves by this point. Ballista shooters regressed to simply dropping rocks off of the ledge onto the people below.

The New Shinra forces struggled to fight back. Some tried backing up to give more room, but they were too packed together at this point. Many of the artillery units were damaged by siege fire or destroyed by more powerful materia blasts, further cramming them together and locking them in. Some went back to try and go around behind the overhead units, but that was impossible. There was no path for them to ascend. The front line continued to be jammed shut. There was no way through. The rows of tanks behind them could try and shove forward to roll over the debris…but if the enemy had more anti-tank weapons, then it would only result in creating a more hopeless blockade, one that nothing could get through. On that note…it eventually became decided to order the troops to advance anyway.

As the front line waited and held, they suddenly saw some sort of canisters flung forward from behind the wall of flames and metal and into the fires. The moment they landed, they broke open, and a thick mist spread out from them. Liquid poured forth on either side, which expanded quickly into foam. Ragnar saw this as well, and knew that it had to be some sort of fire-stopping device. Sure enough, the flames quickly subsided in the wake of the foam and mist. More canisters were flung and broken on it, until the entire area had been cleared. The area was thick with smoke for a moment, showing only the jagged, twisted metal and remains of the two tanks. But then, as it faded, Ragnar and the others began to see troops crossing over the tanks in the rear, jumping on top of them and moving forward. They soon made it to the front, and began to climb over the now-cooled debris that blocked their path, coming forward in renewed force.

"Fire!"

At that, the rifle men began to shoot. The first row of troops that managed to break through dropped down dead immediately. The next line took heavy damage. On seeing that the barricade was no longer abandoned, the New Shinra troops that had broken through abandoned the attack. They quickly ducked down and took whatever cover they could instead. Soon, the two sides were locked in a firefight. Shots cracked the air and continued to go between the two sides. However, the jagged metal blockade wouldn't let more than a few troops through at a time. More troops began to pour down the valley into the narrows, but they could go no further. They had the numbers to overwhelm the defenders, but not the ability to move them forward. They were pinned down…and stayed there for a few minutes.

Then…over the gunshots, Ragnar suddenly heard a mighty engine peel. Moments later…two of the tanks burst right through the metal barricade, sending shrapnel everywhere and grinding any obstacles under their treads. They ignored the fact that they killed many of their own troops in the process. They just burst forth, breaking down the roadblock. In response, Barret sent out another grenade to the tank on the right, while Red XIII blasted the one on the left with another Flare. Both soon erupted into another pair of fireballs. Unfortunately, the damage had been done. The tanks had hugged their walls, and drove to a wider point, opening a good ten foot gap between their flaming wrecks when they were destroyed. The barricade behind them was also eliminated. With this done, the troops that had been gathering helplessly behind the barricade seized their chance. They began to rush forward in an overwhelming mass.

Only then did the camoflauge get ripped off of the heavy machine gun. As many of the troops as there were, they were still only moving through a ten foot bottleneck. And now, the gun let them have it. Huge numbers of troops were hit and fell to the ground. The intial wave was brutal, tearing through the first row of men and hitting the ones behind it. They all collapsed and nearly formed a barricade of bodies in their wake. Yet the New Shinra were relentless, continuing to push forward. They continued to rush onto the field, firing as they came, and pushing away through any obstacles. Not only that…but Ragnar soon began to see small egg shaped objects be dropped in front of the barricade, just barely missing clearing it. When that happened, he yelled and ordered a cease fire so that the troops could duck. Moments later, a powerful blast ripped through a portion of the barricade, and fire and debris were scattered everywhere.

Still, the men and women stayed on and continued to fire. But against these many, it looked like it was impossible to stem the tide. Despite how many losses they were getting, the enemy continued to come forward, gaining ground slowly but surely. Ragnar swallowed from behind his own barricade. He watched as this happened for a few fateful moments. But then…he saw a troop with a rocket launcher begin to come forward, preparing to aim it at the barricade.

Seeing that, Ragnar slowly exhaled.

_I guess that's my cue._

Tightening his fist, maneuvering Ragnarok so that it was in front of him, Ragnar leapt over the edge of the barricade and out onto the field.

Until now, most people were firing for the openings on the barricade, and as such were surprised when Ragnar initially emerged over the side. The general glared at them all with stern ferocity, and raised Ragnarok dangerously before him, as if challenging them all alone. The look was so powerful…so fierce…that for a moment, what Cloud had said came true. The soldiers suddenly saw some sort of superb being in front of them, some pinnacle of fearlessness and strength, with a sword of flame dancing in the sky. And for a moment…they did feel fear to look at him.

Yet it didn't last. The soldiers soon began to raise their weapons to fire on him. However, before they could, both they and Ragnar received another surprise. More bodies leapt over the edge of the barricade and took the field. The youth's look faded into astonishment. He looked around to either side of him, and found that Tifa, Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie, and Cloud were now taking the field along with him, glaring ahead with that same look of confidence and power. Barret cracked a grin as he stood out there.

"Couldn't let you have all the fun, Scrawny."

The young man blinked again for a moment, realizing this. However…he suddenly felt enthusiastic. Until now, he thought that he was just some person who happened to recruit these members of an old group. He thought of them all as Cloud's people. But to see them jumping out with him and taking the field…it made him feel like he belonged. That was encouraging. Grinning again, he turned out and glared at the opposition. Though the front line had paused, more enemy units were coming forward. A virtual flood was still pouring over the tanks in the back, and coming forth in waves. As Ragnar stared at this…he heard a shik of metal to his side. He cast a brief glance to his left.

Cloud was there, with Event and Horizon broken apart, and staring ahead dangerously.

Ragnar kept his smile. "Think they'll be trouble?"

Cloud didn't change his expression. "…Maybe if one more shows up."

Ragnar snickered a bit. "Then I'll have to take care of that one."

To this, Cloud raised an eyebrow to Ragnar. "Oh? You're fighting too?"

The youth grinned a bit wider…and Cloud, in response, smiled a bit as well. After that, both men turned ahead…and charged.

Bullets thundered through the air. However, both Cloud and Ragnar had rather powerful swords, and they crossed them in front of them to intercept the bullets, letting them rain harmlessly off their own blades. Barret answered back with a spurt of gunfire, sending his own minigun bullets raining down on the enemy. Ragnar picked his target. Dashing forward with incredible speed, he vaulted over the barricade with one leap, cleared to the other side, and then came down on the astonished heavy trooper. He only could stare in shock for a moment before the youth flew down on him, slicing through his rocket launcher and then through him with one strike. The rest soon cleared the barricade as well, and jumped into the fray. But they didn't stop there. They continued to plow their way through into the enemy, jumping onto their tanks to reach them as they crossed. This wasn't just to drive fear and pain deep into their hearts…it was to allow the gunners behind clear shots. Sure enough, as the survivors of the initial strike turned back in surprise…they were soon pelted from behind when the soldiers opened fire again.

Ragnar's blade danced like a flickering flame. As he moved forward, he nimbly twisted it around, spun it, and tossed it from hand to hand. His body leapt and moved forward like a graceful dancer. Everywhere his blade flashed, it sliced through another. Soldiers were cut down on both sides of him as he plunged into the ranks. He was in their midst now, and it was impossible to shoot him without hitting others. As Ragnar continued to push through them, he did see three swordsmen ahead. These ones were standing their ground, and lifting their own huge blades to counter him. However, he only smiled and continued to advance. The first one brought his sword down on him as he approached. Ragnar blocked that and threw it aside easily, shocking the man with his strength. He followed up with a quick slice through his neck, cutting his jugular and carotid in the process. He moved up to the next, who tried to guard against him with a horizontal cross. Ragnar merely swung his blade up, knocked the enemy's sword up and out of the way with his weapon, and then delivered a fatal slice to the side. The final swordsman, shocked at what Ragnar had done to his fellow troops, crossed his blade vertically in front of him, and seemed to cower behind it. Ragnar retorted by simply swinging his blade around, cutting through the sword, and letting it travel unhindered to the man's neck.

Cloud was even more fierce. Twice as many soldiers dropped around him as he advanced, slicing this way and that. He took the opportunity to let the Event fly against the treads of tanks on the sides, slicing into them as if they were no more than tissue paper. The tanks that now struggled to advance again were now crippled. And with them stuck in the way, and yet not detonated, their jam packed mates behind them couldn't advance. But Cloud continued to move forward, slicing through guns, cutting down troops right and left, and creating destruction wherever he landed. Swordsmen eventually rushed on him as well. After seeing their failure with Ragnar, this time they surrounded him with eight. Once Cloud finished clearing out the basic troops, he looked up, and saw his predicament. The men gave a yell, and all rushed in on Cloud at once. Cloud merely kept both swords out and waited for them to close, brandishing their blades out. Once they were about to hit, he started by twisting his body to one side. The one behind him drove his sword through the one in front of him by mistake as a result. More swords swung down on his left as the others closed, but he swung up Horizon to knock them away, and then ducked inward to smash his fist into the nearest one's face. He then twisted around, still holding two swords to the side with Horizon, drove Event behind him, and stabbed another in the gut. With his arms crossed and both swords held on either side, he quickly ripped both out to make a scissor cut in front of him, slicing in half two more. Cloud stood simply after that, twisting his blades on either side to knock away two more swords that were coming in from either side, and then twisted Event behind him to block a back blow. He spun around again soon after, letting Horizon flash a fatal cut once more. Finally, he brought both swords together and locked them into one blade once more, and then stabbed it into the ground. Using that as a fulcrum, he brought himself up, spun his body around, and delivered a powerful kick to the last two solder faces, sending them flying twenty feet away with both hits.

Tifa may have lacked a weapon, but she soon showed off her power. She went right for the throats of the soldiers around her, battling them away like they were flies. She was almost superhuman in her movements, considering what she was able to do. She didn't need to block guns, for her skill and reflexes were so sharp that she could jump and twist her way through a hail of bullets, and end by delivering a spinning kick down on their heads. Every blow sent an enemy unit flying, crashing into more of their allies. At one point, close to a wall, she had a swordsman in her sights. He actually managed to dodge her as he saw her fist spin around…but soon gaped in terror as he saw her fist smash right through the stone cliff instead without even missing a beat. Still gaping, he was an easy target for Tifa to spin up, seize him by the head with a scissor grab, and fling him to the ground with killing force.

Red XIII soon showed that he wasn't just a brain. Ragnar saw him in action for the first time as he turned himself into a living buzzsaw, spiraling into the enemy with his metal feather sticking up from his head. It fatally slashed all who got near. But after that, he unleashed his claws and fangs and went to town. His speed and power were impossible to counter. He avoided all gunfire, and tore through anything that tried to stop him physically. But he also fought smart…tearing past some soldiers just to seize the pins on their grenades with his teeth, and then passing. Moments later, they blew up and scattered more soldiers. If that wasn't enough, the furious beast also still possessed his materia, and had far more stamina than any of the other soldiers above. It was child's play for him to cast one horrificly powerful spell after another, even going so far as to obliterate another tank every now and then.

Barret only went a little bit onto the field before adjusting his arm. When he did, three smaller guns popped out of his middle one, along with a fourth gun coming out of the middle that looked like some sort of spire. It was Barret's own custom made weapon…three rotating machine guns with a microlaser in the middle. Once he was clear enough to where he saw a line of New Shinra, Barret let fly. The bullets were heavy and fast, and peppered the area at ultra high speeds. No armor or padding could stop it from hitting someone, and it tore through the initial line into the back. Only the tanks were immune to the bullets. But when Barret fired off the microlaser…it was hopeless for even the tanks. The metal was slashed into and the vulnerable interior obliterated. Barret soon was blowing up more behind the two that Cloud had stopped, as did Red XIII, widening the destruction and creating a wall of fire and metal that further limited where the New Shinra could move.

Yuffie was last, but also one of the most fearsome. With a grin, she stood still, letting people draw a bead on her…not knowing she was doing the same. Then, right as she was about to be hit, she flung her shuriken, and immediately activated her invisibility cloak. The people were stunned as she vanished into thin air, but that surprise could only last a moment before her shuriken spun around and sliced through a dozen of them. A moment later, she would reappear on another point of the battlefield, seeming to come out of thin air, and snatch the shuriken out again just as it came back. The soldiers would spin around in shock to fight her again, only to have her once again fling and disappear. She continued this process, stunning her enemy and filling them with fear, and continuing to inflict massive damage. The one time she managed to reappear and a swordsman seized her from behind…she merely elbowed him in his manhood and then disappeared again.

With the six warriors destroying everything in their path, blowing up one tank after another, and causing massive mayhem, the people back behind the barricade decided to charge. With Mack giving the order, the remaining soldier spilled forward to hunt for more units, and back up the six leaders who had gone up. They continued to fire at stragglers, and used their own tank wrecks for cover. By doing so, they continued to gain the field, and continued to push the rest of the enemy down, back away from the City and back into the path of destruction, where the overhead soldiers continued to pummel them with everything they had.

It was at that time that Ragnar noticed something else. As the other units came forward…two new warriors joined with the rest of them. Zola and his sister Noonian rushed out onto the field. They moved just as fast and nimbly as they others…if not more so, and almost recklessly charged into the fray with them. The youth actually felt himself pause a moment as Zola ran into the enemy. He swung his own massive blade with speed that made it look weightless, slashing through soldiers, weapons, and heavy metal with the greatest of ease. Like a giant fork, he lashed out again and again to pierce his enemy. A wily grin spread across his face, as he formed a look of relish and enthusiasm, nearly crying out for joy as he struck down his foes. He paused only occasionally to flash a toothy grin to Ragnar, and then gave a him a nod before turning back in and attacking more. Swordsmen came up to him, but it was futile for them to attack him. As they brought their blades down, he caught them in his own forked weapon, and then gave a powerful twist to snap their blades in half before finishing them.

Noonian was just as deadly. She shot out again and again with her whip. Sometimes she snagged a passerby and pulled them in close, where she finished them off with a stab from her dagger. But other times…her whip seemed to get an edge on it, and wrapped around an enemy only to slice through wherever it was attached, cutting them into pieces. She was nimble and quick, darting through her opponents almost faster than Yuffie. She too struck out with her weapons and limbs, batting more aside with killing force. Her eyes flashed violence, and her face grinned and laughed as she attacked. She was having the time of her life, surrounding herself with death and gore. It began to actually unnerve some of her surrounding comrades…

But Ragnar felt a thrill come into him too as he continued to strike down soldiers. He had no idea how long they could keep this up…but they were doing it. They had managed to keep the enemy on the defensive this long, and were inflicting massive casualties. As he let his fiery sword slice through more that surrounded him, he began to feel confident, like Cloud had said, and felt sure of himself. He did believe that it was the enemy who should fear him, not the other way around. Even as the six, now increased to eight with Zola and Noonian, of them tore back into a wide area of the valley, and began to spread out, he felt invincible in the midst of the carnage.

That was until something changed. Abruptly, the soldiers broke off from him. They spread out and put as much distance between him and themselves as they could manage. Despite how jam packed the valley already was…Ragnar soon found that he had quite a bit of space around him. The youth paused at that. Looking confused, he began to turn his head from side to side, looking at the fleeing enemy. They were pushing back into each other now, barely able to make more room. However, they weren't using the distance advantage to fire. None of them were even aiming their guns. Seeing this…Ragnar let his sword down a moment and watched them…

Then…he began to hear the rumbling. The ground underneath his feet began to shake, and he realized something big was coming. Slowly, he looked away from the rest of the enemy and looked at the open space straight ahead. One of the tanks that hadn't been in the front division was coming, and he saw it rolling out through the midst of the New Shinra soldiers to confront him on the newly opened battlefield. It was thickly armored, large, and armed with various weapons. Two chain guns that poked out of flexible Kevlar-like coverings that sealed openings on the flanks of the tank slowly rotated and zeroed in on the youth. In addition…the massive main gun also rotated and lowered its battle to aim right at the new general.

Ragnar felt himself sweat a little. But after that, he swung his blade around once, and put it in the ready position. His eyes zeroed in coldly on the new challenge.

"You want me?" He called out. "Come get me."

The tank responded by firing its big gun. In a flash, Ragnar pitched into a roll and rotated to the side. He still felt hot debris and pebbles smack against him as he rolled out of the way, and the cannon obliterated where he had been a moment earlier. Not wasting time, the cannon rotated again and once more fired. The youth paled, but then quickly dove in the opposite direction. It was a bit faster for him then. He felt a bit more debris, and a flash of the heat from the eruption blew over him. The cannon rotated once again, and fired at him the moment he landed. Ragnar hesitated then nervously. He couldn't roll away from this one. However, he could do something else. As soon as he was on his feet again, he backflipped twice instead. The cannon once more obliterated the pavement in front of him, this time sending dust and rocks into the fleeing youth's face. The young man grit his teeth and shielded himself as he came out of his second flip, wincing to try and keep the rocks out of his eyes. The eruption from the blast made him stagger a bit on his feet, but in the end he stabilized.

Once that was done, Ragnar swung his sword around again and prepared for the next wave. He knew enough about the construction of the tanks ahead from old workers that these ones were built to be able to fire three shells in rapid succession. But after that, they had to reload. Sure enough, the large cannon didn't rotate again, but instead the two guns went up instead. Moments later, they erupted in a burst of fire.

Ragnar quickly raised his weapon to guard. Soon, he felt his wrists wrenched horribly. This wasn't some rifle or machine gun fire. This was a heavy chain gun. Each bullet was the size of a shotgun shell. Ragnarok was strong enough to withstand it…but Ragnar soon felt his arms ache as the force tugged against him violently. Then…the unthinkable happened. One of the shots hit Ragnar at just the right angle, forcing Ragnarok downward. His wrists were wrenched too hard…and his fingers slipped. The next moment, he gaped in horror. Ragnarok was knocked out of his hands. The force of the blast made it spin violently through the air and a good thirty feet away from the youth, before embedding into the cliff wall.

Ragnar turned white again, and looked back to the guns. Moments later, he was putting his backflips to good use again as the chain gun attempted to finish the job.All of his reflex practicewent towork as the firepower threatened to shoot him. The two guns now chased him all over the field, ripping up the ground in his wake. The young man was as nimble as a fox in hopping out of their way…but with two on one he couldn't outlast them. They forced him back against one of the wrecked tanks at one point…and the youth was forced to jump and vault over the line of fire as the two guns intersected at where he was. He landed in between where the two chains of bullets were being fired, and quickly ducked and rolled out of the way as the two gunners compensated by closing their intersect, trying to catch him in crossfire again. As they did this, and once again found themselves stunned by Ragnar's move, the youth began to run to the cliff wall, eying Ragnarok…

As he went, he suddenly caught one of the gun barrels jerking violently in his direction. The young man cursed under his breath. He forgot…with two of them, keeping up with him was much easier. And now, it put itself in the path between Ragnar and his sword. With just ten feet to go, it opened fire. Ragnar tried until the last to get to the sword before the gun could…but in the end it was too late. He had to force himself to halt, using his forward momentum to leap forward slightly, touch off against the ground, and then use his force to halt and then leap backward. Even so…he felt something hot rip the back of his tunic before he saw his cape sweep in front of him…and then get blasted into cloth shreds.

The guns were too close, and the other one was moving in to hit Ragnar from behind. Seeing this, the young man realized he had to move. He quickly spun around after leaping back, and then dashed back for the wrecked tank he was backed up against a moment ago. The two streams of fire chased him, thinking he'd be trapped once he got there. However, he didn't stop once he reached it. Disregarding the flames, the youth crouched and then leapt up, sailing over the smoldering wreckage and into the fire. The guns aimed up and tried to shoot, but it was too late. Ragnar vanished in the flames.

On the other side of the fire, the youth came out a moment later, smoldering and smoking a bit. The heat had been intense, but he had managed to survive untoasted. His face was a bit blackened, but he didn't mind as he fell down and crashed back onto the ground on the opposite side. He hadn't seen where he was going, and as a result he hadn't been able to stop himself before he landed on the stone ground in a heap. Once there, Ragnar groaned and slowly rolled onto his back, wincing and feeling a bit sore and bruised. Yet he didn't indulge the pain long. Bahamut had taught him early on to not focus on pain as a distraction, but on the moment. Forcing himself up, the youth flipped back onto a squat on his feet.

Ragnar knew he wouldn't be safe here long. Already, he began to hear the tank shift on the other side of the wreckage. Soon the main gun would be reloaded, and he would be a sitting duck behind here. But without his weapon, he couldn't do that much. He had to get it and somehow take out the tank…but how?

As Ragnar was thinking this, his eyes caught something. He was in the midst of several bloody bodies at this point, surrounding him. Among them were two swordsmen nearby, still holding their own heavy blades. The youth looked to this and hesitated for a moment…but then got an idea. Perhaps he could still pull this off…although he would have to move fast and this was crazy. He was already getting sweaty and winded from his previous acrobatics. He didn't need more. However, there was nothing else for it. He had to move soon. In the end, he reached over to the dead soldiers and grabbed their swords. Naturally, he wasn't accustomed to the weight as he pulled both up, one in either hand. Yet he compensated quickly. He hadn't worn all those weights on his wrists for months for nothing. Wielding both, Ragnar stood back up again. He turned back to the flames and the wreckage. The youth exhaled a tired blast, and then inhaled deeply once again. With that done…he launched himself up and jumped back through the flames.

The gunners soon saw Ragnar emerge on the other side. They were surprised, thinking before that he had made a panic move that had ended fatally. Ragnar touched down on the ground this time, and immediately went forward, toward the tank. He held one sword down at his side, and another he cross guarded in front of him, but angled it so that it was sloped away from him. Moments later, the gunners both wheeled around and locked on him. However, Ragnar was running for only one side of the tank. The other gunner couldn't turn far enough. The one opened fire on the youth regardless. At that, Ragnar tightened his wrist as much as possible and braced for impact. The bullets struck him a moment later. The force soon drove his wrist into agony, but he held on. Straight on, the bullets would have torn through the sword and him. But how he was angled, they instead slid off slightly based on the angle of the blade, being just diverted. Theystill toreup the sword, however. Deep nicks began to appear, and parts of the blade began to twist and warp. The youth held on, pushing himself as close as he could. The chain gun continued to fire, and his blade began to chip and fragment. Larger pieces of it started to fly off, and what was left was almost dented in enough to let the shots go through. But still Ragnar ran…getting as close as he could to the tank…

At last, he was in range. With a tremendous feat of strength and superhuman agility, Ragnar squatted and then leapt into the air. He left the guard sword behind, letting it get blasted away into nothingness at last. But as for him, his highly trained body flew through the air, past the chain gun barrel, and landed on top of the tank. He didn't land exactly right. His body sprawled out on the lower portion, and he was half hanging off of it. But once there, he grunted, and quickly pulled himself up the rest of the way. That done, he quickly ran over the top of the huge machine and to the opposite side. As he did…the massive barrel of the cannon began to move again. Yet Ragnar was glad for that. He had been hoping it would reactivate at this point.

The youth continued to run across until he was on the opposite side. Once there, he looked down to the other protected gun barrel. He focused himself on the cloth-like portion, and then drove his sword down and through it. He doubted that he hit the gunner, but his weapon sliced through, thanks to his power, and pierced the other side. The result…the gun barrel was now wedged and unable to move. Not wasting a moment, Ragnar leapt off of the side of the tank, and to the ground. Just ahead, still buried in the cliff wall, was Ragnarok. The youth seized it, ripped it out with one mighty yank, and then turned and leapt back on top of the tank once again. Again, he sprawled out on landing, and the metal edges hit him a bit rough this time. But he grunted, and quickly pulled himself up.

"Ragnar!"

The youth raised his head at the sound of his name. He looked out to the field, and saw that he wasn't going to be alone much longer. Cutting his way through the ranks with his two swords was Cloud, quickly making his way to the empty space in front. The man actually looked a bit concerned. That surprised Ragnar…and made him feel a bit touched inside. But he shook that thought away quickly. He wasn't the only one who noticed him. The main gunner had too, and now the huge barrel was swinging to him, having lost its other target.

Seeing this, Ragnar realized he had his chance. He quickly scrambled into a full stance, and then leapt from where he stood to the top of the large rotating barrel. As he did, it finished adjusting, and leveled itself right at the approaching ex-mercenary. Ragnar panted as he looked down at it, but then spun himself around so that he stood with the point of connection of the main barrel right between his legs. Immediately, he thrust Ragnarok down. The metal was pierced…and the flat blade soon inserted itself right at the connection point of the barrel, blocking the way.

_This is either genius…or extreme stupidity…_

Moments later, the tank beneath Ragnar exploded. The shot from the main gun detonated within the barrel, and the entire upper half erupted into a fireball as it destroyed the other shells in the barrel. The turret for the main gun was blown clean off of the top in a rush of flames and debris, sending Ragnar up into the air with it. The eruption was bone jarring. Ragnar's body was wracked with pain as flames rushed past him, singing his clothes and hair. Only the fact that the main turret stood between him and the eruption protected him from being fried alive. The impact was still so powerful that it rocked him painfully and he was flung violently. Ragnarok was snapped free and somehow he held onto it, but he still went soaring away from the explosion. Ragnar's head swam, and the sound of the explosion made the world swirl and his head dizzy. Hot pain flashed across his body from where debris had hit him. But somehow…he was able to push himself off of the turret with his last bit of strength, and just managed to tuck himself into a roll once he hit the ground. He rolled once before sprawling out like a dead fish, and went unconscious.

However, it didn't truly matter at this point. Ragnar's work was almost finished. While he lay there, the groups overhead finally implemented their final maneuver, blowing away the rock shelves adjacent to them. Half of the valley was soon faced with a tremendous rock avalanche. As this happened, the group on the end continued to push forward, with the seven warriors still swinging. The New Shinra were overwhelmed. They had never expected this. They thought that the City of the Ancients would be a brief rout, before marching on to the main mission in the ocean. They hadn't expected half of the onslaught they now received. And now…they had been caught in a massacre. Their enemy had wanted them to come into this valley of death, and here they were merely sheep for the slaughter.

The crammed troops were in total confusion. Death rained down from everywhere above. Fire and smoke clouded their vision. The seven warriors dodged in and out among them, striking down more everywhere. More troops came out of the flames of the barricade, pushing in on them. The soldiers began to panic. They shot more wildly. They tried to fire more rockets at the overhead areas, only to bury themselves under more debris. One tank after another went up. And still, they were trapped in their space, with no place to run or escape. Soldiers on fire continued to run into other ones. Bullets continued to hit their allies in friendly fire. The panic began to grow. Last but not least…the enemy began to fear the new army, especially the warriors. They were herded in here with nowhere to go. They had met surprising force so far, and still had no idea what they were dealing with. Some expected more firebombs or shot at any time. Others thought they had anti-tank weaponry at the front of the valley. Most of all…they panicked before the warriors, who seemed like immortal monsters as they marched forward on their deadly run. They fled before them, trampling their own ranks, and turning the valley into a nightmare of confusion.

Deep within the ranks, in one of the few remaining tanks, Colonel Zed began to panic. People were running right into the treads as he struggled to bring his tank forward. Fire and other explosions rocked around him. No one was able to move or organize in the confusion, and bodies were piling up everywhere. Even if he could get the tank to the front…every one that had gone there so far had been destroyed. One platoon after another went off contact and into static. And still the enemy was assaulting. At last…he realized that they could take no more. Things were only getting worse. And any moment…a shot of the unknown anti-tank weapon could destroy him too. He reached a decision, and quickly activated the radio to give the universal order to all walkie-talkies.

_"Retreat!"_

Beaten, confused, and panicked, the remnants of the New Shinra army turned and began to run for it. The enemy didn't let up. They only pursued them more doggedly now, chasing after them and continuing to shoot. Rocks were thrown from above and materia blasted around them. It was somewhat ruthless…but they really had no choice. They had to make the loss as painful as possible to force New Shinra to regroup. It was mostly affective. The already panicking troops were only thrown into more confusion and anxiety. The calm ones felt the pressure to escape, and made more stumbles and mistakes as they ran. The tank drivers were panicking as well now, not wanting to be the last one. In their confusion, they road forward and ran over more of their units. Others stumbled over wrecks and shrapnel, sustaining more injuries as they went out. But in the end, as the sun began to set once again over the valley…the last few stragglers dragged themselves out of the valley and joined with their others, running to the rendezvous point from last night's camp twenty miles to the north.

The bruised, bloodied, tired, and dirty Planet Protector Army slowly began to recover from the battle. It had been hard and long, and it had been filled with more carnage than many of them had ever seen. As the overhead positions lowered their ropes and began to go to the ground, they saw that the valley was now filled with death. Hundreds…thousands of troops lay dead, staining the white rock red. Wreckage was still burning everywhere, and twisted metal and ruins filled much of it as well. Most of their guns had overheated at this point, and few of them had any bullets left. Their bodies were still shaking and their ears still ringing as they walked out onto the field from the fight. And yet…despite all of the death and destruction that surrounded them…one fact still remained.

The 360 person army had beaten off the 20,000 member army.

They had won the day.

* * *

Ragnar's head throbbed, and his vision blurred, as he felt something grabbing him. He was dragged off of the cold, stone ground a moment later. He was sore all over, and burnt and cut in a few places, but he still managed to wriggle a bit in the grasp of whatever was holding him. "No…" He moaned aloud. "Put me down… I got to…get back to the fight…"

"Sorry kid. You've had enough for one day. Besides…it's over."

Ragnar moaned and winced again, letting the pain subside a little. When it did, however, he managed to open his eyes and see a bit more clearly. He was moving now. All around him was death and carnage. Bodies of the New Shinra were everywhere, as well as twisted metal and destroyed machines. He heard fires still crackling. He saw a few of his soldiers moving by, picking at the debris and helping other people up. As they did, he began to notice that despite how tired and shocked they were at the battle, there was an enthusiastic air about them. They grinned occasionally to one another, and gave a laugh. For the most part, however, it was silent as they moved around. The sun was setting, and it was already getting dark.

At last, the young man looked down to himself. He realized now that he was slung over another man's shoulder. As he looked again, he saw that it was Cloud. He was roughed up and a bit bruised and bloody himself, but he turned to the young man and smiled as he hauled him along.

"…I can walk. Really." Ragnar sounded after a moment. "The explosion…just shook me up, is all…"

"It also put about three pieces of jagged metal in your back, and probably gave you a concussion." Cloud answered. "Hang tight. You earned it anyway, after tackling that thing like you did. You're going to make me think you're crazier than me if you keep this up, kid. And knowing my background, you know that's really saying something."

Ragnar shrugged slightly from his position. "…It was nothing. I mean…you guys went charging in…"

"We've done it before." Cloud responded. "And even I'm not dumb enough to shove my sword into a tank barrel, especially not when I'm standing on it."

Ragnar paused after hearing that. He was too tired and sore to be annoyed. But after a moment, he grew a bit more serious. "I take it from the fact that I'm here talking to you…that we won?"

Cloud gave a nod. "Yeah kid. We won."

The youth rolled his eyes back and let his head hang loose for a moment. He inhaled deeply and exhaled, a feeling of euphoria pouring over him for a moment. He turned his head from side to side, and in the end shook it. A tired smile spread across his face. "…I don't believe it. We actually beat them… We didn't even have 400 troops to their 20,000… We were outnumbered that badly…"

The ex-mercenary looked to him for a moment, but then turned away and exhaled. "Well…savor the flavor, kid. They weren't expecting us this time, and they went right into a trap. We had the terrain to our advantage, and we managed to surprise them with weapons they didn't know we had. We still lost about 40 people…and we have even more casualties, including you. Next time it's going to be much worse. And we don't know how long it's going to be before they strike again."

Ragnar's smile faded. He looked tired again, and let out a slow groan. "…So much for any victory celebration…"

"Oh, I didn't say that." Cloud calmly answered. "In fact, I almost encourage it. The troops have to do something to reinforce moral, and now they have good reason to. But not tonight. Tomorrow, we can plan our next move from here. I guess that means that I'm going to be patching you up before I go and see how Tifa's managing with Denzel and Marlene."

The young man looked up again at that, and groaned a bit as he did so. "I'm not a baby, Cloud… I can take care of myself. In fact, I wish you'd put me down…"

"We have no doctors in the camp and only a bit of medical supplies. I've seen enough blood and doctored myself on the field enough times to know how to pull out a couple of pieces of shrapnel. After that, you're still going to need a shot of antibiotics or a healing materia unless you want to wake up tomorrow with a fever of 106 and feeling like you've been stretched out on an ice block. And since you're too roughed up tonight to move anywhere, I better do it. Everyone else is busy with other things and people."

Ragnar sighed and let his head fall back again. "Cloud, you keep this up and you're going to start sounding like my mother…"

Cloud cracked another grin. "Oh no. You're mom would always call you, 'Ragnar'. To me, now that the fight's over, you're back to being the kid."

The youth groaned and closed his eyes again, hoping he could slip back into unconsciousness until morning.

* * *

_To be continued..._

AUTHOR'S NOTE: People who've played Kingdom Hearts 2 will notice that I ripped a bit of Ragnar and Cloud's dialogue from that game (only it was Squall and Cloud there). I just thought it was cool sounding, so I included it.


	52. Man in Black

"…For courage under fire and outstanding leadership capabilities, I hereby award you the rank of lieutenant."

A chorus of applause came from the gathered forces as Ragnar presented the former corporal across from him with the award that would upgrade her uniform. He didn't fasten it onto the woman's uniform…for she had none. Ragnar was still the only one with a uniform, which looked a bit ragged at the moment. Red XIII had suggested they come up with a special award for bravery, but Ragnar wasn't of that mind set. Sure, he wanted to congratulate the people who had done incredible acts in his force, but he had gone to long lengths to say earlier that he wasn't presenting awards or honors, and his recorded speech was still saying that on the other continents. Perhaps later he would think of something, but not now.

It had been a day since the battle. Ragnar had awakened the next morning to find many people congratulating him on his planning and bravery, in leading their own tiny force to victory over a much larger and more sophisticated one. But the cheers and celebration had to be put on hold again. There were many to clear out of the valley, and many of their own dead to be buried. Out of respect for the dead, Ragnar also ordered that the New Shinra soldiers be buried in a mass grave, but that their dog tags would be read so that there would be a record for who fell. It was a monumental job. Injured were still being tended to after yesterday as well, and they still needed to be serviced. Some needed to be shipped to real hospital facilities. For now, materia was used until they could secure a way to get them off the continent and back down south. Word was also sent back to Reeve about their victory, so that it could be worked into the propaganda as soon as possible. There was a lot to do, and by the end of the day much was still undone.

The initial meeting tent had been opened up halfway, so that it served as more of a small vestibule from which people could speak. Spread out ahead of it was the army and most of the family members with them. Everyone who could had brought out a chair, but those that couldn't merely sat on the ground loosely in their companies. The high officers sat in front, including Red XIII, Tifa, Cloud, and Barret, and they had brought Denzel and Marlene up with them. Ragnar was glad that Denzel was focused on Cloud now instead of asking how many people he had killed. This meeting here served as a follow up to the previous fight, and also a chance to award various honors to the people around them. That helped their spirits, and made them feel more like a true fighting force.

The former corporal placed the pin in her pocket, and then looked up to grin at Ragnar with her sly, seductive smile. Ragnar struggled not to grimace at it. This corporal wasn't any ordinary officer…it was Noonian. Zola had given her that rank shortly after assuming command of his own unit. She appeared to be good at it, especially after what she had done yesterday along with her brother. Had Ragnar truly grasped what she had done, he might have been anxious. No one could really pay attention to anyone else in the chaos of battle that had transpired yesterday, but if he had…he would have noticed that Noonian and Zola showed battle capabilities that matched…if not rivaled…those of Ragnar's new friends. Neither of them had even broken a sweat that whole fight. However…what Ragnar did remember about Noonian yesterday was how she had laughed…so loud and merry that it sounded almost sadistic…

At any rate, Noonian saluted the general. Ragnar snapped out of it, and saluted back. The audience was still clapping, and Zola, way back in the group with his own unit, stood and clapped hard as well. The woman soon turned shortly after, and then returned to the crowd and to her brother's side. Once she left, everyone else began to quiet down again.

Ragnar looked over the crowd as they did so, and then spoke up again once all was silent. "I have one last award to give out tonight. It is a result of what happened to me in our last battle. I know that I was knocked unconscious for the final portion of it. It worked out this time…but next time we might not be so lucky, and I'll need a second to defer to when it happens. You all know this man already…trust him…and he's already high ranking. However, this will simply make things far clearer in the future. Effective tonight…" Ragnar paused at this…and then looked out to the front row. His eyes soon rested on Cloud. The man, in response, raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely puzzled. However, the youth pointed to him none the less.

"I am promoting Colonel Cloud Strife to the rank of General."

The ex-mercenary's face turned to surprise. But it was too late. The people around him were already applauding. Denzel's face lit up, and he turned to Cloud with a large grin of joy. Soon, everyone was expressing their enthusiasm to the latest news. Cloud himself was a bit flabbergasted. He looked from left to right, and finally back to Ragnar. Once there…his blue eyes narrowed briefly to give him a cold stare that shot daggers. But after that, he swallowed slightly, and then bowed his head uneasily and raised one hand, just to show everyone that he acknowledged them. Denzel, and now Marlene, continued to grin at him as he lowered his hand again and tried to look rather small and inconspicuous. After that, the people began to quiet down again, and looked back to their leader.

"Everyone…" Ragnar announced, taking a more solemn air. "Thank you. Thank you for coming this far and not backing down in combat. I hope you all realize some day how important what you did yesterday was not only to the Planet, but to everyone else on Gaia. I hope they will realize it soon as well, and come to join us. Tomorrow, we have a lot of work to do rearming ourselves and making ready for more troops and equipment. But for tonight…I hope you can all relax and celebrate with your families. You've earned it."

* * *

Ragnar looked out at the city from his grove. It was empty, more hallowed now that the army had settled in. And personally…Ragnar didn't want any of his forces drinking beer around this lake. It was too sacred. Here, in his grove, Ragnar felt a bit of silence and peace. He enjoyed it. That wasn't to say that he didn't feel happy for everyone. That also wasn't to say that he wasn't incredibly grateful for all that they had done, and felt that they didn't deserve this. But he found that enjoyed having time to himself to think, and now was one of those times.

Outside the grove, lights from campfires and torches blazed. The sounds of laughing and cheering were drifting in through the entrance. They were breaking out the beer supplies they had tonight. They had little else to celebrate with. Just getting a night off was a pretty good reprieve in and of itself, Ragnar thought. But hopefully, they would have more to celebrate with soon when the news of their victory spread. Of course, things were only going to get worse from here. The New Shinra had extended one of its fingers…but only the smallest and weakest one. Now that the Planet Protector Army had responded by breaking it, they would come back with more. Yet it wouldn't be so easy to gather the troops this time. And they knew that their enemy had the valley well guarded. They had bought themselves a bit of a breather for now. Ragnar really had to pray that they would increase their strength in this time. They needed to be as mighty as possible to have a chance against the next wave…

Ragnar's thoughts were interrupted, however…when he suddenly felt himself seized around the neck from behind. Gagging in surprise, the young man was dragged down a bit and into a hard fist, which began to dig its knuckles into his head. It was rather painful, and caught the youth off guard. He sprawled and struggled to break free.

"Hey! What… Let go!"

In response, his unknown captor released him, letting him fall to the ground in a heap. Ragnar sprawled out on landing, and felt a sharp stab of pain go up his side from a rock he rested on. Gritting his teeth slightly, he looked back up to see who was responsible. He was just in time to see Cloud's tall form cross his arms in front of him.

"You know, when I volunteered for your force…I was alright with being named a Colonel." The ex-mercenary began a bit crossly. "I hated being ranked so high…I would have preferred a Lieutenant. But now you've made me equal to your rank. I didn't ask for that kind of responsibility when I signed on, and I might have reconsidered if I had known that."

Ragnar looked up to him a moment longer, but then sighed and began to push up from the ground again. He bowed his head and shook it as he got up. "Cloud…I thought about this, and I really think it's for the best. You have the most experience with leadership in a crisis situation. You stay cool under fire. You're prudent too. I need a person like you for this position. If I fall down, I'm going to need you just to get the troops out of the area alive."

Cloud frowned as Ragnar finished getting to his feet. "I thought this would have been obvious by now, Ragnar…but I'm a loner. Even when the others were with me, I thought of them as more of tagging along on my own quest rather than me being responsible for them. If you think I'm some sort of great leader, I'm afraid you're sorely mistaken."

Ragnar finished standing and leveled his glare at him. "Cloud…you may not want to admit it, but you're a better leader than anyone else out here. I don't need a person to be responsible for everyone. I need someone who won't lose his head in the middle of a battle, and someone that can organize and motivate people when they're losing theirs. And I know you can do that."

The man rolled his eyes again and kept his frown. Ragnar stepped in and grew more insistent.

"I need you, Cloud. I really do." The youth continued. "I don't know anything about this world or how a military runs. You do. If nothing else, I need your input for that. I don't have enough experience in combat yet. So please…couldn't you help me out with this until I'm fully on my feet?"

The ex-mercenary paused again. He kept looking dark and disagreeable. However, Ragnar's eyes continued to plead with him. He really did need him. Without him, he didn't know how long before he would make a mistake, or what would happen if he fell. He trusted Cloud more than anyone else with him. And so he continued to stare at him. After a few moments more, Cloud sighed and turned back to him.

"…You're not going to make me do your paperwork, are you?"

Ragnar shook his head readily. "No. I'll handle all that stuff. I just need you as a backup or a second. You don't even have to do much more than you're doing now. But I need you in this title. I have to know I can count on you."

The ex-mercenary seemed to frown more at that, and sighed again. He turned away from Ragnar and looked out to the exit momentarily. However, after another pause, he sighed and shook his head, rolling his eyes again as he looked back to Ragnar.

"…I'm going to regret this…but fine."

The youth grinned in response. He felt awave of relief come over him. "Thanks, Cloud. For this and for everything."

The ex-mercenary grimaced and sighed again. "Yeah, yeah…" He murmured back in response. "I just hope this victory does inspire some more people. We did alright this time, but we sure as hell won't next time if we try the same strategy."

Ragnar was well aware of that, but he managed to smile none the less. For now, he was glad that Cloud had agreed. It was some more good news, and news he was eager to receive. After the exchange, both men were silent for a moment. Cloud looked outside again and slowly exhaled. The youth watched him, waiting for him to make a move. For a long time the man did nothing but stare. As the irritation of the new rank passed…Ragnar saw something new come into his eyes. His calming down allowed him to focus on something else. In the end, he slowly exhaled, and then turned back to the young general.

"That wasn't the only reason I came back here." He finally told him. "I also wanted to say…thanks."

Ragnar's brow turned in puzzlement to that. "For what?"

"For making this pool off limits."

The young man paused again. An image of the lovely person came back into his mind, as well as the possibility of who she was. However, on hearing how Cloud said this…on how somber his expression became…and how slow he said this, yet with perfect sincerity, he knew the truth. Ragnar's own face turned a bit dark. Slowly, he turned his head down and toward the clear water, still crystal and beautiful.

"…She's at the bottom of this pool, isn't she?"

Cloud hadn't heard about the incident that happened when Ragnar bathed in the pool, but he had told the young man that an area like this was where they laid her to rest. On hearing this, Cloud looked to the pool as well. He inhaled deeply. His powerful eyes focused on it and turned to stone, not shifting in the least.

"…I thought of jumping in more than once." Cloud finally announced. "Just to see…see if her body was spoiled at all by when they poisoned the water here…"

Ragnar slowly shook his head. "It wasn't."

To this, the ex-mercenary turned his head to Ragnar in slight alarm. "…How do you know?"

The youth looked up, and tried to keep from turning white. He hesitated a moment, realizing he had made a bad slip. "Well…I don't think it would be, at least." The young general finally sputtered out. "I mean…she wasn't the kind of person…from what you said…that sounds like she would have that happen to her."

Cloud stared at him a moment longer…but in the end seemed to accept this. He sighed slowly, and turned back to the water. "…I don't know." He answered the young man. "Sometimes…I'd like to see. But I can't even stand to stare into the water sometimes. I'm afraid…afraid that I'll see her. I don't know what I'd do if I saw her again… Maybe that's why she never let me see her face when we talked after that."

Ragnar stood silently in response. In truth…he didn't want to see her face again either. The last look had enraptured him, even though the woman was dead. And he was still struggling to forget that face that was etched in his brain…

The ex-mercenary snorted and shook his head. "It upsets me sometimes." He went on. "I don't like thinking about her. It doesn't matter that she forgave me. It's…" He hesitated, and then sighed again. "It's…that I don't think I should be thinking about her when I'm with Tifa. It seems…wrong. I honestly don't know if there would have ever been anything between me and her. That night on the gondola…she was the one who leaned over and kissed me. I was just sitting there waiting for it to end… But it's been a year now since I came back…and still I haven't mentioned the 'M'-word once to Tifa. I'm practically a father already, what with Denzel…and even Marlene. But…I'm wondering if I've got something in my mind that won't let her go…and that's why I can't tell Tifa…"

Cloud trailed off here. Ragnar was still listening, and so he turned his head to him when he suddenly stopped. After a moment, the man frowned and shook his head. "Well, look at this…" He snorted. "I barely ever talk to any of my friends, and here I am spilling my guts before a kid I met less than a month ago."

Ragnar grinned and snickered a bit. "It's alright. I don't mind. Goodness knows I told you enough about myself."

Both men were silent after that. Cloud was still staring at the pond. Ragnar looked to him, and saw that dark expression in his eyes… The young man licked his lips, and finally reached out and placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "So…you want a beer?"

Cloud stared at the water a moment longer. But then, he slowly looked up and to the young man. He managed a small smile. "I don't drink…but I better make sure a kid like you doesn't either."

Ragnar smiled and snickered a little, but then began to push a little on Cloud's shoulder, leading him away from the pond. The ex-mercenary hesitated only a moment before complying and turning with him, and then let himself be led away and back to the opening. Soon, both men left the pond behind and passed through the entrance to the grove back into the rest of the city. The cheering and celebration grew louder.

"Hey kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell Tifa what I told you…and I'll break your kneecaps."

"Duly noted."

* * *

General Leers set down a long case on the railing. Colonel Martiza calmly stepped to his side with a smaller case on one arm, and then waited. Leers hesitated here, and looked out the open window for a moment. It wasn't really a window, in truth. It was the great sliding metal panel in front of his office. Now, it had slid open, and both he and his officer had stepped out into the cold day, feeling an occasional icy breeze whip by them. However, it was nothing. There was more than enough warm air from indoors coming out over him. He was left with a great view of the outside, andin particular the long concrete patio before him.

He was not happy at what he saw.

A battered, dented tank barely managed to drag itself onto the concrete along with two others that were far less damaged. A multitude of troops followed them…but it was a much, much smaller multitude than had left. There were only abouttwo thousand now. Many of them were injured, either burnt or slashed or cut, and were being helped along by their comrades, or were being carried on stretchers. Many had discarded their guns and equipment to be able to move forward easier. Some were swathed in bloody dressings and almost dragging themselves forward. The sweepers that had survived the bloodbath had broken down long ago, and had been abandoned into the snow fields or at the former New Shinra camp.

This…this broken down, weakened, wounded, limping mass was the remains of the 1st Army of the New Shinra. Yesterday evening, Leers had received the news…and now he saw what was left of them on his front lawn. This army that should have secured the entire continent…that should have wiped the insurrection from the face of Gaia…who should have called this evening to tell Admiral Ashiah that the fleet could begin to move south…was smashed. Destroyed. Barely crawling back.

And Leers was not happy.

The general turned to his case. A moment later, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. On doing so, he used it to open locks on latches on the case. Once they were open, he readily popped them, and then turned back to the outside. A small fresh garrison was gathered there. Only about two hundred soldiers, and one red-clothed officer leading them. They stood in perfect formation and attention now, ready to intercept the army as it returned. The three tanks were in the lead. Very slowly, they began to drop their velocity as they neared the front line. Once they reached a mere twenty feet from the red officer, they ground to a halt. The weakened tank sputtered and chugged pitifully before a sound of grinding metal came out…and the tread snapped as it halted. The machine began to belch smoke. It too was a wreck now.

The hatch on the middle tank began to open. As it did, Leers opened his case. A moment later, he pulled out a rather long, almost pole-width barrel. He reached inside again soon after, and pulled out some sort of machinery array, which he began to screw onto the end of it the barrel. He looked back out again while he did so. The hatch was fully open now, and clamboring out of it was none other than the white-haired, black moustached Colonel Zed. _He_ had survived without his tank getting a scratch, it seemed. He looked about as pale as his own white head of hair as he stepped out, nervously taking up his officer hat and pulling it over his head. He trembled slightly as he slid down the edge. Leers continued to watch him as he pulled out a stock from his case and screwed it onto the end of the array. The man smoothed himself out on the field, and then took in a deep breath, trying to steady himself. With that, he began to walk toward the red officer. As he did, Leers removed a scope from his case and screwed that on top of his new assembly. With that, it was complete. It was some sort of rifle, but it looked almost like an anti-tank-gun from how large it was.

As Zed reached the red officer and they exchanged salutes, Leers twisted a few levers and systems on the rifle, lowering its penetration power, and deploying a fixed tripod. He placed that on the railing, and set his gun at the ready, with the stock leaning against him. After doing that, he turned to Maritza. The woman smiled in response with her wily appearance, and then opened her own small case. After doing so, she presented the contents to Zed. It appeared to be six large caliber rifle bullets resting in black foam. Leers let his fingers hover over them a moment before taking the second one from the left. He pulled it out and held it up. In addition to having the normal head and back of a bullet, it also appeared to have some sort of clear area in the middle that contained some sort of green liquid. Seeing this, Leers turned back to his rifle and pressed another button. An automatic motor went off, and opened a small panel in the side of the machinery portion. He inserted the bullet into it, and then pressed another button to shut it. After that, he leaned a bit closer, leveled the gun steady against his shoulder, put his arms around the barrel, and then placed one eye against the scope.

Through the telescopic lens, it was easy to see down and survey the field below. It took only a second for Leers to turn the barrel, and the cross-hairs on his lens, over to Zed and the officer. The lower officer was passing Zed an envelope at this moment, one that Leers had prepared personally with a large, bold-typed message. The colonel hesitated, but then took the envelope from the man. As he began to open it, Leers adjusted the crosshairs so that they were set right in between Zed's eyes. With expert marksmanship, he went almost motionless, holding it there. However, he then waited…waited as Zed opened the envelope. Waited as he took out the paper… Waited as he unfolded it and read it, and Leers read over the words he had written on it just as Zed himself read it…

_I don't accept failure._

Leers waited for the slightest hint of surprise from Zed before pulling the trigger.

Martiza's latest sniper rifle had the ultimate in silencers. Leers heard nothing more then whatsounded like a "pft" from a blowgun before he saw blood splatter out from Zed's head. Of course, any true killer knew that shooting a person in the head, even for a sniper, could be unreliable. The brain and skull were ballistic surfaces. The slightest change could cause the bullet to go anywhere, including into a non-essential part of the brain. That, however…was why Leers had Maritza invent the special rounds. Even as Zed fell to the ground…smoke began to come from the head wound. Blood leaked from his ears on landing. After that, the red officer began to step back in growing shock as he saw the forehead of the dead officer begin to cave in on itself as more smoke came from the rapidly enlarging head wound…

Leers stopped looking at that. He had seen enough. On pulling back, he began to unscrew his scope to replace it. Maritiza kept her wily grin as she watched him go about his work.

"Do the acid rounds match your specifications?" She asked, almost merrily. "That was a great shot, by the way…"

"Once it has finished reacting," Leers responded while disassembling his gun, ignoring the colonel. "Take pictures of what's left and make sure the next high officer to move out sees it. I want them to be well aware that if they can't come back without completing a simple mission, then they had better not come back at all. As for the rounds…they're heavy."

Maritza's smile vanished for a moment and became an uneasy grimace. That faded too after a moment, however, and she tried grinning and shrugging again. "It really wasn't his fault, General. From what he wrote in the report, there was no way of knowing that this rebellion would grow, or of knowing that they would have turned the valley into a deathtrap."

Leers paused in the middle of unscrewing his stock, and turned an eye to Maritza. It was cold and piercing…and immediately made the woman pale and hold her tongue.

"Are you trying to defend his utter failure, Colonel?"

The woman continued to look uneasy for a moment, all of her mirth and slyness gone. "Not at all, General. I only…"

"Colonel Zed was somehow stupid enough to lose over 17,000 soldiers to a band of less than 400. He waltzed right into a blatant ambush, and ran away from country folk barely able to lift a rifle, let alone shoot one straight. Now, any hope I had of forcing them to surrender or abandon their defense is gone.In the time it takes me to assemble another force, they'll be fortifying their position and increasing their ranks. I hoped to make a month-long route of the rest of the world…and now, thanks to Zed's utter debacle we have lost the element of fear against the cities of this world. They'll know we can be beaten, and they'll start to organize under this rebellion led by an ex-prisoner. The least he could have done was drove his tank into a kamikaze into their barricade…but he had the audacity to return with his tank not even having fired a shot."

Leers glared at the silent, humbled Maritza a moment longer. She stayed silent and meek. In the end, however, he turned and resumed disassembling his weapons. "Instead of mourning him, Colonel, you should be trying to develop a weapon that will help us be rid of them." He continued as he put his barrel away next, followed by his machinery. "In the meantime, I'm assembling the 2nd and 3rd Armies."

Maritza looked up at this, and raised an eyebrow. "Two armies? Isn't that a bit excessive…?"

"I heard a similar reply to my statement to send the 1st Army." The general darkly retorted. "Right now, I want that insurrection stamped out so badly that I'd send a squadron of Gelinkas to turn that valley and city into rubble if I didn't know it would block the valley from us being able to pass through it."

"…It won't work."

Both Leers and Maritiza snapped around at the sound of the third voice. In a flash, Leers had dropped his barrel, swung into his uniform coat, and returned with a special-looking handgun that fired mako bullets. In less than half a second, the gun was pointed back at the entrance to the room. Both he and Maritiza were silent now as they stared at who had spoken.

Only now, snapped out of the initial surprise…did both officers feel uneasy. That voice…it had been so cold and dark that it seemed to suck the warmth from their bodies. The room seemed to be dimmer now…and the shadows that surrounded the figure on the other side of the room seemed to lengthen. It felt as if an invisible force had gone into their brains and forced down their bravery and strength…and made them feel fear in its place. Leers nearly forgot his own resolve and power on turning. However, he managed to stabilize himself, along with Maritza, and looked beyond.

A humanoid figure stood there. It wore some sort of long, black cape/coat, and it kept the hood drawn low over its head. It hands and feet were both clothed in black, and what looked almost like chains were crossed in front of it, holding the coat closed. For its face, one could see nothing but darkness. It stood there motionlessly as the sliding doors to the office slowly closed behind it, never moving or showing any sign that it was anything more than a wraith…

"Send all the troops and weapons you can devise…" A slow, thick, male tongue continued, its voice deep and dark. "They will all be destroyed. You cannot beat them…nor the one who leads them…so simply."

"Who the hell are you?" Leers responded, at last getting enough courage and force to speak. "How did you get up here?"

A short, cold laugh came from beneath the hood. It seemed to make Leers' and Maritza's hearts freeze as it sounded. A black gloved hand began to raise from the figure's side. Leers prepared himself to fire. "Perhaps…_this_ will show you how."

The general frowned, and nearly pulled the trigger. But before he could…what felt like an invisible line on his gun was yanked hard. The force was so strong that to his helpless shock he saw the weapon ripped from his grasp. Both he and Maritza continued to gape as they saw the pistol go straight away from Leers, and sail right for the new visitor. When it reached him, he calmly finished raising his hand to snatch it from the air. After that…he calmly and easily made a fist. To the surprise of both officers, the gun was immediately crushed like arotten bananna. Fragments of metal and ammunition dribbled from the closed black fist of the man…before he simply opened his hand and let the wreck of a weapon fall to the ground.

"You silly humans and your toys…" The mansnorted at the gesture.

Leers was frozen. He forced himself to keep a straight face, but by now he was growing fearful. Whatever this thing was, it couldn't be human. And it had great powers too… This wasn't…Sephiroth, was it? He was supposed to be dead by now, right? He didn't know. It was all he could do to maintain his expression and poise. However, after a moment more, he had to truly restrain himself from stepping back as the figure took a step forward.

"I can smell the fear you're trying so hard to hide from me." The dark voice sounded from the hood. "I'll tell you right now…you have no reason to fear me. Relax. I'm the answer to your small dilemna named Ragnar Vice."

Neither officer moved. Maritza looked once to Leers, and then back to the dark figure. The general himself straightened up a bit. This figure, whatever it was, seemed to be interested in that. And as a result, he realized he didn't have to be afraid at the moment. He might soon, but for now, he turned his attention away from the sudden appearance of this man and how he came, and turned solely to what he said. "Are you, now…?" He answered as calmly as he could. "And who might you be? A mercenary? An ex-SOLDIER?"

Another dark laugh sounded, making the general stiffen.

"Please… Just think of me as…an interested third party. To me, it doesn't really matter whether or not your army is defeated by this new Planet Protector Army. However…there are certain individuals within it that I am very interested in…as well as the person they represent. And to that end…I'm willing to help you reach your goal."

Maritza leaned in a bit, and cocked an eyebrow to this new arrival. Her own confidence was returning a bit, now that the initial surprise had passed. "Oh really?" She returned. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

"Like I said," The figure answered. "In terms of straight physical force, you cannot prevail against this enemy. I know who backs them. However…they are very susceptible to being destroyed from within. I do not think even they realize how vulnerable they are at this point. But I do. And all I want in return is the chance to indulge myself in their vulnerability."

The officers were silent again. To Leers…this sounded rather mysterious, and a bit crazy. It was also rather vague. What was this man talking about? What was he after? The General hated the idea of listening to him, and had he been anyone else he would have thrown him out. However…after what he had done to his pistol, he was willing to go on faith for a little while longer. He was much calmer now, and managed to take a step forward toward the man…a bit deeper into the darkness that surrounded him.

"…And…exactly who would I be giving this chance to?"

Another light laugh from under the hood…the darkest yet. After that, however, the black gloved hands slowly raised up and lightly pulled back the hood. The man beneath was revealed. His hair was slicked back and long…and was as dark as a moonless midnight. His skin was pale and nearly as white as snow, looking like it hadn't seen light in ages. His face was cruel and yet handsome, twisted back into some look of sadism or maliciousness. His grin was like that of a death's head. Finally…his eyes. His burning, red eyes… They were a deep blood red, and yet…they seemed so much older than the man who owned them…so much stronger than his body was…

"My name…is Nrevyw."

* * *

_To be continued..._

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok...by now some of you are groaning, some of you are sighing, and others are probably saying: "Oh come on...not again!" However, before you do, I'll go ahead and tell you that this is going to be the last "Wyvern Battle" in "The Wyvern Battles". After this, "The Wyvern Battles" portion of "The Servant" will finally be over. (I told you it would last a while.) In terms of what I have written down and not posted, I'm nearly finished with "The Wyvern Battles". After that, I'll _finally_ move on to the fourth saga of "The Servant"... So hang tight. This time, it's not going to simply be "Bahamut meets Wyvern, Bahamut fights Wyvern, Bahamut and Wyvern kill each other, Bahamut waits to come back so he can fight Wyvern again". I promise.


	53. Axis of Evil

_One Month Later_

Ragnar grit his teeth as Cloud brought down Event Horizon onto Ragnarok. It was amazing how strong he was, despite the fact he didn't look much bigger than him. He had to dig his feet in and struggle to hold back against him. Cloud pressed his own face in with his own teeth gritting, and the two men nearly touched as they shoved their weapons against each other. But in the end, Ragnar managed to twist his arms down, causing Cloud's own sword to be deflected. As the ex-mercenary's blade fell, Ragnar leapt back and got an opening. He then quickly darted forward again for the kill. However, Cloud was too quick. Though his main blade was still to the ground, it took only an instant for him to move one hand off of the handle, down to the sword, and then break off his smaller blade. As Ragnar advanced, Cloud began to back off, and blocked three successive strikes from the young general with his smaller sword. This was before he brought up both this blade and the larger one in a scissor grab, intercepting Ragnarok and forcing it into the air. Soon, both men were caught with their blades over their heads. Now open, Cloud took the opportunity to raise his foot and give Ragnar a powerful blow to the stomach.

The air went rushing out of the young man's lungs as the power of the hit sent him flying backward. He collided on the ground a moment later, the force of the attack causing his muscles to turn to jelly momentarily, leading him to release Ragnarok and let it fall to the ground at his side. Cloud, on his part, lowered his own weapons, but didn't rush in for the "kill". It was already obvious to both that he had won this spar again. After all…he always won. Instead, he put his two swords together again as he looked to Ragnar. The young general winced and rolled a bit for a moment, raising a hand to his middle. But in the end, he sat up, and managed to breathe more easily and recover. When he did, he looked up to Cloud again. His face became hopeful.

"See? It's not so bad."

Cloud gave a half-frown in response…although he had to admit, the kid was right. Cloud was currently dressed in a tan uniform similar to Ragnar's color. However, unlike him, his boots were more combat orientated, his pants were looser, and he wore only a shorter shirt with a sleeveless t-shirt underneath, lacking the uniform aspect. He did have embroidered patches on the arms of this shirt emphasizing his rank, and he did have a patch over his breast reading "General Cloud Strife" as well as a small flag over it showing that he had been involved in the Battle of the Cetra Valley. But it was still more organized for combat. Over his shirt, he wore a heavy set of shoulder and torso armor, similar to the kind he had worn years ago, only this time covering both halves of his upper body. These too were large and enabled mobility. Cloud's uniform had many modifications to it over the standard fair, per his request. He honestly couldn't find much wrong with it. But he sure wasn't going to admit that…

"I guess I can fight well enough in it." Cloud finally admitted, before putting his sword away and stepping forward to help Ragnar up.

The young man grinned, having known Cloud long enough at this point to know that meant he thought it was good. Moments later, he let Cloud take his hand and yank him back up to his feet. Once there, he turned to the side to take up his own discarded weapon.

The past month of reprieve from attack had been a big one for the emerging Planet Protector Army. News of their victory had helped generate more support for their forces. Ragnar's message continued to spread on the mainland, and he had issued two other messages since their first victory that also helped to recruit new followers. Shortly after the battle, they had managed to acquire a two old tugboats. Using them, they were able to ship supplies and troops more easily. Now, the town had swelled to having an army of a thousand. They had more tents now, and the area of the City of the Ancients had been divided into a true military encampment. There were specific barrack tents, command areas, supply tents, and other zones arranged in a sort of street format that constantly had traffic moving through it, be it families, soldiers, or playing children. They had more official mess areas now, ten different divisions, and true doctors and medical facilities. They no longer had to worry about shipping injuredpeople out. They didn't have the best care in the world, but they could manage them here.

They had divided their materia orbs again at this point, increasing their supply. They had plenty of ammunition and even more guns. They had managed to get two reclaimed artillery units from the Wutai-Shinra War and had them refurbished and armed, although they still needed a lot more. They had placed both at the barricade they had made in the last battle. They also had about eight heavy machine guns at this point, and had strategically placed them too. Their basic siegecraft had been improved and totally rearmed. They also had true armor and barricade material, rather than just whatever they could find. The valley was well protected.

The army was far better trained by now. They had more time to get them in shape and teach them how to use their weapons. The original three divisions could operate like a true military at this point, following orders and carrying out commands that required teamwork. Thanks to the training, they were also pretty deadly and formidable in combat. They had quite a few specialists in guns. Some soldiers had so much skill that Cloud started to train them in using swords, although there were only a fistful of them so far. In terms of hand-to-hand combat, only Zola and Noonian excelled among the raw recruits. They were fast and powerful in training, and they stunned Ragnar as well as his friends.

All in all, things were looking well. The army was more organized and better-equipped than it had ever been. They still needed more, but they were growing in strength. Ragnar hoped they could have a few more weapons, but for now all they could get were former wrecks or leftovers. New Shinra had been too thorough in cleaning up. However, they were accumulating more funds. Right now, the PPA was worth about 400,000 gil. Reeve had suggested investing that in a weapons firm, to actually set factories to work manufacturing artillery for them. That unnerved the young man a little…and so he had not elected in favor of it. That didn't mean things would change soon…

Ragnar had just finished taking up his sword to put it away when he heard a loud beeping from his side. The young general turned his head down, and looked to one of the latest additions to the army: walkie-talkies. He looked to Cloud for a moment, who only responded by looking up to him, and then turned back down to his side. He readily removed it, brought it to his mouth, and pressed the talk button.

"General Ragnar here, over."

There was a pause of silence, and then a crackle of static before a calm voice came through.

_"This is Colonel Nanaki, General. We have a problem. We need your presence immediately, over."_

Ragnar paused after hearing this, but in the end nodded. "Alright, we'll be right there. Over and out."

The young general clicked off his walkie-talkie and brought it back to his belt. As he did, he slowly sighed. His face began to look a bit troubled. He turned slightly behind him, looking back to Cloud. The man shrugged in resposne.

"It was going to happen sometime, kid. Just feel lucky that we had this much time between battles."

Ragnar exhaled and frowned, then shook his head and turned away from Cloud and back to the city. He immediately began to walk in that direction, already planning on going to the meeting tent. Cloud quickly fell in behind and walked after him. "I just wish we would have had more time… I wanted us to at least be up to 20,000 ourselves…"

"Can't always get what you want." Cloud simply answered. He ended that with a chuckle. "Come to think of it, where I'm concerned…we never get what we want."

Ragnar chuckled a bit himself at that, but then stayed silent. He and Cloud continued to walk forward. They usually trained on the outskirts of the City of the Ancients, although the inner area usually remained clear. Near the forest was just what they were used to. At any rate, one could barely see the city that much any more. With all the tents erected, it looked much more like a military encampment. However, Ragnar kept treating the city with respect. He didn't allow anyone to abuse it or deface it in any way. All latrines were outside of the camp, and people caught damaging or spreading graffiti on it were immediately punished. For the most part, people obeyed what he said, and for that he was grateful.

As they passed into the tent area, the two men went by a ramshackle sentry tower. It was really just a crow's nest with a single sniper on top of it, but it was better than nothing for now. It wasn't like they truly had to worry about what would come from the south, anyway. After this, they entered the "streets" of the camp, or the drags through the tents on either side. There was quite a bit going on here. Some people were moving supplies or weapons around on wheelbarrows and carts. One platoon of soldiers was marched by in neat rank and file, much better than last month. They wore their own tan combat uniforms now. The two men passed by a standard of the Planet Protector Army next, a white flag on a post that had a symbol of a shell in the center of it. It wasn't much right now, but it did represent the city where they were founded. Perhaps they'd do more to it later. Beneath the standard, a few children ran around kicking a muddy ball through the lanes. A few stopped and waved to the generals as they passed. Ragnar waved back and Cloud gave a nod, but then went on afterward.

After weaving their way through the camp for a little while, the two finally saw the meeting tent up ahead. It actually had its own standard, as well as a message on the side saying that it was for authorized personnel only. There were no guards here, but it didn't really matter. There wasn't anything in there to hide from the rest of the army. Cloud and Ragnar marched up to the closed flap. The latter pushed it back and walked right in with Cloud on his heels.

The interior hadn't changed much. There were still chairs making one side of the tent mostly a theater, while a table in front set the place up as a speaker's area. However, there was a real podium there now, and a projection screen was rolled up against the back canvas wall. There was also a map of their area posted, with a few icons tacked on representing their position and the enemy's. The main table itself had a map and a few figurines to represent positions and units. They were being used now. When Ragnar entered, he saw that Colonel Red XIII and Cait Sith were standing over it, with the stuffed cat pointing out areas on the map, and having the beast move figurines to the appropriate location. Aside from them, there were only two other officers in the area. Barret, with his normally grumpy expression, was leaned back in one chair with his arms crossed in front of him. Tifa was standing and looking partially at the table. However, when the two entered, she turned her full attention to Cloud and Ragnar instead.

Red XIII himself looked up from the map and leveled his one good eye at them when they arrived. He looked to Cloud and ran his gaze over him a moment first. "So you finally decided to wear the uniform." He addressed. "Good. I was about to complain about my own on the grounds that if you were not wearing yours, I would prefer to have mine off as well." Here, the creature indicated to his torso. A tan sash was across it, bearing the credits and distinction of Red XIII's rank. Naturally, Ragnar didn't expect him to wear a full uniform, but he thought this alone was necessary.

"I hope you didn't interrupt our sparring just to complain about the uniforms." Cloud stoicly answered.

"Not at all." Red XIII readily answered, turning his head back to the table before him. "Cait Sith here has just brought us word that we have trouble coming again from the north."

Ragnar frowned again and let out a slow exhale. So much for their break. He readily stepped forward to the map that the lion/wolf had set out. Cloud himself stepped up a bit, but then stood with his arms crossed. Barret snorted a bit from where he was. "So they're finally back… Took 'em long enough. Guess they had to cry for a while after how hard we spanked 'em."

"Personally, I hoped they would have stayed off a bit longer…" Tifa threw in uneasily. "But I guess we should be thankful that we got a whole month out of it."

"How bad is it?" Ragnar asked as he leaned over the map.

Cait Sith responded by pointing to the same area where the previous enemy encampment had been. His plush face twisted into anxiety. "They're not kidding around this time…assuming they _were_ kidding around last time. They're sending _two_ armies. That brings them up to over 40,000 troops."

Cloud's normally stern face actually widened a bit. "…40,000?" He echoed in some amazement. "Are they planning on making us run out of ammunition or something?"

Ragnar himself was a bit surprised…but not incredibly. After all…their army of 20,000 had proved to be futile against their group. It only made sense to send more. He looked a bit troubled at the map for a little while, but in the end gave a shrug. "Well…if they think the answer to this problem is to just send more at us, then they're in for a surprise. We still have the same size bottleneck. In the end, they'll only prolong how long it takes to beat them. And we're much better equipped this time."

"I was thinking similar thoughts." Red XIII answered, turning his head up to the general. "Which is exactly why I'm worried. They have to know what kind of defenses we have ready for them, and they have to have assumed that we have only dug ourselves in deeper than before. So why try simply sending more units at us?"

Barret snorted from where he was. "Who gives a damn. They're Shinra. They're stupid."

Ragnar, however, didn't take that comment as reassuring. Now that Red XIII brought that up…he too began to feel nervous. And he wasn't alone. He looked up to Cloud and Tifa, and saw that their faces were likewise turning to unease, and they stared back at the map uncomfortably. In the end, the general himself turned back to the map and shook his head. "Nanaki's right. This does seem too stupid. They have real military officers running their group. After the massacre we gave them last time, it'd be foolish to assume they were overconfident enough to think they could beat us just by overwhelming us with superior numbers. There's something not right here. They have to be planning something else."

Tifa continued to look uneasy, and crossed her arms and rubbed them uncomfortably before looking up to Ragnar. "Like what?"

"Maybe a new weapon…maybe a new strategy…" Cloud suggested.

Ragnar frowned again. "Whatever it is, I don't feel like waiting until the day of battle to find out." He looked up to Cait Sith shortly after. "How soon until they get here?"

"That's another thing." The stuffed robot replied uneasily. "They're already set up in the former camp. They're poised to march on us immediately. But my radio overheard their transmissions. They're supposed to wait there until tomorrow night. Then, they're supposed to march, but not be on us until about noon on the next day."

The others hesitated again at this, even Barret. He too could see that this wasn't right. Something was up. The enemy was trying some new strategy. Uneasily, they turned and looked up to one another, each one exchanging the same uncomfortable look. In the end, Ragnar inhaled once more and turned back to Cait Sith. His face became firmand commanding.

"…Cait…get back to their camp and find out as much information you can on how they plan to attack or what they plan to use. In the meantime…let's see if we can do anything to fortify our placement from last time, and get ready for the next battle."

* * *

Maritza set a similar case on the table to the one she had a month ago. However, on undoing the latches and opening it, she revealed something very different. A single, long, segmented device was there instead. She removed it at once, revealing that it had a set of wheels underneath each segment, and small sensors on the metal portion that looked like the "head". The woman beamed at her mechanincal triumph, setting it down on the table for all of the members at the meeting to see.

"Lovely, isn't it?" She announced. "I call it the 'ferret'. Motorized rock climbing grenade. Works on radio. A surveyor in a tank scans ahead and plots the potential areas. Then you set this baby to key in on the nearest one, up to about five hundred feet, and let it go. It'll climb sheer rock walls, roll to the coordinate, and then go off. Far more accurate, and far less conspicuous, than an RPG. The army doesn't have to worry about rockslides with this. The enemy will never see it coming. The last sound they'll hear is the miniature motor coming to a stop."

General Leers gave a nod from the head of the table. It was another meeting again…minus one member, of course, and plus an additional…"civilian". He was pleased with Maritza's work. She always found a way to get around a problem. It was her idea to build the Dome…and she had managed to make the experimental shield work. She also had detailed the plan for their ultimate weapon… But for now, he ignored that. The important thing was that she had found a way to deal with the enemy enclaves on the cliff walls. He was tempted to ignore the advice of their new "ally" in the wake of this, feeling that these "ferrets" would be enough…

A dark snort came from the opposite end of the table. "More children's toys, I see…"

Leers' expression turned dark, as he looked ahead to who had spoken. The other officers did as well, in addition to an indignant Maritza. By now, the General could weather this man well enough…despite the fact that the room always seemed to turn five degrees cooler as well as dimmer whenever he entered it. Everyone else was still rather uneasy. There was already a chair space between the end of the table and the officers…but now they backed away even more.

Nrevyw kept his small smile on his white, thin face as he regarded the new weapon with disdain. "This won't work, in addition to any other plan your small, temporal brains can think of, unless you trust in me."

Leers gave a frown in response, and leaned forward. "I told you that you would get your shot. You have until tomorrow night to do it, and yet I see you're still sitting here insulting our own plans."

"You should be kissing my feet." Nrevyw answered nonchalantly. "In two days, you will have wiped out their entire army thanks to me, which is something not even 20,000 of you were able to accomplish."

"I still have little reason to believe you're not a spy for them, no matter how much loathing you have for them…or seem to have." Leers retorted, still sharp and cold. "So you better be gone by the time we march in, or I won't hesitate to have you shot too."

Nrevyw merely snickered at this, seeming to find it genuinely amusing. Any threat that Leers made he reacted to as if it was a joke. The general frowned more at this, getting tired of having to deal with him. The dark man simply leaned back and waved a hand.

"Don't worry…this has been ordained since the beginning of time. Fate is on our side." Nrevyw calmly continued. "Just have your men ready to march on what's left of their army in two days. You can bring those little…" Here, he waved a dismissive hand at Martiza, causing the woman to glare daggers at him. "Weasels…or whatever you call them along if you like. But you won't be needing them. Just leave everything to me."

* * *

A day later, and the camp seemed even more like a military outpost.

With the news of the coming conflict announced, everyone was scrambling to get ready. Most of them would soon be seeing combat for the first time. Luckily, there were enough "veterans" to keep them in line. Children were being moved to safe areas. Weapons and ammunition were being carted to the front lines. Soldiers were being fully equipped and briefed on their responsibilities. People were running everywhere, getting the camp ready to weather an assault and preparing to move out.

Despite the news of the coming danger, most of the new recruits were enthusiastic. After all, their force had wiped out the enemy in much worse odds. They believed that the same would happen again, especially now that the odds were actually a bit better. They didn't realize that they were still severely outnumbered, nor did they care. Most of the newest members of the army weren't older men and veterans…but were raw, young, idealistic people. They were college students and environmentalists, loving the chance to literally fight for the well-being of the Planet. Some of them were far more reckless and wild than Ragnar, or anyone else, wanted. They hadn't seen anyone die around them their entire lives, and had a somewhat skewed and heroic vision of war. Nevertheless, their enthusiasm was welcome for now, and they were eager to see action for the first time.

And because of this, the air around the camp was that they would win again. They believed in their general, the mysterious ex-prisoner who had rallied them through his address to his cause. He was a hero for their generation, not so much because of his story as his act of "raging against the machine", so to speak. Ragnar didn't very well like that sort of reputation either. This wasn't about rebelling against an old authority or government to him. This was about making the world safe for everyone. Nevertheless, it did bring more to his cause, as did the legends about how he fought in battle. Young people didn't realize how much they still had to lose and what was ahead of them, and in their "live hard, die young" mentality, they were far more inclined to fight for a heroic cause. They relished the opportunity to do something such as this as they went around the camp.

That wasn't all, however. Ragnar wasn't aware of this, but when he spoke…he seemed to gain a new power. Some sort of inner light and force took control of him, and he transformed into another person. He turned into one that others believed in and trusted, and his feelings of passion and determination bled into them. His resolve became their resolve. He didn't know it…but many of them stayed and remained brave because he was certain and steadfast, committed to his goal. And as such, they too felt inspired and driven by him, the one whose words had persuaded them in the first place, and stayed at his side.

Night was falling on the next day when things began to wind down. The army had well prepared itself. They had four times as much ammunition at the overhead attack points, and they had built small barriers around them, knowing that the enemy would try to hit them in advance this time. They had more strategically placed charges for rockslides as well, and had them set by remote. They had more batteries for guns in play, and even a couple of artillery units to handle any approaching tanks. Everyone was well armed, and there were enough helmets for more than half of them. They were also far more accurate than last time. As the units started to turn in at dusk, getting a good night's rest for tomorrow's conflict, they felt certain that victory would be theirs again.

Confidence such as this…echoing loudly in the thoughts of the hundreds in the camp…was one reason why Bahamut felt worry.

Getting into camp was easy. There weren't enough restricted areas or people in uniform for soldiers to mind a civilian or two wandering around. To them, the mountain man looked like just another resident of the compound. As such, Bahamut found it surprisingly easy to slip in and lean against a pole bearing the standard of Ragnar's new "Planet Protector Army". He stood now with his arms crossed and his beaten clothing hanging off of him. His wide-brimmed hat was pulled low over his face, and his long white hair was put under it. He hadn't seen his pupil, but he didn't want to risk him picking up on him so soon. Knowing that his mere existence could signify his presence to Ragnar, as familiar with him as he was, Bahamut also suppressed his aura slightly.

The esper kept his human arms crossed and looked up disdainfully every time he saw an eager new recruit or a pair of soldiers talking about how they were eager to kill tomorrow. They were fools. They had no idea what war was really like. It was small wonder that humans had been so fond of war. Young as they were, lacking the wisdom that came with age, they were prone to making deadly mistakes. He hoped that Ragnar knew what he was doing by recruiting them.

That wasn't to say he wasn't pleased with his progress. Oh no…he was very impressed with how he had handled the Battle of Cetra Valley. But he still feared for him. He was still young and inexperienced, and his army was barely anything more than a gang of guerillas. He didn't feel confident enough yet to totally leave his side and return to Etteca. Despite his earlier statement of intent, Bahamut felt like hanging around a bit longer to keep an eye on him. Seeing the rawness of the recruits only strengthened his resolve in that sense.

However…that wasn't the only reason he stayed.

It wasn't the main one either.

Bahamut had not felt safe since he saw Zola and Noonian. He detected no lie on the mind of Zola, and since then, as he had been secretly watching and scanning him, he saw no sign of trickery either. Even a creature such as him was unable to keep his mind filled with false emotions all the time. And Bahamut could see through simple tricks with his new mind anyway. But seeing those two…seeing that they still lived…and were so close to the young man he had trained…he didn't feel at all at ease. Had Bahamut lacked a sense of justice, he would have simply gone up to Zola and Noonian and killed them both to be done with it. So far, they seemed genuine enough…

But Bahamut was feeling more uneasy over the past month. Something cold grasped him in his sleep, and he woke up panting from some nameless, formless fear. He would wander around the campground unseen sometimes…and then would catch a breeze of something familiar… It brought back old memories…dark memories. His flesh kept crawling from time to time…and his mind burned. It couldn't be possible… Even if he had survived the journey into space, his body was at least as ruined as Bahamut's had been. Returning to an environment with an atmosphere would have done nothing more than finished off what was left of his barely-living corpse… He had to be gone now…at least drifting endlessly in the void of space…

The road slowly began to clear around Bahamut. People weren't going to bed all together, but they were moving all to the side roads, and leaving the main drag clear save for a few people walking by. As night fell, the electric lights that had been mounted around the camp began to come on. Bahamut was soon alone against the post, and being bathed in pale white light. The esper slowly inhaled and exhaled. His precognition was still working, in a sense. He hadn't encountered anymore visions with the strange boy and doors…but whenever he meditated, he received general visions. The general one this time was showing that there was danger coming…something very bad and sinister. Every day that passed it came closer. And now, on the eve of battle, Bahamut felt as if it was almost right on top of them…

"…Mr. Tumahab."

Bahamut's ear raised at that…before his body turned rigid. It wasn't just to the name…but to the voice.

At once, his mind went blank. His blue eyes shrank into pupils. His mouth loosened. His heart froze in terror.

_Impossible…_

_He's dead…_

And yet, the same feeling of ice water running in his veins…the same feeling of his stomach turning into a knot…and the same feeling of horror as the familiar smell filled his nostrils occurred. It couldn't be true…

But…somehow…he had felt it this whole time. He had feared it more than anything…yet knew it was coming. He had always known. That was why he had stayed. Slowly, his head turned to his left.

The rest of the world seemed to go silent as the black boots slowly stepped against the rough ground. Each step was firm and hollow, and yet echoed down the entire lane. His black coat swept behind him like a living shadow. His white hands with long, talon-like nails were in fists and slowly swung next to him. His whole body seemed to be moving in slow motion. The whole world seemed to have slowed…all to focus on his arrival. His perfect black hair hung back over his head, and he smiled with a look that could curdle milk as his blood-red eyes focused on Bahamut's own.

Bahamut somehow willed himself to shut his mouth. He also managed to make himself stand. Despite the terror in his heart, the fear and shock gripping his soul, he forced himself to turn to him. His memory…filled with horrible pain…and the agony of death…began to flood his body with almost paralyzing thoughts. He felt colder just standing up to him…and yet he forced himself to take a few steps toward him. The living demon continued to calmly approach, smiling at him the whole time. He felt no fear whatsoever. He never feared Bahamut…only increased Bahamut's fear of him with every battle…making him associate his very face with agony and despair…turning himself into a living nightmare. Bahamut felt that same terror inside him, knowing the power and darkness within the man before him, as he came to a halt and waited for him to finish approaching. It took all he had to keep himself from panicking and keep a straight face as the man halted in front of him moments later.

Wyvern's smile widened a bit. "You seem a little surprised to see me. Are you?"

Bahamut glared expressionlessly back. For a few moments, he stayed totally silent. But in the end, he inhaled deeply. "…No, actually." He finally admitted.

Wyvern let out a small snort. "Good. That means you may finally be growing aware of the truth."

"And what truth would that be?" Bahamut instantly answered.

Wyvern smiled and chuckled again in response. "I think you know the truth already, Bahamut. Or if you don't…then you're either a fool, which I know you aren't…or you're lying to yourself. It becomes more and more obvious every time we meet."

"Why don't you enlighten me?" Bahamut asked with feigned interest.

The dark esper before him narrowed his gaze and smiled further. "…For years now…centuries…you have thought that I was the crazy one, Bahamut. You thought my plans were mad. You thought my purposes were misguided. You thought that your own way was the only thing that could truly matter, and that it, in fact, was the right way. And yet…in spite of doing so…throughout history…each and every one of your intentions has failed and been destroyed. Your Paladin…your dragoons…Terratopolis…the summoners…the children you spawned…even Terra and her little whelps. Each and every one of your plans for this world…your noble visions…have been crushed into nothingness, and have joined you in whatever grave I managed to throw you into.

"Yet time and time again…you keep coming back. You keep returning, and renewing whatever vision you have for Gaia. And what else happens, inevitably, is that _I_ come back. I come back to destroy you, and you destroy me, and this world goes on without us. How strange…don't you think? No matter where you are…no matter where you come from…we always manage to meet up with each other again to renew our inevitable conflict.

"Certainly you must see the obviousness of the truth now, Bahamut. I'll admit, it deluded me for years as well. But now I see it…and the more I see it the more obvious it becomes. Don't you realize it at this point? None of our fights were due to coincidence or luck. It is by no circumstance that we two espers have so long outlived our race, and that time and destiny keeps our immortal battle going on every time we do. What you have denied for so long time and history has made truth."

"What truth?" Bahamut asked again, still unchanged.

Wyvern's smile widened again. "That you, Bahamut, are a curse upon Gaia…and that I am your ordained punishment for your sins."

Bahamut was stunned into silence at that sort of response…and yet it was said with such deadly seriousness that it rippled through his body with a new cold sensation.

"Look at you, Bahamut. Look at what you've done." Wyvern continued. "Ever since you betrayed me, each one of your plans ended in failure. The Paladin and dragoon used their powers to oppress their fellow man. The descendants of the summoners you let live enslaved your family and your people. Terratopolis, the great dwelling place…or should I say hiding place…of your race turned into a slaughterhouse. Your beloved's descendants live on a barren waste of a land where they are the lowliest of all people. Everything you've ever tried to do has been for nothing, and has only sped this world along on destruction.

"And the reason for all of this is simple…yet a truth you have refused to accept ever since it became obvious… You were supposed to die in that fight with Griever…die giving your brother the power he needed to win. After that, it was him, not you, that was supposed to usher in an era of peace on this world. But you undermined him. You hated him. You took the position of nobility and greatness from him, stabbing him in the back and sentencing him to banishment."

"_You_ were the one who left, and refused to come back no matter how sorry I was." Bahamut accused.

Wyvern merely snorted. "All these years, Bahamut…you think _I've_ been the one with the false memories. Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps I remember things the way they really are, and that _you_ are the one who has been painting the illusions?"

The esper hesitated at that, surprised at such a response, and showed it.

"How many times have _you_ warped _my_ words, hm? How many times have you distorted my intentions, and the intentions of the Planet? How many things have you twisted from her so that it suited you? Think about it, Bahamut. See the obviousness of it all. See that I'm not lying. Without fail…I have been stronger than you for generations. And without fail…every time you come back from the dead, _I_ come back stronger. Every time, I nearly kill you…and only luck saves you. I die again and again…only to come back stronger each time, no matter how much stronger you become. And during this time, everything that you worked for passes away and dies…and yet you remain. Both you and I remain. You keep coming back, trying to remake this world in your image…never once realizing the truth.

"The truth is that the Planet doesn't _want_ your image for this world, Bahamut. The truth is that fate has ordained that all of your misguided creations will be destroyed, bringing chaos to the world in their wake. Don't you realize that now? Or have you been deluding yourself with more false memories to believe it wasn't so?"

Bahamut froze at this. He had dismissed Wyvern as mad long ago, and didn't pay any attention to his words. But now…he hesitated. There was some truth in what he said. He had to stop to think about it momentarily. It was true...all of Bahamut's hopes and dreams for this world…all of his attempts to remake it and help it…all of them had failed in the end. Every one of his creations had died. Every one of his wishes had faded. And now…there was only him left on this world. His race was gone. His home was gone. His noble races of humans were gone. What was left was a hedonistic world that didn't believe in him or in the sacredness of life or nature. His policy of non-involvement eventually led to humanity becoming greater than his race…and then treating them like sheep for the slaughter. And the last part was true as well… No matter what happened…no matter what the circumstances…Wyvern kept coming back with him…and always stronger.

"Do you understand yet, Bahamut? Can you finally accept the truth that the Planet itself shoves in your face? I keep returning _because you refuse to stay dead_. I keep coming back now to destroy all that you create. I keep fighting you because you keep existing. The world itself declared who was to be the next ruler…and yet you have twisted and ruined everything to bring that about for ages now. Now…I am the expression of vengeance. I am your shadow…the guilt on your conscience…the image of the brother you betrayed and spurned… I will never die, never pass on, never rest…so long as you continue to come back. Hell opens wide to consume you for your sin…and so long as you keep snatching yourself from its mouth I will be here to force you back into it. I will give you the eternity of pain you thought you could get away from. And I will never…_ever_ be gone. No matter how many times you destroy me…fate will always bring me back again and again and again…until you finally accept your punishment for your sin."

The esper stared back at the smiling face in utter silence. As he did…he felt a fearful possibility begin to turn in him. Until now, he could dismiss this as lunacy…but was he kidding himself? Wyvern did keep coming back…no matter what happened to him. Planets and death couldn't keep him back. He just kept returning, and each time was worse. The odds were horribly against him…and yet he kept defying them...

What if he was telling the truth? What if fate was indeed on his side, bringing him back each time he killed him?

What if _he_ was supposed to die?

But that was impossible…why should he? Unless…Wyvern was telling the truth. Unless he was wrong. Unless…he truly was remembering things incorrectly… What if, after all these years…_he _was the one who was kidding himself? What if he was the shadow to Wyvern's substance, and not the other way around? He could almost see himself doing the things he was accused of…casting Wyvern out…feeling, in his heart of hearts, jealous of him…

_No…_

_What am I doing?_

Abruptly, Bahamut turned violent. Gnashing his teeth, his eyes turning serpentine in anger, he seized Wyvern by the collar. Violently, he twisted him around and flung him against the post. He held him in the air as his own nails lengthened into talons, and glared at him with killer intent.

_"Liar!"_

Wyvern didn't even change his expression, but looked perfectly calm as he stared down at Bahamut. "Deluding yourself again I see…even as your own insane, irrational rage against me comes out." He simply answered. "Perhaps you truly are blind…or crazy…to not see it."

"Shut up!" Bahamut yelled back, nearly turning bestial in his roar. "What do you want?"

"To take away everything from you…again and again for the rest of eternity. I am your personal Hell made flesh."

Bahamut's thoughts suddenly turned to Ragnar. On realizing that, his own skin turned slightly white. Immediately, his anger doubled and he shoved Wyvern harder.

"If you lay a finger on him, I'll-"

Bahamut was cut off as Wyvern snapped his hands around and grasped his own. Immediately…he increased the pressure. It soon felt like Bahamut's hands were being crushed in metal vices. The anger slowly faded on Bahamut's face. It was replaced with a look of first shock, and then agony. He struggled to withstand it…but even in his new body, Wyvern was easily hurting him. The dark esper didn't even change his expression, or look the slightest bit strained. He quite calmly pulled Bahamut's hands off of him, even as the esper struggled to fight back, and then lowered himself to the ground. He placed Bahamut's agonized limbs back at his sides, never losing his smile in the least.

"You'll do what?" Wyvern innocently asked as he released Bahamut's limbs.

The esper shot his hands back immediately…and struggled to keep from showing the horrible, throbbing pain that now traveled up and down his arms. He struggled his best to ball his hands into fists, and glare back at Wyvern defiantly. But it didn't matter. The deed was done, and Wyvern had proven himself the stronger yet again. Bahamut couldn't understand it. He had come back stronger again. How? How could anything be made more powerful than this ZERO body? Was it just his human form that was this weak?

"Besides…I don't think you really want to fight me here…" Wyvern continued, gesturing around himself. "We wouldn't want your precious army to be destroyed by a stray breath attack, now would we? Don't worry about your new pet, however. I won't lay a finger on him."

Bahamut glared back at him. "What about the army?"

"I don't care about them nearly so much as you. I promise you…I won't hurt any one of them."

"Bull."

Wyvern shrugged. "Call it whatever you want. I've said my piece. I'm done here."

"Oh no you're not." Bahamut shot back. "If you want to settle this, then let's get it over with already."

Wyvern merely smiled in response…

And then disappeared into thin air.

Bahamut's eyes widened. Immediately, he darted his head around the area in confusion. Had he moved so fast that Bahamut hadn't even seen him? That didn't seem possible…not with his new eyes, no matter how strong he had become. However, as Bahamut scanned his surroundings, trying to see where he fled…he sensed nothing. No energy spikes. No retreating power. That was crazy… He had to have fled. And at that speed, he had to have left some sort of signature…

Suddenly…Bahamut noticed something. While trying to scan, he sensed something wrong in his mind. Some sort of anomaly. He hesitated on realizing this. For a moment, he paused, but then closed his eyes and focused. He sought the anomaly out in his brain…and soon made a horrifying discovery. It was some sort of block on his senses…some sort of mind trick or control.

_Wyvern had mastered the ability to use his psychic powers._

Bahamut sweat in response to this, and angrily removed the block. This was not good. The one advantage he always had against Wyvern was that the latter never mastered his latent mental abilities. But now, he knew what had happened. Wyvern had inserted a mind control message into his brain that told Bahamut that he had vanished. Bahamut hadn't expected any sort of mental attack since he had been rebuilt. As such…he didn't know he was being attacked until it was too late. This was very bad. With the ability to use mind control…it would be child's play for Wyvern to seize total control of thousands. Perhaps that was what he truly meant when he said that _he_ wouldn't hurt any of them…

Bahamut had to find him. Immediately, he stretched out his senses again. But even with the block removed, he sensed nothing. The esper grew frightened for a moment, knowing that Wyvern could have gone anywhere during that time. He could have leaned right next to Bahamut and whispered in his ear, and he wouldn't have known. After a moment of searching, however, he cursed himself again. Of course. With the ability to use his psychic powers, he probably had learned how to fully manipulate his own energy. He had totally suppressed his signature. It would be impossible to locate him like this.

Cursing himself yet again, Bahamut turned and began to pass into the camp. He had to work fast. He quickly began to stretch his own mental powers out, and envelope as many people as he could. Even he couldn't do a decent barrier on everyone, but he had to try. If Wyvern planned on seizing control of anyone, he had to try and undo it as quickly as it happened. And he had to keep an eye on Ragnar. Based on what the madman had said…he'd go for him in one way or another…

* * *

"Why don't you just make a new Tri-blade?"

Zola merely smiled in response as he ran the stone along the surface of his weapon. "I kind of like this sharpening thing they do. It doubles the use. Besides…you know how much calcium I have to eat to make one of these?"

Noonian merely sighed and leaned back on her own cot. Although both she and Zola were lieutenants, they kept their own tent separate. Part of it was due to executive privilege…but part of it was also due to reasons obvious to themselves. Noonian, after five hundred years, still hated to show her naked body in front of other humans. Zola didn't mind so much. He kind of liked it. Humans were so easily impressed. That was what made being in disguise so much fun. His superhuman ability would have been easily defeated by a true esper, but he was legendary in the eyes of humanity. It filled him with some pride.

"Why do you go out of your way to be like them, anyway?" Noonian unhappily stated from where she now laid. "Sometimes, I think you're getting to be like old Bahamut, always doting over them."

Zola frowned uncomfortably at that, and paused in his sharpening. He was reclined on his own cot, but was sitting up and allowed his sword to rest on one crossed leg. After a moment, he resumed sharpening. "Well…seeing as 'old Bahamut' is still around, that might not be a bad thing." He finally answered.

Noonian sighed and turned over. The truth was, which Zola kept to himself…he liked this Ragnar. He didn't know why. Something about his magnetic personality that attracted these humans to him. He hadn't lied when he said he had been with the humans now. When he and Noonian had left Mt. Zozo and made their way south, struggling to not be attacked or driven off by monster fearing humans…they eventually passed out due to water and food loss near Kohlingen. Before then, however, they managed to change into human form. When they woke up, they saw humans feeding them and tending their wounds. Noonian had shrank back with all the strength she could muster, but not Zola. He thought they might as well. As he recovered, he began to realize that they weren't so bad after all. Many of them were rather kind, and their children at least were innocent, just as esper children were. There were bad ones, yes…but they seemed to be very esper like in most of their capacities for love.

But this Ragnar… Something about him…something about his mission… The humans had treated him like a dog just like the humans once treated espers like dogs. These Shinra humans…they were out to exploit the natural world just like their forefathers had done, and now Zola had begun to see that, whether or not you were human or esper, you could always be exploited by greedy humans. They didn't spare their own race the same mistreatment. And now…this human was out to try and make things right. He had a greater love for the Planet than some espers Zola had known. It amazed him. And something about him…it attracted the half esper to him. It made him feel hopeful inside…purposeful… He didn't know why, but…

"Well, well…look who we have here."

_That voice…_

On hearing that voice…that dark, cold tone…the one he had heard countless times before…Zola's hands froze and his mind went blank. Both his sword and the sharpening stone fell from his grasp. His heart began to race, and his breathing began to increase. He wasn't alone. Noonian snapped back out of bed as if she had been bitten by a rattlesnake. Now, both panic-stricken people looked to the front of their tent…and saw _him_.

Wyvern, in human form, though having lost the mustache and made himself a bit younger, calmly leaned in the door frame with a small smile.

"M-m-master…" Noonian quivered. She was shaking all over like a leaf. Zola himself felt terror far deeper and stronger than he had ever felt before deep in his heart. His insides had turned cold. He began to cringe back from the entrance. Noonian herself began to cower. "What…how…we…we thought…"

"So…this is what became of the two young half-espers I took under my wing so many years ago…" Wyvern continued calmly as he walked in. He turned his head from one to the other. Each time, the corresponding creature cringed, trembled, and averted their gaze. "My two faithful servants… Those who swore fealty to me and antagonism to all of my enemies… Who swore a mere ten centuries ago to hate all humans forever…" The dark esper paused here, now standing in the room, in between both. Out of terror, both of them had turned to him. Out of respect for their old master, they slowly crawled off of their cots and to the ground, where they buried their faces in the dirt and tried to shrink back, almost hiding under their cots.

The esper snorted and frowned. "How pathetic." He sneered at both of them. "Look at you…meaningless lap dogs of the human race… How low you have become. And to think…I almost hoped that you two would have continued my mission in my stead. I should have known…" He glared coldly from one to another, both still trembling in fear. "…You lacked the spines."

"M-m-my lord…" Noonian finally managed to squeak out, keeping her head pressed to the ground. She slowly groveled forward, to cring at the feet of Wyvern. "We…we didn't know… We…we had to live among them…adopt their customs… No one felt more self-loathing and disgust than me…but they would have killed us…"

"Then you should have died rather than lived as slaves." Wyvern snapped back. Noonian immediately went silent and cowered further. Zola himself risked a small look up from his own hunched position. However, when Wyvern snapped around to him, he immediately bowed his head once more. "You, Zola…you disappoint me more than sicken me. You joined the side of the one who followed my enemy so readily when the chance came… I suppose I should have expected it. You two were always cowards who followed whoever was the one with power."

Zola didn't answer or look up. He kept his head bowed and continued to tremble. Wyvern looked over them both again. His shadow spread over them. The room became colder around his commanding presence. But in the end, however, he smiled and walked forward a bit more. He passed by both of their cowering bodies and went to the back of the tent. From there, he turned around and looked to them both.

"However…that time is over now." He simply responded. "I'm back…and things will return to the way they were very shortly. As for you two, it is good that you have still survived. You will prove very useful over the next few hours. During that time, you can prove your loyalty to me once more."

"Oh!" Noonian exclaimed. She raised her head from the dirt just enough to smile, and let her old tears run off of her face. "Thank you, master! Thank you! You are so generous and kind!"

"Wyv…um…Master Wyvern…" Zola finally ventured, speaking up for the first time since Wyvern had entered the room. Still cringing and afraid, he raised his head slightly off the ground, and somehow managed to meet the blood red eyes on his old lord. "He…Bahamut…he is here. He's been watching us. He'll certainly…"

Wyvern merely snickered in response, and waved his hand at Zola. "Relax. My ex-brother is no threat to us now. You see…" Here, he held the hand he waved, and slowly turned it over to the tent canvas. Both Zola and Noonian looked up and watched him. As they did, the dark esper pushed his hand to the canvas…and it slipped right through. "I'm not really here…and you two aren't really groveling in the dirt. I've learned quite a few tricks since last time. By using simple mind control, I can transmit an illusion of the little meeting we're having right into your brains. But rest assured…I am within the camp. I'm just playing a little game with Bahamut right now of hide and seek. Now…I am truly his master in every conceivable way. And the time has come once again to educate him of that."

Zola hesitated at this. However, Noonian smiled and nodded rapidly. "Yes, yes!" She called back. "We will do whatever you command, as always, master! What is our latest mission?"

"Nothing more than renewing our destined mission, Noonian." Wyvern calmly answered as he pulled his hand back. "Bahamut has come to life again, and foolishly believed he could carve out a world for himself. The time has come to prove him wrong. Over the next few hours…we will destroy everything that he has built and fill both him and those he loves with misery. We shall make him beg for death…before I graciously grant him his request. The fates are on our side…and we cannot be defeated. This time…he will suffer unendingly."

"…Master?"

This meek reply came at the end of Wyvern's short speech. In response, the dark esper raised an eyebrow. He turned his head down and glared at Zola. Noonian looked over to him for a moment…but just long enough to send a silent message of "what are you doing" before looking back and becoming obedient once again. Zola himself swallowed and kept his head bowed, but nervously managed to speak.

"Master… You are powerful and wise. You are the greatest of all espers. You're practically a god. We know you can destroy Bahamut easily now. We do not fear him or any human. You have defeated death once again, and come back far stronger than before. And now…Bahamut can at last perish in the flames of Hell." He hesitated again, and swallowed. When he spoke up, he was even meeker. "But…do you really need to waste your time…your energy…on such inconsequential creatures? They don't amount to anything… They mean nothing. They don't live longer thana hundredmost of the time… And these ones…they're actually trying to help the-"

"Are you questioning my orders, Zola?"

The half esper paled. He groveled more into the dirt. "N-n-no…"

"Because it sounds like you are." Wyvern answered as he stepped forward. Zola felt colder, and the air around him seemed to grow charged. "You seem to think after a five hundred year absence that you can just up and question my orders whenever you feel like it. It seems that you forgot your proper place and your true master after so long. Perhaps…have you been enjoying my leave of absence, Zola? Have you enjoyed being your own person? Perhaps…you have enjoyed _serving_ the humans like a common dog?"

"He was always questioning you, master." Noonian immediately blurted out. "Always glad you were gone. I was always faithful…telling him to be silent until you returned. But he made me join the humans…"

"Keep your cowardly tongue behind your teeth, worm." Wyvern spat back harshly at Noonian. The woman immediately went silent and cringed again, putting her face back into the dirt. After that, he turned his full attention on Zola.

"…I serve no one…save you, my master." Zola choked out after a moment, still quivering in terror. "I obey only you…"

"Swear to me."

"I swear…you are my master…"

"Renew your vows then." Wyvern retorted, more harshly.

"…I hate humanity…and I will never forgive them…or the injustice that Bahamut did to you."

"This…Ragnar…this mongrel of a human…this filthy disciple of the cursed esper, the demon upon Gaia…what will you do to him?"

"Whatever you command, my lord."

"What will you do to him when you have the chance, _without_ me commanding you!" Wyvern snapped back more violently.

Zola trembled again. He swallowed. Inside his brain…a small part of him told him to stay silent…to not say what he knew he needed to say. He didn't feel it. But in the end…he didn't dare deny the creature before him.

"…I'll slice off his skin and devour his flesh."

"That will do, for now." Wyvern finally answered with a half-snort. "You, Zola…will have to prove your loyalty far more rigorously than your sister. And you will receive more than ample opportunities tonight. We have much work to do…and we must get underway immediately."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	54. Stone Silence

"Pst! Everyone! Wake up!"

A soldier groaned and grunted from where he was. However, he began to come to consciousness rather quickly. Not only him, but those gathered with him as well. After all, they recognized this voice well. They had heard it many times before. The soldier himself sighed. Was it time to get up already? He thought they weren't getting up until 5 AM for the battle… Yet that was the sound of his commanding officer.He opened his eyes and looked out. But at that moment…he noticed something. Lieutenant Noonian wasn't yelling at them to wake up. She was whispering for them to…

The barrack tents weren't much. They had portable bunks inside them, lined up down the interior of the tent. They were good enough to keep out weather, and the ground of the city was stone, preventing the problems of mud or water. And since there were no bugs here, it was a fairly good place to be. As the soldiers woke up, they groaned and blinked in the dim light of the tent. It was still dark inside, but the tent flap was open, and it spilled in electric light from the outside. Theylooked across to one another, seeing their opposing canvas walls filled with bunks and sleeping personnel. Yet they didn't look to each other long. Most of them turned down to the front…where, standing alert and in full battle array, was Lieutnenant Noonian.

"Madam…" One of the soldiers groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Is it time to move out already? My watch only reads 2 AM…"

"No, it's not. But I need to tell you all something." Noonian answered. Her face was anxious, and her voice was in a rapid whisper. She looked around a bit behind her, seeming to be afraid that someone might overhear her or follow her. After a moment longer, she turned back to them.

"Guys…we have a problem. I just got back from visiting General Ragnar's dwelling. I wanted to ask him something about tomorrow. He wasn't there. I looked around for him, but I couldn't find him. I finally went to General Cloud's tent…but he was gone too, and so was Commander Tifa. Nobody knows where they went. But they had taken their bedrolls and weapons with them."

On hearing this, the soldiers shook off their last bit of sleep and focused on Noonian. Their eyes widened slightly, and their own looks began to grow troubled.

"What?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Where are they?"

Noonian swallowed, and whispered again, but was louder in whispering this time…more forceful. "Guys…I think they saw something coming in the enemy troops. Something that made them think we couldn't beat them. I think they ran off and left us here without sounding a retreat."

Anxiety began to travel through the room at this point. Some of the recruits began to look to each other uneasily, while others began to look more surprised and confused.

"That's impossible…"

"Why would they do that?"

"They wouldn't have left us."

"Unless they wanted the New Shinra to be killing us while they ran…"

"That's crazy! General Cloud wouldn't run!"

"Hey, neither would General Ragnar!"

"How can you tell?"

"Haven't you listened to anything he said in his speeches?"

"Those were just speeches. They weren't actions."

"Hey, he came through after that one week. It's probably nothing."

"Yeah. He wandered of then and came back with more supplies and troops."

"That was before he knew there were two armies coming at him…"

"Hey, shut up! If this was a real army, you'd be arrested for treason!"

"And what's this supposed to be?"

"He didn't run anywhere!"

"Guys! Shh-shh!" Noonian suddenly hushed, putting a finger to her lips and quieting them down. "I don't want anyone else to hear! They might be trying to run too! I just came here to say, if they're running…we need to get out of here too. I don't know about you, but I'm not staying here for a guy who leaves us hanging like this."

"Lieutenant, I'm sure it's nothing." One of the soldiers called back. "General Ragnar wouldn't leave us."

"Oh yeah?" Another challenged in a different bunk. "What if he would?"

"Hey. The man charged right back down New Shinra's throat to liberate his town. He has balls of steel, if you ask me."

"Me too."

"Guys, I really think we're making a mistake." Noonian answered, her voice worried. "I really think he's gone."

"He'll be back by tomorrow's battle. You'll see." A soldier reassured.

"Well, if he isn't…I vote we get out of here while we can." Noonian responded. "If neither he nor Cloud show up tomorrow, we'll know that something's up. I'll stick around to cover you guys, but the rest of you better clear out of here and run for the south. If these guys run, then we know the rest of us don't stand a chance."

"I'm with the lieutenant." One of the soldiers spoke up.

"Same here."

"You guys are worried for nothing. I bet he'll show up with even more soldiers or some new weapon tomorrow."

"Well, just the same. If he doesn't fight tomorrow, I sure as hell ain't."

"I thought you wanted to fight against New Shinra?"

"Fighting them is one thing. I'm not sticking around under a damn coward."

"Fine. But I'm telling him tomorrow when he shows up that you said that…"

Noonian gave a nod. "Alright everyone. Just go back to sleep for now. Don't tell anyone I said this. I'll get the message out myself. Good luck tomorrow, whatever happens."

With that, the lieutenant turned and walked out of the tent back the way she came. She closed the flap behind her, plunging the interior back into darkness. However…she was quite confident that her soldiers wouldn't be going back to sleep so easily, now that she had firmly planted the seeds of doubt in their minds.

* * *

Wyvern patiently waited with arms crossed at the entrance to the valley. Ahead of him, he saw his two servants returning. He hadn't expected the dissention from Zola…but it didn't matter. In the end, they were both cowards, and they followed whoever was in charge. They'd follow commands. It was still night for now, but in a few minutes the sky would just start to turn purple. With it would come dawn, and with dawn would come the end of their time to move. However…he was well pleased with the progress so far. Both Zola and Noonian had set up their divisions to defect and flee for their lives tomorrow. With them, the beginnings of doubt and fear had arisen. Their retreat would only send more doubt and fear into the rest of the troops, making them that much easier to kill.

The dark esper stood calmly in the gloom as Zola and Noonian both returned to him. He wasn't worried about Bahamut. Oh no…that mind trick had been perfect. Now, the seeds of doubt were planted in his ex-brother's mind as well. He thought he had to race to protect the army from mind control, and so that was what he was doing. No doubt, he was also watching over that pitiful little human. Pity. Wyvern had been telling the truth about that. Personally, Wyvern considered mind control to be harming this upstart general as well. The true trick? To find a way to get him to kill himself… And he believed he had done just that. But for now, he blocked out the thoughts of himself and the two around him. He had set up a fake mental signature in their tent. After all…Bahamut would suspect them first of all, now that he was back in town. Of course…Bahamut could always pay a visit to the tent himself. But that didn't matter. At the moment, there was no way he could locate any of them. For now, they could move about unseen. If he eventually found Zola and Noonian and exacted a penalty from them…so be it. For now, he only needed them to stay alive a few more hours.

Noonian threw herself down into a kneel at Wyvern's feet. Zola, uneasy looking and nervous, only slowly followed suit. One of the only reasons that Wyvern was letting Zola live at this moment is because Noonian had shamelessly sold him out to save her own life. That was disgusting. It reminded him of Leviathan and Ogopogo…or even worse, himself and Bahamut. Nevertheless, he addressed them both.

"Is it done?"

"Yes, master." Noonian immediately returned. "I reset all of the remote charges."

Wyvern gave a nod, and looked to Zola. "And the artillery?"

The half esper swallowed once, quivering a bit. But in the end, he nodded. "…Yes, master. I replaced the first round in each with a cracked shell. They'll self destruct when they attempt to fire them."

"Splendid." Wyvern answered with a smile. He turned over to Noonian shortly after. "Your work is finished for this evening. You may return to your tent, and make sure you are seen tomorrow. I may yet have some use for you assuming the humans somehow wriggle out of this."

Noonian readily nodded. "Yes, master."

After that, the dark esper turned over to Zola, and cracked a wider smile. "You, on the other hand… I have one more mission for you to ensure your loyalty to the race of espers, and your hatred of humans. Rejoice, servant of mine…for your action will set off the chain reaction that will damn this entire army into destruction."

* * *

Tifa finished pulling on her second glove, and pulled it tight. After that, she punched her palm a few times to get a feel for it. After that, she gave a pleased smile and a nod. She stepped back a bit soon after, and then looked down at her body. She hesitated for a moment, before reaching down and feeling it, in particular the clothing on it. After Cloud had his own uniform made, Tifa, of course, insisted on the same. But hers had been simpler, and had come out much quicker. It was basically a military uniform variation on a gi. It was lightweight, breezy, and yet didn't cause much in the way of wind resistance. It had the tan color and her insignia on it as well. Her shoes were not combat boots like with so many other soldiers, but were more like combat tennis shoes. They were loose and allowed for lots of movement of her toes, but also possessed enough of a heel to do some damage.

The woman looked out through the slightly open tent flap. Dawn had broken. She let out a slow sigh. That meant it would be time soon. She would have to go get her troops up and lead them out to the battlefield. Another bloody fight was awaiting them…and despite as deadly as she was, Tifa felt nervous. It was only natural. It would really be a problem if she wasn't nervous at all about the firefight she was about to go into. What she had to do was channel that anxiety into her power, to make her disadvantage her advantage…and turn the ability of her enemy to induce fear to their ability to receive pain.

She wished that Cloud, Denzel, and Marlene were here… When they first started, they shared the same shell house. But that had changed. Tifa had to be closer to her ownunderling lieutenantsnow, and so she had set up her own personal tent near the barrack tents. Denzel and Marlene were both being put in the safe zone with the rest of the children. As for Cloud, he had his own tent too. As General, he was in an area where he was more available to everyone. At least she would see him soon…but for the rest of the day she would be too busy fighting to notice anyone…

The tent flap suddenly shifted. Tifa saw this out of the corner of her eye, and immediately whirled around. However, there was no need to fear, and she quickly relaxed. It was Lieutenant Zola. He looked ready for battle too, just like the rest of the army. He had put on similar armor and clothing to Cloud's, although his was more standardized. His massive tri-bladed sword was strapped across his own back, yet beneath both it and the armor he didn't buckle in the least. It was amazing. This guy had to be strong… Tifa knew that by now. And his ability to fight was incredible. She wondered where he had been on their first trip three years ago.

"Oh…hello, lieutenant." Tifa finally greeted. "I see you're up. Do you have your division ready?"

Zola didn't answer, just finished entering the tent, and then let the flap fall behind him. Tifa raised one of her feet and placed it against her cot, and then used that position to tie her shoe. She turned to it for a moment to focus on the action, but then she turned back to Zola. The young man looked anxious, she suddenly realized. He looked about the room uneasily, as if he didn't want to be in there. His head was downcast. He was breathing hard, and he appeared to be sweating a little.

The woman looked puzzled at this. She finished tying her shoe and rose up to look concerned. "What's wrong?"

Zola swallowed. He continued to turn his head around, and began to shift in place. He opened his mouth to speak…but then closed it again.

"You aren't getting nervous about the fight, are you?"

Zola tightened his fists and released them. He swallowed once, and shifted again in place. "Actually…" He finally managed to spit out. "Yes…yes I am. Very…_very_ nervous."

Tifa raised an eyebrow at this, and turned her full body in his direction. "…We handled worse odds last time. And after seeing you in battle, I don't think you have anything to worry about. We'll get through this alright. Don't worry."

Zola didn't look up. He continued to quiver and look to the ground. Tifa watched this, and began to look a bit uneasy herself. She had never seen Zola so anxious before. He was the gung-ho one, always charging into combat at the whim of Ragnar. She didn't think he was afraid of anything. In fact, last time, he seemed to almost enjoy going into the thick of battle. She stared at the man for a moment more, before she began to walk forward toward him. He continued to grip and release his fists, and shifted uneasily on the ground. That was, until Tifa was up to him and took his hands. For a moment…he nearly ripped them away. But then he relaxed. Tifa looked a bit worried at this. His hands were covered with cold sweat.

"Here…" She reassured. "Zangan taught me a relaxation technique. I'll show it to you…"

Zola swallowed again…but then suddenly stammered out something. It was so quick, it sounded almost as if he was forcing himself to say it.

"No…no, Commander…that's not necessary. I just…I…" A brief pause, and then Zola looked up. His fearful face met Tifa's. "If you…if you could just look me in the eye…tell me that everything's going to be ok…I think I'll be alright."

Tifa paused and stared back at the young man. He kept sweating, and trembled in her grasp. The woman's face turned a bit anxious herself. Zola was acting strange. She had never seen him so out of it. And what kind of request was this? She didn't know… At any rate, his actions were making her a bit nervous too. And so, in the end, she gave a nod. She held Zola's hands up, and pushed them to his chest. After that, she turned her own brown gaze to look him straight in the eye. His own emerald green eyes stared back.

"It's going to be-"

Tifa cut herself off. Suddenly…Zola's eyes changed. They suddenly seemed to be much deeper…much stronger than before. They suddenly opened up, and stretched back into a deep oblivion contained somewhere in Zola's head. The green seemed to blaze forth…and the iris narrowed. It continued to narrow as she stared at it, but only on the sides. To her surprise…his pupils thinned until she wasn't looking at a human eye…but a reptilian one. What more…a yellow light began to shine in the back of the pupil, and started to come out…

Tifa's fingers began to slip and release Zola's, as she stared into that eye in growing fear.

"What are you-"

In a flash, Zola reached out and seized her head. His grip became like iron, and he kept her head aimed straight so that she looked straight into his eyes. Tifa tried to turn away…but it was useless. He held her firm. She tried to close her eyes…only to find that she couldn't. Her eyelids were frozen. The rest of her body was feeling strange…feeling stiff. And it only got stiffer as she found herself forced to look into that growing yellow light. She tried to call out to him again…but her lungs were slowing. Her lips were turning sluggish, refusing to move… Her thoughts were starting to slow down as well…and things were growing hazy.

Zola's limp trembled and his body quivered as he continued to hold Tifa in that stare. Her lips and eyelids moved slightly…but then stopped all together. Her entire body became motionless. But still he stared. As he did, the whites of Tifa's eyes began to darken. The pupils began to lighten. Both were turning into a dull gray. In a few moments, her iris drained of color and turned the same gray. Like a burning piece of paper, the grayness spread out from her eyes and began to bleed over her face. As it did, the soft pink skin turned gray and stiff as well. The movement continued to spread out, going to her hair. It traced down each individual strand, turning each one gray and rendering it motionless. It moved down her body next, through her neck, into her torso, and even spreading out onto her gi. It picked up speed, quickly moving over her motionless body…and turning rough once it turned gray. Zola's eyes began to wince and his face twisted as he kept holding his gaze, continuing it without ceasing or reprieve. He didn't stop until every part of Tifa had turned motionless, gray, and rough, from the top of her head to her feet.

Only then did Zola release her. His eyes turned back to normal, but she did not. He stepped back, but she didn't move. That was because she was no longer flesh and blood. Her entire body had turned into stone. She was now a motionless statue, frozen in the last moment of staring into her attacker's eyes. Such a sight Zola had witnessed hundreds of times before in the eyes of his enemies…before they were frozen like that forever. Each time…he had grinned the whole way, and cackled at their helplessness as he turned them into living sculptures.

Only now, on this occasion…did he force himself to turn away from his victim and closed his eyes…letting a pair of tears run from them.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Commander…" He whispered under his breath.

"For what? Ridding the world of one more human?"

Despite his fear and his sorrow at what he had done…Zola froze. A new fear soon seized him, and his own body turned to ice. He wheeled around in terror…and saw that Wyvern was standing right behind him. He was smiling pleasantly, admiring Zola's handiwork. The half esper himself slinked away, putting distance between himself and his master. He cowered again beneath him, cringing away from his shadow. He had no idea if his master had come in behind him, or if this was another illusion. In either case, he didn't want to find out. The creature trembled before Wyvern as he stepped forward. The dark esper kept his eyes and smile on the statue, and reached up to run his fingers alongside the stone face.

Despite his terror at even being around Wyvern, much less defying him…Zola felt his stomach turn when he saw this. He felt a horrible twist inside his belly…the guilt of what he had done. Never before until now had he felt guilty about turning a human to stone. But now…he felt like the dirtiest, most loathsome creature alive…

"Good work, Zola." Wyvern finally stated, turning away from the stone Tifa and back to him. "I always did have an affection for that lovely talent you basilisks have. Now…wait here with the statue until the army begins to move out. I'll alert you when the time comes. I'll throw up an illusion around you and this tent to make it look empty to earnest eyes. Once the time comes, however…take this statue out to the quarry and throw it in. Make sure it shatters into at least a hundred pieces on landing."

Zola's head snapped up at this. His eyes widened, and he turned in fear to Wyvern. "But…" He began to protest pathetically. "You…you told me we were only going to turn her to stone for this battle…long enough for you to lure-"

Zola's voice was cut off as a steel fist encircled his throat. He was immediately raised into the air by it. His eyes widened in fear, and he clutched his neck in agony. The grip was so hard he felt bruises begin to form, and the talons of the hand dug into his skin to drain blood. He struggled to breathe, but his airway was cut off. Gaping silently, he looked down and saw who held him. Wyvern was now holding him overhead with one hand. His face blazed with new anger, and his eyes glared at Zola with a look that could kill.

"This is the second time you have backtalked me, miserable worm." He hissed at him. "You will do as I command without hesitation…or you will share the fate of this worthless human. Your life belongs to me _forever_. _Never_ forget that. You live and die at my command. And if you _ever_ talk back to me again, you miserable wretch, I will tear out your tongue to ensure it causes you no more trouble. Understand?"

Zola continued to gape, although his face was twisting in agony from the power of Wyvern's fist. However, he gave an eager nod.

In response, Wyvern dropped him to the ground. The half esper clutched for his throat and gasped as he fell into a painful heap. The dark esper looked down on him as he groveled in pain and struggled for air. In the end, he merely snorted at him and shook his head.

"You're almost as pathetic as my excuse of a brother." He sneered. "For your sake, Zola…I would try harder not to emulate him."

* * *

Ragnar exhaled a bit as he tightened the laces on his boot before tying them. Another battle. Despite how well they had done last time, he was nervous. His crazed attack on the tank had been rather painful, and he knew he had to beat at least twice as many people as he had last time in this one. They were still sorely outnumbered. A lot could still go wrong. However…he had led them through the last battle. He had to try and get them through this. He certainly wasn't going to back down for anything. He'd meet them and beat them back again.

Ragnar straightened up and adjusted his uniform tunic, followed by his cape. After that, he looked around his room. He was still in the shell house, but he had made some additions since when he had first moved in. For right now, he looked in particular to his cot. A digital alarm clock had been set up there, and he saw that it was a mere three minutes until nine. At nine 'o clock sharp, he would lead the army out back to the valley, so that they could be set up in time for noon, when the New Shinra would arrive. After that…it was time for another battle. This one promised to be far more brutal than last time, with more troops on the New Shinra side and more weapons on the Planet Protector Army side. The thought made him anxious, but he forced it away. Cloud had been right. He couldn't afford to be nervous at a time like this.

Ragnar looked over to his side and spotted Ragnarok, waiting in its sheath. He turned away from the entrance and reached down to it. He quickly snatched the weapon up and proceeded to move it around his back. He wondered… The blade had been burning hot to everyone but him. Perhaps…the same effect would work on metal? He knew he could already slice through enemy tanks, but perhaps this would melt through them even easier… It was worth a shot, he thought as he finished adjusted his sword. After that, he turned back to the entrance to leave…

And immediately halted.

The young man's eyes widened, and he forgot about the battle as his arms dropped. His brain was soon grasped withsurprise.

"Master…"

There he stood, having come in as silently as the wind. He framed his doorway now, arms crossed, but still dressed in his mountain man garb. He still looked just as powerful, mighty, and fearsome as he had the day he had left him. His eyes still blazed with power, and his face had a hard and passioned look to it. On seeing him…familiarity and joy leapt in Ragnar's heart. He thought he would never see his beloved master again after he had left last time…but here he was, standing in his doorway. Had he changed his mind? Did he come to tell him some good word about how he had been doing? Even if not, just seeing him again filled Ragnar with happiness. A smile began to spread across the youth's face, and he stepped forward toward him in disbelief. "You're back…"

However, Bahamut turned his head up and gave Ragnar a hard look soon after he said this. When he did…Ragnar immediately froze again. His smile faded, and his joy was immediately smothered. The look on his master's face…it was not happy or kind. For a moment, the youth dreaded that this negative emotion was directed toward him, and it made him feel afraid. But then…he saw that there was something else. Bahamut's eyes were filled with worry…and fear of his own. Until now, he had never seen his master afraid before. But now, in the silence of the room, he saw that he was indeed scared.

That immediately unnerved the youth.

"…What's wrong?"

Bahamut continued to level his gaze at him, but he inhaled deeply and uneasily. "Ragnar…as you may have guessed, I did not come to pay you a social call. I wouldn't be here at all if the only concern was the approaching army. However…there is a much greater concern that's already here…one that's far deadlier than the New Shinra." The esper hesitated for a moment here…and slowly exhaled again.

"_He_ is here."

The young man looked back, his own face concerned, and feeling nervous in the wake of Bahamut's own fearful voice. However, he leaned in innocently and gave a shrug. "…Who? Who's here?"

The face of the esper stiffened. "…Wyvern."

Immediately, Ragnar's eyes widened. The horrible stories of the living demon came back to him. The terrors and misery that Bahamut had spoken of flooded back into his memory. At once…he saw the images of Bahamut he had briefly witnessed before…saw how great and terrible they were…and imagined them evil…imagined the beast that had been the destructor time and time again throughout history…

"Wyvern…?" Ragnar echoed…his tone showing his growing fear. "But…he's dead. You killed him…"

"I don't know how he managed to return…but somehow he's pulled it off again." Bahamut answered, his voice still tense and fearful. "I spoke with him last night face to face. He's even madder than before…and far deadlier. For generations, I had an advantage over him with my ability to use my psychic powers…but somehow, he's finally managed to learn to use his own. I have no idea how much trouble he can cause…but I've been searching for him all night and finding nothing but empty air."

Ragnar's eyes widened as he stiffened. "He's in the camp?"

Bahamut gave a single nod.

The young general paled. He looked around uneasily for a moment, feeling himself start to tense up. He clenched his hands into fists and swallowed. In the end, he turned back to Bahamut helplessly. "Well…we…we need to find him. Stop him. Before he can-"

"He could destroy this entire army with a wave of his hand." Bahamut cut off. "If you tried to provoke him into a fight, he'd kill you. I'm the only one who has a chance against him, the same as always. But this time…I don't think he wants me."

Ragnar blinked and shrugged. "Who else could he want?"

"You."

The young man froze again at that. His face turned a bit white, and he recoiled slightly from the esper. His hand trembled, as he slowly raised it and pointed to his own chest. "…Me?"

"Wyvern is totally insane. He cares only for his revenge, and making me suffer." Bahamut explained darkly. "Now…he wants to stretch out to those that I've affected…everything I've 'created'. And that includes my former pupils. Until now, he only beat people who tried to challenge him, regardless of what connection they had to me. Rydia... Terra... Both sets of their friends... Even his attack on our home was just meant to bring me to him. But now...he's actively hunting them."

Ragnar began to shake. His eyes widened slightly. Charging into battles against mortals was one thing…but Wyvern was almost a demon in terms of his destructive capability and maliciousness. And Ragnar believed the legends. He was terrified of the thought of fighting with him. In the end, he turned back to Bahamut hopelessly once more. He gave a shrug. "So…he's going to come after me?"

"Actually…I don't think so." Bahamut answered…causing Ragnar to react with puzzlement. The esper saw this, and immediately explained. "You see…Wyvern may be mad with hate, but he's a man of his word so long as it goes along with his plotting. He told me he wouldn't lay a finger on you. So I think he's not going to try and hurt you himself. He's going to try and go through some other method."

Ragnar continued to look confused, and still was afraid. In the end, he gave a shrug of confusion. "Like what? What other method could he use?"

Bahamut frowned in reply. He turned away from Ragnar and looked to the ground. He tightened his arms and began to look nervous. Something about this part was making him anxious, and he said nothing about it right away. Ragnar, however, continued to stare at him. The esper continued to lean over troubled for a moment, but in the end sighed and let it out.

"…I didn't want to tell you this, Ragnar. I've been keeping an eye on them…and they seemed genuine. I didn't think you'd believe it… But the truth of the matter is this. Zola and Noonian…"

The young man gave a nod in response. "Yes?"

Bahamut turned back to the young general at that. "Haven't you noticed them? How strong they are? How fearless in battle? How easily they strike?"

Ragnar nodded back. "Yes." He answered. However, after that, his face changed slightly. Something began to work in his brain, even before Bahamut stated what it was. When he realized that, he began to feel a bit unnerved… Something wasn't right with them. He should have seen this weeks ago…but there had been no reason to fear them. They were outstanding combatants, and loyal to him all the way. And yet, as he thought about them…how unnatural their strength was…how they seemed to react in battle…

"They aren't human, Ragnar." Bahamut finally announced. "They're half-espers…some of the last creatures alive with true esper blood in them. They are also Wyvern's servants."

Ragnar's eyes widened again. He looked to Bahamut in shock. "What?" He nearly shouted. "His servants! And you knew this? You didn't tell me that when they joined with my army?"

Bahamut sighed and bowed his head. "I didn't think it would matter, Ragnar… I believed Wyvern to be dead. I read their minds and saw that they believed the same. Zola even looked like he might have had genuine devotion to you. But now that their master is back, it's only a matter of time before they return to him…assuming they haven't already. I tried scanning their minds back in their tent. I ran into an illusion…another set up by Wyvern. I went there to check it out personally, but it was too late. They were already gone. I don't know if they're still following you…or if they've worked some devilry. I haven't been able to find them or Wyvern since, so I assume the worst. There's no telling what they've been doing behind my back as I've been desperately searching for them."

Ragnar took a step back and turned his head to the ground. His mouth hung open, and his eyes filled with fear. He had never expected this…never believed it. Wyvern was here. Zola and Noonian…two of his high officers…they were probably stabbing him in the back as he sat here. They were working behind the scenes and they wanted him dead. Now what was he supposed to do? What were they trying? What did they want? What were they going to do to him and his army? Wyvern could destroy them all easily…so why hadn't he? What was he plotting? He didn't know. He only knew now that they had a wolf in the fold who was far more deadly than the foes that were approaching. But he didn't have the time or energy to divert to him. It wouldn't matter if he did. All he knew is that he was running around here, working some mischief, and he might not find out until it was too late.

There had to be something. There had to be some clue. He had to have left a sign. But what? Ragnar had turned in early last night…and had failed to see anything out of the ordinary in that time. But if he really wanted him, there could be anything waiting for him. Maybe his rations were poisoned. Maybe a sniper was waiting for him. Maybe Zola and Noonian were waiting to stab him in the back on the field of battle. He didn't know… And neither did Bahamut. His master couldn't help him now…

_Wait a minute…Bahamut…_

The youth suddenly raised his head as an idea came. Bahamut raised and eyebrow when he saw that, and his face turned to puzzlement. But Ragnar didn't explain himself. He thought now about what Bahamut had just said. Wyvern wasn't out to kill him this time. He was out to make him suffer by destroying the things near to him… That would goad Bahamut into a reckless fight far more easily than just picking a straight match with him. What if he applied this new philosophy to Ragnar as well? What if he was trying to hurt him the same way he planned to hurt Bahamut? If he did…then what would he do?

_He'd go through the people closest to me as well…_

Ragnar's face turned as white as a sheet. His expression turned to one of sheer horror as he realized the horrible possibility. Bahamut saw this…and he understood immediately. The look showed him all he needed to deduce the truth. On seeing this, the esper stepped forward, meaning to put a hand on Ragnar's shoulder…

But it was too late. The young man took off from where he stood, and immediately bolted past Bahamut and for the door. It was so fast that even with his reflexes Bahamut's human body was unable to keep up, considering his own distraction. Still, he turned around as he saw Ragnar run out onto the grounds outside, and immediately tear for the entrance to the grove. He quickly ducked his head outside and called out to him as loud as he dared.

"Wait Ragnar! It's what he wants!"

It was too late. Ragnar was no longer listening. The youth was already to the line of trees, and shooting through the opening in them.

As he did…a call blared on a trumpet, ordering the army to move out to the battlefield.

* * *

"Tifa, we need to get a move on. They just gave the call-"

Cloud cut himself off as he brushed past the flap into Tifa's tent. He had just ducked his head through the opening, but now he stopped when he realized the tent was empty. Tifa's things were there, but she was gone. The ex-mercenary hesitated at this. A moment later, he stepped inside and began to look around in puzzlement.

Cloud had just been preparing to move out, and was about to go to fetch the kid to go to the front. However, he had barely stepped outside when Barret ran up to him, telling him that he hadn't seen Tifa anywhere since last night. She was supposed to be heading a special forces group, but she hadn't even woken them up on time, let alone come to take them anywhere. To this, Cloud had grown concerned. Tifa wasn't one to sleep in. She always got up before dawn, even when she didn't have anywhere to be. That was her nature. So where was she?

She wasn't in her tent, it seemed. Cloud looked around the area for signs of where she could have gone. Her uniform was missing, he soon realized. Perhaps she had gotten dressed and moved out before he had arrived here. But that didn't seem likely either. She _did_ get up early. Sure, she would run if she had overslept, but the very thought that she would oversleep was ridiculous. He was about to dismiss it all anyway, and reason that if her uniform was gone, she had to have gone out to the front lines. In another moment, he would have turned and left…when he spotted something.

Aconspicuous set of objects he had missed on first glance rested onher still unmade cot. Part of the covers on top had been straightened, and there was a sheet of paper resting on it, along with what looked like a small, black, hand-held tape recorder. Cloud stared at it a moment, and then took a step forward. This enabled him to get a slightly better look at it…and when he saw the paper he realized there was writing on it in black ink. The ex-mercenary walked forward the rest of the way and to the cot side, and then looked down on it.

Cloud reached for the tape recorder first. He lifted it up and examined it. It was heavy. There was a tape inside it, fully rewound and ready to play. However, he ignored it. He put it back down on the bed, and looked to the paper. With the recorder off of it, the full message could be read. He picked it up, held it before him, and did so.

_The north side of the Cetra Valley. Come now and come alone or she's dead._

The man's body went rigid at this. A chill went down his spine. He nearly let the paper fall from his hands as his mouth opened slightly. His powerful blue eyes looked over the paper for a moment, but then back down to the tape recorder.He swallowed...and reached down and took it up. After doing so, he immediately turned the volume all the way up and pressed the play button. He quivered slightly as he listened.

There was a moment or so of static…before he heard a groggy, weak female voice.

_"…Cloud…where…"_

Another blip of static, and then nothing.

Cloud's eyes widened. His hand slowly closed into a fist. Fear began to flood him…and he retorted with anger as he stood there. His passion began to flare, countering his fear and filling him with fury. Slowly…his hand clenched around the tape recorder…growing tighter and tighter until the plastic began to bulge and crack in his hands. He ignored the fact that metal pieces began to come out from the sides, and started to cut into his hand. His eyes blazed in fury, and his jaw tightened.

In a snap, Cloud angrily flung the tape recorder to the ground…instantly smashing it into pieces. He reached behind him and drew out Event Horizon soon after. Holding it at the ready, he swung around violently and charged back out of the flap of the tent, and into the street…no longer caring about Ragnar, the Planet Protector Army, or anyone in it.

* * *

Five seconds later…Ragnar charged around the corner of a barrack tent and looked down the lane. He was just in time to see the boot of Cloud pass by a tent on the left side of the lane, before disappearing behind a tent. The ex-mercenary was running, and with his speed it took no time at all for him to be gone. But with the speed he had behind him, Ragnar saw that one of the tent flaps was still swaying from where he had left.He recognized it as an officer tent…specifically Commander Tifa Lockhart's.

The youth didn't waste a second. He quickly ran forward to the tent. There was no one to stop him. By now, the various army units had formed their groups, and were marching out. They were on the outskirts of the camp or in their main drags, lined up in neat formation and being led out by their superior officers. Ragnar could hear them moving, but he paid no attention. He was soon at Tifa's tent, andducked inside.

It took him only a second of looking over to see the smashed tape recorder on the ground. He stared at it…and soon realized he wasn't going to get any information from it. Cloud had seen to that. However, he also saw a piece of white paper that had fallen nearby with writing on it. The young man quickly ran up to that and snatched it off of the ground. He held it up to his eyes and read over it.

A moment later, Ragnar grit his teeth and tore the message apart. Wyvern was being rather thorough, it seemed… He was extending his chain of destruction. He had done something to Tifa…was using her as bait to get to Cloud. Cloud would be used to get to him. And at last, he would be used to get to Bahamut. The youth cursed him. How crazy could you be? How mad with hate could you be to make vengeance extend this far? What had Tifa ever done to the bastard? What had Cloud? They didn't even have a relation to him. They were just members of this army…

_The army…_

Ragnar paused again as another realization came over him. At once, it clicked. Of course… Wyvern wasn't just out to destroy Bahamut's pupil. He saw the Planet Protector Army itself as being Bahamut's creation. He wanted it destroyed too. That's why he was doing this. He wasn't just hurting Tifa, Cloud, and him…he was robbing the army of some of its highest officers. And Zola and Noonian were already entrenched inside the army's command too. They had a hundred troops apiece at their disposal. With that kind of interior sabatoge…they could ruin everything. That was why Wyvern was only acting now. He was going to wreck the army from within…and then let the New Shinra finish it off. He wasn't just attacking him and his friends. He was leading them away…stripping the army of leadership…

The young man smashed his fist angrily against the canvas walls. Cloud was already gone. That left the only general being him. No doubt…Wyvern wanted him to follow Cloud. He'd kill them together, or use him as bait to attract Bahamut. Then the PPA would be leaderless and ripe for the plucking. Ragnar swore again and looked outside. Cloud had already vanished from view, headed to the head of the valley now…either right into enemy hands or into the hands of Wyvern. If he went after him…he'd be like a mouse being led into a trap. He needed to stay. He needed to take command of the army. Wyvern wanted him to leave…wanted to keep his force leaderless… It made sense to stay…

However, the young man was torn inside. Cloud…he was his friend…his best friend. He didn't know if Cloud felt the same way, but Ragnar saw him in that light. He couldn't abandon him to this monster. He had no idea of what he was getting into. Wyvern would slaughter him or do who knew what else. That man had trusted him and helped him from the start. He had lifted him up when he was about to fall into despair. He was his companion in battleandpartner everywhere else. He couldn't do it. He couldn't just leave him to die. He didn't know what good he would be…he didn't even know if he was wandering right into a trap, though it was likely he was… But in the end, his heart could only make one choice. Despite knowing how important this was…how much he was needed here…he turned to another need.

"Everyone…" He said out loud, silently wishing his voice would reach the ears of all of the soldiers and officers. "…I'm sorry."

After saying this, Ragnar took off back out of the tent flap, and ran as fast as he could for the north entrance of the Cetra Valley.

* * *

Red XIII let out a long exhale as he turned his head to the side. Yuffie was running back up to him now, struggling to outstrip his pace as he walked along through the rock tunnel in the back of the valley. Behind him, the troops were marching in companies and lines…although by now the statement had been issued that some of them were missing their commanding officers. That was only one item of bad news with no apparent explanation that the Colonel had received since that morning. And from the look on Yuffie's face as she approached, she didn't have much good news to offer either.

To Red XIII's left, Barret walked along with a gruff appearance…concealing his growing worry. To his left, Cait Sith marched along, wanting to throw his hands/paws into the ring for a change. It appeared that they would need his help…especially if Zola, Ragnar, Cloud, or Tifa didn't show themselves. The beast himself walked forward only nervously, and his mind was afire with bad possibilities. This was not good. He could move the army to the front lines without much trouble, but when the battle went underway…they needed to have their leaders and heroes with them. Where could they be? This didn't make any sense… There wasn't a thing in the world that could keep Ragnar from attending this battle. So why had he gone off? Or was this just some great misunderstanding? Had one left, and the others gone looking for him/her? If so…they had to realize that they were needed back now…

Red XIII looked to the sky. It was clouding over…and turning rather dark. He hoped that this wasn't a bad omen of things to come…

Yuffie came to a stop next to the lion/wolf, and fell into step next to him. She continued to march forward along with the group. The beast raised an eyebrow and looked to her.

"Well…?"

The ninja frowned and shook her head. "Nothing. They aren't anywhere in the ranks. It's like they wussed out on us."

Red XIII immediately narrowed his one good eye. "Would you care to say that a little louder?" He calmly yet sarcastically asked. "Perhaps turning your head so that the army can hear?"

"Damn that Scrawny and Spiky…" Barret cursed. "Where the hell they run off to now? That damn general of ours can be just as frustratin' as Spiky Ass sometimes…"

"He wouldn't leave us hanging." Cait Sith reassured. "He wouldn't run away. I know he's not the kind of guy who would turn chicken."

"Even if I disagreed with that, which I don't," Red XIII answered back. "I know for a fact that Cloud would not run out if this army was ten times as large. The fact that they're gone testifies to the fact that something serious arose. Furthermore…the fact that they didn't tell any of us that they were leaving testifies to the fact that they were in some sort of urgent hurry. The issue here is not why they left…the issue here is if they will come back before we engage in battle."

"And if they don't?" Barret suggested.

Thebeast hesitated after hearing that, turning his head forward again before letting out a slow sigh.

"…Then I'm accepting any volunteers for field commander. Personally…I don't want that responsibility."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	55. Wyvern EVOLUTION

Cloud stepped down one final time, removing his feet from the rock path that led to the valley behind him, and stepping onto the soil beyond. The man stopped there, for the first time in close to an hour. Here, he gazed out at the horizon and his surroundings, his look dark and fierce. He kept his anger stoked at the moment, not calming down for anything. To do so would only make him feel fear…terror at what might have happened. He didn't know who this person was or why they had done this…but they were dead. For their sakes, they had better not hurt her… He forced himself to focus on what he would do to them, trying not to focus on what they could have done to Tifa already…and trying not to focus on hating himself for letting this happen.

The ex-mercenary looked around him. The hill sloped upward just ahead. The elevation rose a bit more before snow began to cover the ground. Beyond that, all of the Icicle Inn area stretched, and all of it was covered with snow. The air had already grown much cooler. It was fall again, which meant it might as well be winter a bit north of here, for it wasn't going to get above freezing again. The sky was dark overhead…and small flakes were beginning to flurry and fall. Soon, it could turn into a real storm. Those in the valley might only get rain, but any further north and Cloud would run into real snowfall. He could take cold temperatures…but it would reduce visibility.

Again, he cared little for that right now. He cared only for Tifa and finding who had taken her. His eyes darted around the horizon for a moment. Who was it? New Shinra? Some old enemy? He didn't think they had any left… And if they did, they should have come for him. Tifa didn't have any enemies… And who could have come after her anyway? No average person in the world could withstand a fight with her. She was too skilled… So who was it?

Cloud's puzzlement was cut off momentarily, as he caught something far to the left. About a quarter of a mile away…a person was standing out there, just on the edge of a hill, just in view of the surrounding area. The ex-mercenary swung his body totally to look to him. Far across the way, standing on top of the snow fields that surrounded him, he saw this figure raise an arm and wave at him. He could make out little else, other than the fact that he was dressed in black. But before he could shout out or do anything else to signal him or alert him, the figure turned and vanished behind the snow-covered hill.

The ex-mercenary grit his teeth and raised his weapon. Not caring about the snow, cold, or coming storm, he charged forward after the figure. Soon, his boots were tearing apart the snow beneath him as he ran, racing up the hill. A minute later…he was dropping down the other side just as the figure had done before.

He had just begun to drop behind it when another figure stepped off of the stone pathway and into the dirt. Ragnar panted and wiped his brow. He didn't have the stamina of Cloud, despite his own training, and keeping up with Cloud's pace had taken a toll on him. The young general looked around for a short moment, until he caught sight of Cloud's hair to his left. He looked out immediately…and once again was just in time to see Cloud vanish. The youth frowned and let out a long sigh.

Ragnar caught his breath for a moment, but then looked up to the heavens. Flurries were falling steadily now. More snow would follow…and with it would come another cool front. It wasn't going to be a blizzard, but still it wasn't something he wanted to be out in. It would decrease visibility, and it would take forever for them to find their way back if it got heavy enough. The army would be here any moment too. The young man frowned and slumped his shoulders. Wyvern sure had picked a good time for this. He didn't know what he had planned…but between the attack and the storm, it couldn't be good.

In the end, he still had no choice. Frowning, Ragnar looked back to Cloud's tracks, and then took off again, following behind them as best as he could. Within a minute, he too had reached the hillside, and had vanished over the edge.

Only then did the sound of heavy engines and treads begin to come from behind the hill to the north…followed shortly by the first of the New Shinra tanks…

* * *

Red XIII let out a long exhale. The beast lacked a timepiece, but it was easy enough to look slightly to his right to see a soldier crouched behind the barricade holding his own watch up. The Colonel looked at it…and saw that it was now nearly eleven. Still, there was no sign of Ragnar, Cloud, or the other missing persons. The beast steadied himself…and tried not to let his own growing worry show as he looked out and ahead at the valley again.

The army was set up once more. There were many former construction personnel in their ranks. They had rigged up a temporary construction elevator alongside the troublesome cliff, and making use of it they were easily able to move their entire force up and into the valley. They had moved out the specific crews to each of their enclaves, manned each of the heavy machine guns, put gunners at the two artillery units, and had the rest hunker down behind their barricades. It was much the same set up as last time, only they had far more ammunition and troops to go around. All in all, the army looked in better shape than it had during their first conflict. At least…they did on external appearances.

But Red XIII was skilled at sensing things not visible to the basic five senses. As he turned his head from side to side, he began to smell anxiety on the people surrounding him. There was puzzlement on many of their faces…especially as they began to look up and around them. Red XIII didn't have to be a genius to realize they were looking for the same man he was looking for…and the more time went on the more anxious and fearful they became. They expected to have their leader at the front lines like before, ready to be the first to charge into the fray when the time came. They expected the same bold youth who had rallied them last time to be their strength now. But he was nowhere to be seen…and time was quickly starting to run out. Red XIII knew he could only keep the troops in control for a bit longer. He had already sent Barret and Yuffie out to try and rally them, keeping their spirits and bravery up as best they could. To this end…Lieutenant Mack had proven useful as well, moving among them and doing much the same thing. But he wasn't the warrior that they were, and so his words could only do so much…

As the beast sighed and looked out ahead at the empty battlefield, still filled with rubble and metal from the last battle, something caught his ear. The sound of soft footsteps were moving up to his left. If it was anyone else, they never would have heard it coming. Red XIII supposed that was a good thing. After all, it didn't do much good for a spy to be easily heard. A moment later, and Cait Sith stepped up next to the lion/wolf.

"…Yes?" He asked after a moment.

Cait Sith swallowed uneasily. Standing on his tiptoes, the cat leaned over to Red XIII's ear, and cupped a mitten against it to whisper.

"We have trouble."

"What now?"

"Some of the soldiers. They're saying that the Generals deserted us, fleeing for their lives. They're looking fit to run themselves, if that's the case."

The beast frowned. This was wonderful. If some broke off, it was inevitable that others would give into their fear and run as well. That would quickly spell trouble for their entire army. The loss of so much personnel would make others lose heart even if they stayed. They'd feel even more outnumbered and overwhelmed, and they'd be prey for the New Shinra. The only chance they had against these people was if they kept their cool and fought unrelentingly. Confidence would be the difference between victory and defeat if the New Shinra tried something new.

This was the reason cowardice in battle was a crime in war. You did more than just run off in panic, making yourself an easy target for the enemy. You hurt your fellow troops, and jeopardized them all while encouraging the enemy. Red XIII wished he had the authority to inflict a penalty for cowardice or desertion…but he didn't. This was an army of volunteers, after all, and enacting these sorts of regulations would only inspire more people to avoid the force, or possibly desert themselves. About the only thing Red XIII could do was try and tell them that if they broke off from one another, they'd easily be picked off one by one. He lacked the charisma to make that sound inspiring. Coming from him…it would just be another item of fear.

_Where is that General?_

In the end, Red XIII sighed, and turned back to Cait Sith. "Go among the ranks. Warn the people not to break and run for it, or they'll be an easy target for rifle or cannon fire."

Cait Sith leaned back a bit, and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "…That's it?"

"That's all I can do. The rest has to be up to the general."

The stuffed robot winced uneasily at that. Cringing a little, he turned his moogle to start walking back. However, before he could take a step, he turned back to Red XIII and gave an uneasy shrug.

"You know…you're next in command. You're going to have to take control during the battle if Ragnar and Cloud don't show up."

"Thanks for the reminder." Red XIII darkly answered, not turning back and not sounding the least bit enthused about the situation. He continued to watch the field…as the first few raindrops began to fall.

* * *

While it began to rain several miles south of where Cloud was, the situation was far different where he had come. Here, it was more than altitude and latitude that changed the climate. It was the weakened world itself sucking warmth and life into it. Because of that…this part of the world took a sharp turn to being inhospitable. It wasn't nearly as bad as Great Glacier to the north…but with Fall having come on this part of the world, it was still far from comfortable.

The storm was hitting here hard now. Snow was falling down in a steady stream, and the world all around the ex-mercenary was covered with a white haze. It was hard to see more than a hundred meters in front of yourself at this point. The wind whipped by more than once, blowing in from the valley to the north where Icicle Inn lay nestled. Every breeze blasted against his bare skin and chilled him to the bone. Despite as durable as Cloud was, he soon felt himself shivering a bit in the wind. Yet he didn't stop now. He continued to go to the northwest, following after whoever this was…

The man had been hiking in that direction for some time now. His boots were caked with snow from having trampled through so much. Whoever he was following didn't leave any tracks… The ex-mercenary wasn't sure how he managed that, but he kept going. A few times, he wondered if he was being led astray, diverted away on a wild goose chase. But each time…he would see the same figure materialize out of the swirling snow again, just long enough to wave at him before vanishing again. And so, Cloud continued. He didn't care about the storm or the snow or the cold. He just continued to go further and further north…further away from the battle site and further away from both armies. As the hours went by, he didn't give up for a moment, but kept chasing the man…not caring that each step took him farther from civilization, shelter, or anyone else…

At last, the man crossed over a snowdrift. He nearly fell into it, stumbling once as he tried to go through. The snow here was deep. However, he managed to get over the edge, and looked out ahead. He had crossed several of these hills and drifts before now. Most of the time, he saw nothing but more of the empty fields and endless snowfall. Occasionally, he saw the person he looked for, however. He would see him wave to him from far on the horizon, before turning and disappearing into the snowfall once again.

However, on crossing this, he saw something different. His trail had taken him far to the northwest now, up against one of the mountain ridges that rose from the plains of ice. To his left, a series of cliffs of rock and ice blocked any further path to the west. Ahead of him, the road to the north was still clear. His quarry could continue going that way, if he so desired. And yet…that didn't seem like it would be the case now. Instead, Cloud's eyes turned down to what was just a few hundred feet ahead. There was an ice covered lake nearby. It was accumulating about an inch of white powder on it, and a dead tree hung over it, withered and bare. It was probably the ruins of an ancient tree that had been up here before the first meteor struck. Yet Cloud didn't notice that either.

What he did notice was a woman was chained to the tree with her head bowed.

He recognized her gi and hair immediately.

_Tifa…_

The ex-mercenary didn't hesitate. He immediately charged forward, tearing through the snow again with renewed vigor. Tifa wasn't moving from where she was. However, he doubted it was due to cold, lightly dressed as she was. It seemed more due to something having struck her or knocked her out. He couldn't tell from here. He could barely tell it was her. Yet as he got closer, he only saw more details that confirmed his suspicions. He moved recklessly…almost in a blind charge to get up to her. In doing so…he almost forgot about his opponent. About halfway to her, he remembered him. At that thought of that, he raised Event Horizon up with one arm, and turned his head from side to side as he moved forward. He watched the drifts and the hills as he closed. He saw nothing. No opponent. No figure. No signs of an ambush. But he knew that was too easy… Tifa was just standing out there in the open for him. This figure hadn't let him on this far without planning something… He stayed alert as he closed in on her.

At last, the ex-mercenary reached the woman. He came to a halt right in front of her, and paused again to quickly look around the area. Still nothing. There wasn't a sign of anyone. However…he didn't feel safe here. Now that he saw Tifa again…now that he was calming down out of his fear…he began to realize how foolish he had been. He had wandered this far from the army…out miles away from anyone. This was a trap…the most blatant trap he had ever seen. Whoever was here…whoever had done this…he had been trying to bring him out on purpose. He couldn't stay here. He needed to run while he still could. He had to get Tifa out of here. He finally turned back to the woman. He turned his sword over, and stuck it into the snow for a moment. He reached out and planted his hands on the woman's shoulders, and gave her a shake.

"Tifa… Tifa, wake up." He called to her as he did so. "We need to get out of here, fast. We have to get back to the army."

Cloud shook the woman again…but he had barely moved her at all when her head suddenly snapped up. When it did…Cloud immediately released her and stepped back, staring in surprise at the face he saw on the woman as she looked up to him. It wasn't Tifa's. It was a sickeningly white face…with blood red eyes, and cruel lips twisted into a grin. It was also male.

"My hero." The figure hissed.

Cloud was stunned. But before he could make another move or even fully take in what had happened, "Tifa" spread his arms out and immediately snapped the chains that held him to the tree. As he did…the flesh seemed to melt off of his body, in every place except the face. As it did…a black coat was revealed beneath, as well as long, black hair as dark as midnight. A powerful, muscular build fleshed him out as he stepped forward. Cloud couldn't even utter a syllable before he reached out with one snow-white hand and seized the ex-mercenary by the throat. Immediately…the fingers dug in…and he felt five sharp dagger-like nails dig into his flesh. His airway wasn't cut off…but he felt pain against his neck as the fingers pressed against it. With an easy effort, the dark man that had emerged lifted him off the ground.

The man's eyes gaped. Immediately, he raised his own hands and seized the hand of this dark individual. He began to pull at his fingers…only to see he might as well have been trying to tear a tank apart with his bare hands. The grip was iron…seeming almost to fuse itself to Cloud's skin. And no matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't move it. The man had him, and all of his strength was useless against him. He could only dangle.

Cloud gaped a moment longer, but then looked down. Event Horizon was still there in the ground… Suddenly, he took his hand off of his neck and reached for it. However, the dark man was a bit too fast for him. He swung his body around quickly, putting it over the frozen lake instead, and taking him far from the hilt of his sword. The ex-mercenary looked back to him and grit his teeth. Furiously, he began to kick at him with his free legs. Cloud had enough power to break ribs with each of his kicks…and yet it felt like he was kicking a mountainside. The man didn't react to any of them as he feebly tried to inflict damage.

"Well, well…another spirited one." The dark man spoke as he stepped forward, placing Cloud further over the frozen lake. "They're always the most fun to grind intooffal with your bare hands…"

"Who…the hell…are you…?" Cloud spat around the closed fist.

"Death incarnate." The man simply answered, grinning sadistically back at him.

"What…did you do…with Tifa…?"

The dark man simply snorted. "You really want to see her so badly? Then by all means…let me send you to her."

With that, the man suddenly reared back and raised Cloud over his head. The ex-mercenary was shocked…but not nearly as shocked as when he swung him down onto the frozen lake. His body was smashed through four inches of thick ice…and yet the force continued to push him down even after doing so. It felt like he had been shot out of a cannon. His body sank down through the water beneath the ice and into the lake…leaving a trail of bubbles behind it like a torpedo. After about twenty feet, he struck bottom…head first. The buffering effects of the water were ignored as his head was smashed roughly against the hard ground at the bottom of the pool. Pain soon flooded through his senses, and his body went limp as he opened his mouth to cry out in agony. The water around him was suddenly stained red.

Cloud writhed at the bottom of the pool a moment, feeling pain radiate throughout him. That blow hadn't been minor… He didn't think something existed that could throw that hard. The soreness and trauma continued to ripple through him for a moment as he leaned back nearly senseless. But then…a new pain took hold of him. Horrible…stabbing…agonizing pain from all directions. It felt as if his skin was being crushed. Although he was now underwater and couldn't breath anyway…it felt as if his body stopped taking in air as easily as before. At this, the ex-mercenary opened his eyes back up in fear. He was at the bottom of a frozen lake. The ice cold water was surrounding him…forcing him into agony with its numbing effects… He looked up above again…and saw, far on the surface, that the dark man was still there, bowing over the hole he had made and placing his hand over the water, as if to wave at him.

Gritting his teeth, Cloud immediately pushed off of the bottom and tore for the surface. Already…he felt the muscles in his legs beginning to weaken and lock up. He didn't have much time. In an instant, he was at the opening. The dark man leaned back as he came, and Cloud prepared to shoot himself against it and get out…

When he instead received more pain to his head as his skull rammed against a piece of ice. The ex-mercenary recoiled in pain, grabbing his head and crying out silently again in the lake. But then, he looked back up as his face turned to shock. Two inches of ice had already frozen back over the hole. The man couldn't believe it. That was impossible. It wasn't nearly cold enough to do that… It was barely cold enough to start having a thin layer of ice form. Gritting his teeth, Cloud balled back a fist and swung it forward. However…he was still dazzled. And the cold was beginning to sap his energy. Coupled with the ability of the water to soften his force, he barely managed to give the ice a weak, meaningless blow. His lungs began to hurt soon after…and his head began to get fuzzy. His eyes hurt just from staying open…being stabbed by cold daggers.

Through this all, Cloud could only look helplessly up through the fresh clear ice…and see the dark man calmly look back down on him.

* * *

"Well, well…it seems you're about to die of oxygen deprivation down there. But keep trying. If you manage to build enough strength and smash your way through…you'll get to enjoy the fresh, cold air for another three minutes before you freeze to death. Either way…you'll see Tifa again. I'm a man of my word."

Ragnar caught these dark words as he charged over the snowdrift, tearing up Cloud's previous tracks and forcing his way through the trench he had dug. They were horrible… They had such darkness and maliciousness in them. Ragnar was normallyresistant to cold. Even now, in the midst of this snowstorm, he didn't feel the slightest bit chilled. Nevertheless…hearing these words made an icy feeling go down his spine. The storm seemed to get cooler, and the sky grew darker, as he crossed the drift. He knew immediately who it was…

Despite his fear as to who he was about to encounter…despite the dread of knowing he had walked right into a trap…the thought that his friend was in trouble invigored the young man beyond his fears and doubts. Now that he had crossed the snowdrift, he drew Ragnarok at long last. Even in the darkness around him, the blade gleamed like a bright flame. He continued to charge forward as he looked ahead of himself, seeing a ridge of ice and rock walls to his left, and a frozen lake with a dead tree over it to the north. What more…he also saw a man who looked almost draped in shadow, looking down at what seemed to be an iced over hole. On seeing this…Ragnar's heart raced. He knew what had happened now…

Somehow, Ragnar forced his face into a sneer, and his eyes blazed challengingly. This was suicide…but he brought his blade behind him and continued to charge forward, ready to strike the dark man. "Wyvern!" He cried out in rage to the dark creature.

In response, the dark man calmly turned and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't at all miffed that Ragnar was now tearing through the snow, charging at him to lop his head off. Wyvern merely snorted, and then grinned in response.

"Well, if it isn't the man of the hour…"

"You bastard!" Ragnar cried as he continued to charge at him. It was taking forever to close the gap…but still he pushed himself on. As crazy as his charge was, he kept it up, wanting to strike him down.

Wyvern stayed perfectly calm as he turned to the youth, crossing his arms. It was sickening. He looked almost like a shadow of Bahamut like that. They were twins…and they did bear a resemblance to one another. But their choices and souls had long since twisted their flesh to become separate people. Ragnar knew this demon wasn't his master, and if anything he felt disgusted that he should look anything like him. However, as he closed the last bit of distance and prepared to swipe, the calm Wyvern spoke back to him simply.

"It seems you have a choice now, Ragnar. Either save yourself…or jump in after your friend so you can die together. Somehow…I feel that telling you this won't dissuade you. In fact…I'm counting on it, just like I counted on you following him all this way. Life or death, Ragnar. Make your choice."

Ragnar grit his teeth and cursed the dark esper before him. At last, he was on top of him. He reared back his blade, and at last swung it forward to strike down the creature. But before his blade could hit him…the dark esper vanished into the falling snow that surrounded him. One moment he was there…and the next he disappeared into nothingness. Ragnar swung his blade the rest of the way, but his eyes widened in surprise. He stopped as his blade fell to the ground, and held himself in his final position. Shocked, he looked around from side to side, trying to see where he had gone too. Could he really move that fast? So fast he didn't even see him run, and was already away? No…that couldn't be it. Ragnar began to remember when he first met Bahamut. He had given him mental illusions…made him see him behind him in his dragon forms. Immediately, he understood. Wyvern was doing the same thing. He thought he was charging him…when the whole time he was charging a mental illusion while the real one was moving away after having thrown Cloud in...or doing who knew what else.

Ragnar sneered and brought himself back up. He looked to the sky, his eyes blazing with fury. The damned wretch… Why didn't he stay to finish him? What was he doing now? The young man didn't know…and after a moment longer, he didn't care. Instead, he remembered the ice. His fury vanished, and he turned his full attention to the lake. Not wasting a moment, he dashed over to the side of it, and toward the frozen hole he had seen before.

There he was. Underneath a layer of ice, Cloud was trapped in the lake. Ragnar's face soon filled with fear. The ex-mercenary was weakening. He was beginning to move less and sink. Either oxygen depravation was getting to him…or his body was shutting down due to the severe hypothermia he had to be experiencing. Either way…he was going to die. He had to do something.

Ragnar looked to his sword and raised it up for a moment. Now that Wyvern was gone, it blazed forth like a flame even more brilliantly than before. He stared nervously at it a moment, and prayed that it did have something of a fire in it. With that, he turned back down and quickly brought Ragnarok around. He sliced away at the two inch ice that had formed over the hole, cutting a large square. That done, he tossed Ragnarok away to one side, dropped to his knees, seized the ice square, and yanked it out. He immediately threw it to one side…recoiling a bit as he did. Even feeling the tips of his fingers fall into the water chilled him, and he felt them going numb. But there was no time to worry about that. Once it was away, he quickly reached down and plunged his arm into the icy water…

A newproblemsoon awaited him. Cloud was passing out. He lacked the ability to keep his body up and out of the water. Even though the way was clear…the cold had seized his limbs. He was sinking into the water now, going away from Ragnar's grasp. The youth's eyes filled with fear, and he tried to reach in a bit more to grab him. But it was too late. His hand only brushed cold, clammy skin before Cloud sank out of his grasp. Feeling the icy chill against his own clothing, Ragnar ripped his arm back out of the water and winced, but also looked down in terror at his friend.

Then, suddenly, it hit him.

_Either save yourself…or jump in after your friend so you can die together._

This was Wyvern's plan. This was what he had in mind all along. Bahamut was right…he had been telling the truth. He wasn't going to harm Ragnar himself, and he hadn't. This was his plan…to devise a way for him to kill himself. He wanted him to come after him. He wanted him to jump in and try and save Cloud, and by now that was the only way he could do it. But once he pulled him out…there would be nothing to make fires with and nothing warm to wear…not even something to dry himself off with. He'd be dead from exposure himself in minutes.

Ragnar cursed himself again. He thought about throwing his concerns to the wind and going in after Cloud…but his own cape and clothes wouldn't be enough to warm his friend up enough to survive. They would still die together. The young general nearly fumed. This was all that damned Wyvern's fault… He couldn't believe this. For years, he had been part of Icicle Inn's "polar bear club". He could move in freezing water and lakes like this year round. And yet now…it couldn't save him or Cloud from…

_Wait a minute…_

Ragnar suddenly realized something. Lakes… He was in the Icicle Inn area again. It was near the outskirts, but he was there. And all of the bodies of water and landforms had been charted in the area. That included all the ponds. People went out ice skating all the time when they weren't playing hockey or ice fishing. There were dozens of lakes all around…and he was familiar with a lot of them… He looked up again, and saw the dead tree hanging over the water. He hesitated a moment, staring at it. But then it hit him. He knew this place. It was one of the farther lakes in the area, but he had seen it before on maps. The one dead tree made it stick out. This was Miner's Pond. It was charted and known by the people of Icicle Inn…

And the people of Icicle Inn always made sure there was an emergency shelter in case someone fell through thin ice…

Realizing this, Ragnar looked up and to the west again. The rock wall was still there. However, he ran his eyes alongside it for a moment, desperately searching for something. As he did, he began to reach up and remove his cape. He moved down to his tunic next and began to unbutton it. His fingers fumbled and slipped, and he cursed and nearly tore it open to get it off. He thought of skipping it and going right in…but in the end he recanted. He had to have dry clothes after he was out. Soon his tunic was off, followed by his shirt, and next came his shoes, socks, and pants. At last, Ragnar spotted something. Up ahead, directly across from the pond… There was a small cave just nestled inside the rock, just out of eyesight.

The youth began to grow nervous at seeing this. It could just be a cave, not a shelter. And even if it was, Wyvern might have emptied it. If either of those were true…both he and Cloud were toast…or ice, whatever was more appropriate. Yet he didn't have time to check. He had already wasted too much time. He needed to get in if Cloud was going to have a chance at all. Now stripped to his skivvies, Ragnar stood up at the edge of the water, leaned over, and dove right in.

Ice water splashed Ragnar in the face and moved over his body. He felt bitterly cold for a moment…before the pain settled in instead. That was the worst part about jumping in. However, he held on, and kept swimming down. He endured it, waiting for his outer layer of skin to numb. It was still numbing by the time he reached Cloud…but he didn't care. Quickly, the youth put his arms under his friend's shoulders, and then turned his body up and began to swim back for the top. By then, he was starting to feel a bit numb, but it was too late at that point. He was already coming out. He feared for a moment that there would be more ice, but his fears were unfounded. On reaching the top, only a thin, easily broken layer was there. The two inch layer that had formed…it had to be Wyvern's doing.

Moments later, Ragnar's face broke the top of the water, and he gulped a deep breath of air. Dipping your face in freezing water did something to your respiratory system…kept you from using the air you had. He didn't think about that for very long, however. Grunting, he raised Cloud up out of the water, and poked his head above surface. Miraculously, the man's eyes snapped open, and he immediately gasped himself. Ragnar, panting as he was above the freezing water, smiled a bit in relief. That was one bit of good news. If he had to do rescue breathing on Cloud…there was no way he could get him into shelter before he was done. At any rate, Cloud's eyes quickly drooped again, and his body became dead weight. It was too numbed to move. The youth thought fast. Immediately, he began to bob Cloud up and down in the water. The natural buoyancy would help lift him, and would aid Ragnar's strength for what happened next. He bobbed Cloud up and down once…twice…and on the third time put all his strength behind it and cast Cloud out of the freezing pond. It worked. Thanks to Ragnar's strength, the man was thrown out of the water and onto the shore. Half of his legs continued to dangle in the water after he was out, but Ragnar would get those in a second. Next, he put his own arms on the shore side, and quickly pulled his own body out of the water. Despite the fact that he was yanking himself into freezing cold snow, Ragnar kept pulling himself up and dragged himself totally out and to shore.

The youth didn't stay there long. His already numb skin barely felt the sting of the snow against his bare flesh. He turned to Cloud, and saw much worse. He was still breathing, but already he was shivering, and his skin was turning blue. The youth quickly went over to him and practically tore off his armor, shirt, and pants. Having nothing else, he pulled up his cape and covered him with it. By now…Ragnar felt his own body starting to shiver. He may have been able to jump into freezing water, but he always had several warm towels and a fire waiting for him when he came out. He didn't have any time to waste. Quickly, he pulled Cloud off of the ground and slung one of his arms over his shoulder. For the first time, he would be the one supporting him, not the other way around. Cloud's legs didn't move at all as he pulled him up, but Ragnar began to drag him none the less in that way.

"Cloud…can you hear me?" Ragnar called from his own quivering lips. "Say something."

He heard a grunt from the shivering man, but nothing else.

"Cloud…stay awake. You have to stay awake for a bit longer… Try to move your body around."

The ex-mercenary mumbled something, but Ragnar couldn't make it out. He continued to drag him, for he still gave no support. As he did, an icy wind ripped past his wet skin. The youth gave out a violent shiver at that. His teeth began to chatter as goosebumps covered his flesh. His muscles were beginning to spasm uncontrollably. He didn't have much time either… Moving as fast as he could, dragging Cloud along, he finally went past the pond and to the rock wall on the other side. He headed straight for the opening in the rock and went inside.

The cutting off of the wind was welcome, but it was still freezing inside the small cave. Ragnar's panicked breath came out in clear white puffs. He looked around as soon as he entered. It wasn't big, only about twenty feet by twenty feet. However…to his relief…he saw his suspicions had been correct. It was a shelter. There were fire logs piled up, a small rusty can of lighter fluid, and a box of matches. A darkened spot on the floor had a pipe built over it, meant as a sort of chimney for this small area, feeding the smoke outside. There were also a couple blankets folded up against the wall, and what looked like an old bottle of liquor.

Ragnar's toes and fingers were starting to feel numb by now, and he knew his time was almost out. Quickly, he put Cloud against the ground. He reached over and yanked out the first blanket, and quickly wrapped his body in it. Then he took the second and wrapped it around himself. It was still cold in the interior, but it helped somewhat. His limbs were shaking and jerky now, but still he forced himself to work on. He grabbed about eight of the logs and piled them up on the sooty spot. He took up the can next and squeezed out the fluid over them. With that done, he fumbled for the matches. Between his numb fingers and his shaking limbs, he could barely grab them. When he did, his hands were shaking so much that when he opened the box, he spilled them everywhere. The young man grit his teeth, forced his body to stay still, and reached down to take up one of them. He had trouble striking it, and broke the first match before he could do it successfully. But he threw down this one and took up another. This one he managed to light, and he threw it onto the logs soon after. They immediately ignited.

While the fire began to catch, Ragnar turned back to Cloud and the bottle of liquor. It was half full. There was no telling if it had been used before and if so, by whom. Some drifter could have come by and drank some. But there was nothing for it. Right now, he realized he had to be more worried about freezing rather than getting some sickness. Ragnar took it up and undid the cork, and dipped it down to Cloud. The man was shivering uncontrollably in his blanket, but Ragnar took that as a good sign. So long as he was shivering, his body hadn't given up on him. He raised the man's head and forced him to drink some of it. After doing so, Cloud immediately coughed and hacked from the dryness, before leaning back and going back into his semi-unconscious state. Ragnar raised it to himself next and took a swig. It burned so much as it ran down his throat, he thought he was drinking pure alcohol. He too made a face and yanked it away before giving his own cough and hack. That stuff was terrible. However, it did its work. He began to feel his insides burn a bit, traveling through the core of his body.

The fire was starting to blaze now. Ragnar's condition stabilized, though he was still shaking. He turned to Cloud and immediately dragged him forward, setting him in front of him and close to the fire. Once he did, he hesitated a moment…but then decided to not be a fool. With only a slightly uneasy look, he put himself down next to Cloud, and shoved his body against his. After that, he spread part of his blanket over him, and wrapped his arms around Cloud to push them both close together.

"…I d-d-don't like this any more than you would, if you were awake, C-C-Cloud…" Ragnar stammered. "But it's-s-s the best way to keep warm…"

Cloud said nothing. However, he continued to breathe. As the fire began to blaze, and Ragnar felt warmth coming over both of them, he felt his friend's shivering begin to subside. He sighed in relief as he leaned down. They had done it. They were alive.

However, as Ragnar put his head down, he soon began to worry about other things. They may have survived Wyvern's plan to kill them both, but there was no telling if or when he would come back to try and finish them if he figured out they were still alive. Yet there was a far greater problem. Neither he nor Cloud would be able to go back until they got warmer. Even if Cloud did recover enough to start moving again, he had to get his clothes so they could be dried out first. And even then, it was another two hours to head back to the battle site. By then, they would be behind the enemy, not in front of them. What this meant for all intensive purposes was that he and Cloud were out of this fight. That had to be Wyvern's intention. He wanted them both dead so that they couldn't go back to the battlefield…so there wouldn't be any leaders for the PPA. And in this regard, he had succeeded. Both of them weren't going anywhere for at least an hour.

The young man cursed to himself yet again. He had saved Cloud's life…but at what price? And if Wyvern didn't have Tifa…then where was she? What would Zola and Noonian do in his absence?

Ragnar had no answers. He had made a choice again, and now he was helpless to the consequences. And so, having no other option, he huddled in closer and tried to get his flesh warmed again as soon as possible. That was all he could do now to counter the disaster that had befallen them.

* * *

_"Colonel…we have visual contact."_

Red XIII clenched his teeth and growled, his equivalent of swearing. None of them were anywhere to be found. What had happened to them? Where were they? He didn't know…but now it was too late. If the New Shinra Army had visual contact, then that meant that they already had filled the front end of the valley. They had nowhere to go except here now. They were on their way…and he would be forced to lead them.

However, a new fear soon began to linger in his heart. His radio transmission hadn't been on a private channel. It had been on one of the general channels for the other officers to hear. That meant that the message that the enemy was nearly here was spreading throughout the rest of the barricade.

And the change was instantaneous.

"…Where the hell is General Ragnar?" One man behind him yelled.

Red XIII turned his head slightly behind him at that. "We are in a combat zone now, soldier. You are to maintain silence."

"Screw silence!" Another suddenly yelled. "The General fled! He and General Cloud!"

"Lieutenant Zola said they would!" Another cried out from the ranks. "They're saving themselves! They know we can't win!"

"We beat these guys before! We can beat them again!"

"Then the Generals are cowards! They left us here to fight their war for them!"

"I'm not dying for some damn kid! I'm gone!"

Red XIII turned behind him at that, looking to the ranks assembled behind him. The beast grit his teeth in frustration. They were beginning to shift back there. Mean looks were appearing on their faces. Fear was spreading throughout. They were beginning to get up and look around uneasily. He could smell the anxiety growing on them. Now, the horrifying possibility had been planted in their minds, and they were reacting to it. His fears were being justified.

And yet, despite all that…Red XIII noticed something.

_Lieutenant Zola said they would flee?_

"Come on, you bunch of wimps!" Yuffie yelled back at them. "We can kick their asses without them! We don't need those two!"

Red XIII bowed his head and groaned as he heard this. That wasn't going to help them…

"You do it then! I'm not fighting in some damn war that has a general too chicken-shit to fight himself!"

"Damnit, he'll be here!" Barret yelled behind himself, his own voice gruff and booming. "But we can't leave this spot! All we got left south of us is our children and families! If we let them break through, there ain't nuthin' going to defend them from Shinra! Now sit your asses down and wait!"

This angry outburst managed to give pause to the soldiers for a moment. Barret was right, after all. Their helpless were just beyond them. If they broke down, there wouldn't be anything to defend them from an oncoming attack. That, if nothing else, made those ready to break off and defect hesitate. Some of them, however, it drove only into more panic. They wanted to break off even more readily now. They were going to die if they stayed here…but if they stayed and fought, then their families would be killed too. It was better to run and save them now while they could. The two choices filled them all with fear, and made them hesitated as their anxiety rose.

"Poor fools…you're all cattle herded into the butcher shop."

Red XIII felt a cold chill suddenly go down his spine. The rain suddenly seemed to fall a bit harder…and the sky grew a bit darker. His heart seemed to slow for a moment. Most of all…he felt his blood curdle as he heard a dark, powerful voice ring out from above him. He wasn't alone. The rest of the people heard it as well, and immediately halted in their own private thoughts and emotions. They slowly turned and looked up to the source of the sound. Red XIII did as well…but far more slowly. He had greater senses than the people around him, and he could hear more about a person from their voice.

And as he looked up…he realized that this voice was unmistakably evil.

A shadow of a man stood on top of one of the surroundings cliffs. There was no way up there, and the ground surrounding him was rocky and rough. And yet…he stood there none the less. His arms were crossed as he looked down, letting his long black coat sweep over him with the wind and rain. His smooth black hair slowly rippled behind him, and he glared down below with blood red eyes. The man was fearsome to behold…and awoke a primal fear in Red XIII's heart. The hair on his neck began to rise, and he felt his tail begin to slow and come down to place itself lower to his legs. He seemed to radiate dark and cold. The storm seemed to be coming from him, framed against the sky as he was.

The man grinned, exposing bone white teeth, and extended a hand. He swept it over everyone in the barricade. "You are all sentenced to death." He let thickly slide over his teeth. "Your precious general is a traitor. The one you all trusted in is a faithless coward. He knew that the enemy coming was too great for him to handle. He knew he had no hope. And so…he fled to the north along with his closest commanders this morning, his intention being to hand each and every one of you to the New Shinra. It was the only way he could be spared execution. He told them all your weaknesses, all your limitations… You will be easy prey for them now."

Red XIII and the others silently stared at him. The beast glared at him with his one good eye, and let his mouth hang open slightly. Who was this man? What was he? He didn't know the answer…and, strangely enough, he found himself unable to care about the answer… He instead focused on his words. The beast winced, and shook his head. He knew that couldn't be possible… Cloud would never do that, even if Ragnar would. And neither would Tifa. He would die before selling them out…

And yet…something strange was inside him. He began to visualize him doing that. He began to see things in his mind…scenes of Cloud and Ragnar alike coming before General Leers…bowing before him…offering him the army in exchange for amnesty… It was crazy. It made no sense. And yet…he felt that image begin to fill his brain…and he felt himself start to believe it, too…

The world seemed to grow darker. The rain made things more hazy as the dark man swept his arm out again and spoke. "You shall all be nothing more than bloody flesh in the treads of their tanks. Your families will be the next generation of New Shinra slaves. And it will all be because you were foolish enough to follow a miserable, faithless coward of a man. You have only one choice. Run while you can. Flee while you can. Go south and get as far away from your deaths as possible. Abandon this post that will lead to your destruction, and save what truly matters…"

Red XIII began to feel a bit dizzy. He wasn't alone. The rest of the soldiers were totally transfixed on the dark man, letting his thick, dark words sink into their minds. They all began to feel different now. Red XIII himself did. Cloud…he had betrayed them once before. He had given Sephiroth the Black Materia. He had almost cursed the world to death. Tifa…she was nothing more than a simple woman, wanting to save her own children. Ragnar…he was a liar, a traitor… It made perfect sense now. He feared the New Shinra. He knew they would come for him, conquer the world, and would kill him for running away… So he started this fake army…made them be a threat…then decided to hand them over. He would be pardoned for his service, and the rest of them would die… They were all his pawns. The dark man was right…they were all going to die. Fighting was hopeless. They had to run away…leave the faithless man and their defenses…

"Don't listen to him!"

Then, at once, Red XIII found those thoughts evaporate. They melted away into nothingness, and became shadow and substance again. The lion/wolf shook his head, and snapped out of his daze. At once, he realized what he had been thinking. He was shocked. How could he have felt those things? Cloud had been manipulated before…and he knew Ragnar well enough to know he would never do something so horrible. The thoughts he had considered and indulged only a moment ago now became ludicrous. He wasn't the only one who realized this. Other soldiers behind him began to shake their heads as if snapping out of something, and looked around in a bit of confusion. The lion/wolf hesitated…and then realized it. This dark man…he had been doing something to them. Hypnotizing them or something…making them lose faith in Ragnar to get them to run. He had nearly fallen under the spell himself…but then, someone had snapped him out of it…

Now, Red XIII and the rest of the army looked up again, and turned their attention to a new form. To his surprise, another man was standing on the opposite cliff. He was dressed in rugged mountain clothes with a wide hat over his head. His face was stern and strong, and his blue eyes blazed out like magical fires. His own white hair spilled out into the sky, and the storm seemed to lessen and the sky brighten around him. The beast was astonished. He looked closely at this man's face…and realized that he looked a lot like the dark man across from him. Only this one seemed good…noble…strong…

The white haired man pointed a finger across at the dark man. On his part, the dark man looked up calmly and turned to the white-haired one, putting his hands at his sides. "He's a liar! A snake! He's tricked you all! He's the reason Ragnar isn't here! He led him away! He tried to kill him! He tricked him, just as he's trying to trick you! He's poisoning your minds!"

The beast was stunned. Who were these people? Where had they come from? They were so powerful looking, and framed in the storm that surrounded them. They spoke with voices that shook the world around them. Now, from their positions…they looked almost like a pair of celestial beings fighting over the souls of the people below. Red XIII looked from one to the other, his mouth hanging open in stunned shock.

"Who the hell are they?" Barret finally announced.

"Team mascots?" Yuffie asked with a shrug.

Their comments went unheard, it seemed. The dark man smiled a bit wider, and crossed his arms as he stared at the man who pointed at him. The white-haired man glared darkly at him, his teeth clenched and seeming enraged at the dark one. But as for him, he merely gave a snort.

"Well, well…so much for your policy of non-involvement, Bahamut."

Red XIII, Yuffie, Cait Sith, and Barret all turned their heads up at that. Puzzlement covered their faces…as well as a realization.

"Wait a second…" Cait Sith announced. "Did he say…'Bahamut'? Isn't that who Ragnar claimed trained him…?"

"You violated it first when you tried to manipulate this army for your own insane goals, Wyvern." Bahamut spat back at him. "You can attack me if you wish…but I won't let you discredit the memory of a truly noble human in this world."

The one named Wyvern reared his head back and let out a chuckle. He turned back to the people below, and waved a hand at his opposite. "Poisoning your minds? Am I not rather telling you the truth? Do any of you really want to die out here for some boy's cause? I'm merely telling you your own grim fates. I'm trying to warn you against your own destruction. And all that the mindless pawn of Ragnar can retort with…" Here, he gestured to the white-haired man. "Is that I myself am the culprit. I'm your friend. I'm trying to save you while you still can run. If you don't listen to me, you will all die. If you would like to stay here based on the words of this ramshackle bafoon near me, then feel welcome to."

Red XIII sensed the words of the dark man once again probing him…trying to sink into him. Some of the soldiers behind him, those still filled with doubt and fear, allowed them to fall on them once more. However, the beast did not, and neither did the faithful nor his friends around him. He knew now what this thing was. He was evil. He could sense it dripping off of him. He was the one who was the liar. He knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. He didn't know who this guy who claimed to be Bahamut was, but he believed him. He only hoped that more of their army did too…

Bahamut looked out at them all and blasted forth again in a clear, powerful voice. "This man over here is a demon in the flesh! A plague upon the world! He brings dischord and misery wherever he goes! He's trying to weaken you from within! His words are venom, sapping away your strength and will to live! You must know! If you flee here, there's nothing left to save the rest of the world from New Shinra!"

"New Shinra is only a threat to those foolish enough to oppose it!" Wyvern retorted. "Leave now! Return to your lives! Live in peace! They have no reason to come after you if you don't anger them! They don't want to kill you…but your faithless leader does! Only with your deaths does he ensure his own success! And as for this man…" Here, Wyvern turned back to Bahamut and gestured to him. "He is quite mad. _He_ is the true bringer of death. Everywhere he goes, catastrophe and war follow. Everything he's touched throughout his life has died. He's a curse upon this world, a marked man who lets all around him feel the consequences of his eternal sin."

"Who came back for you?" Bahamut yelled out, ignoring Wyvern. "Who has worked tirelessly trying to keep you armed and fed? Do you really think that same spirit that inspired you to follow him would so easily break down in time of danger? He gave you strength you didn't know you had within you! You have that strength now! Use it!"

Red XIII was overwhelmed. Whoever these people were…he had been right. They were fighting over the hearts of the army. Both of them struggled to win the people to their side. For the life of him, Red XIII couldn't tell who was winning…

"Come to your senses!" Bahamut continued. "You know what it will mean to break down now! You have to stand and fight or-"

"Oh, Bahamut…"

This last phrase wasn't a shout. It was something else. It sounded almost like a tone of disappointement. Sure enough, it was followed with a sigh soon after. Red XIII looked to Bahamut, and saw him freeze in mid-speech. The man hesitated a moment, but then turned and looked to Wyvern. The dark man looked calm and confident again, and had his arms crossed as he stared at the white-haired one. An evil look was on his face. He "tsked" Bahamut, and slowly began to shake his head at him with his cruel smile still painting his face. The rest of the valley went silent, and watched this exchange as it occurred.

"You still haven't learned the truth, have you? And here…I was trying to spare these people." He calmly went on. "You don't realize that anything begotten by you must inevitably perish. That is your sentence for all eternity. Everything you touch must die. And now…you want these people to die as well."

"Shut up." Bahamut snapped back, his face turning to anger again.

Wyvern merely bared his teeth in a grin and uncrossed his arms. He began to reach into his coat. "You don't get it, do you? I told you once…you must die. You are destined to die. As long as you live, you will continue to kill everything that goes by you. Your orders of knights…your attempts at a family…your own race…and now…" The dark man paused…and his eyes blazed forth with new maliciousness.

"The races of other worlds as well."

On hearing this, Bahamut's face fell. All of his anger melted away…and his blue eyes began to widen. His mouth hung loose. Red XIII suddenly smelled fear on this one as well…much stronger and more potent than what was on the army below. The white-haired man suddenly looked stricken with terror. His arms began to fall to his sides.

"You…you didn't…" He slowly echoed out, barely audible below.

In response, Wyvern let out a dark chuckle…before pulling something out of his coat. Red XIII saw it as he held it up.

It was a simple pair of glasses.

On seeing that…Bahamut began to shake all over. His mouth dropped open, and a horrible fear filled his eyes.

"No…" He slowly whispered.

"She had the prettiest mismatched eyes, Bahamut…before I tore them out of her head one by one." Wyvern calmly continued. "Right until the end…she thought you'd come back to save her."

Moments later, Red XIII and the rest of the army leapt back in terror. A gigantic fiery explosion suddenly eruptedagainst Wyvern's chest, and his body was enveloped in flames and debris.

The people screamed below. They covered their heads as rock began to rain down. Red XIII himself shrank back, but somehow managed to look overhead still. He saw rocks begin to fall. He saw black smoke rise from the cliff side.

Most of all, however, he noticed Bahamut.

Never before had the beast seen such pure, unadulterated rage. His eyes seemed to turn blood red as well. His hands were in such tight fists that blood poured from his knuckles to the ground. His body quivered and seemed to bulge. It looked as if the flesh from beneath it would burst out. His teeth were gnashed, and foam nearly came out from between them. His face was twisted into the most horrible expression of total hate and vengeance that Red XIII had ever seen. The wind seemed to rip at his clothing. The air grew hot around him. Just looking at him…Red XIII felt terror deep in his soul. At once…a horrible, monstrous cry went out that rended the heavens and was heard everywhere for miles.

"You…_damn…**murdering…MONSTER!**"_

Suddenly, the man took off from where he was perched. In his wake…the cliff crumbled beneath him. A fracture traveled into the stone, and rocks and boulders soon began to fall to the ground again. People cried out again and went for cover. But as they did…Red XIII watched and saw the man leap from the cliff to the opposite side, and dive right into the black smoke. He emerged from the other side a moment later…seeming to carry something. But he was too fast. He saw only a blur before they went back behind the cliffs and vanished. The rocks continued to fall. The smoke disappated. But in the end, both things had vanished. The people below were left alone again, and all was silent.

The army slowly recovered, unable to believe what they had just seen. They were confused, wondering what this meant, and who those people had been. This only added to their anxiety and tension, unfortunately. And many of them were still considering running. One particularly panicked soldier looked about for a moment, covered with sweat and shaking like a leaf. Then…he suddenly dropped his gun, turned, and began to force his way through the ranks to run back to the city. Another soon threw down hers, and turned to join him. Red XIII was still staring ahead, stunned at what had happened, and trying to make sense of it. He couldn't care about the people behind him. He was too busy trying to figure out what that was…

And yet, as he did, a voice from the walkie-talkie came in after a blip of static, commanding his attention.

_"Colonel…the army just stopped. They're just out of range of our siege weapons. I have no idea what they're…"_

Softly…a small whirring sound began to be heard on the transmission…growing louder.

_"Hang on a second…huh? What's that-"_

That was all Red XIII heard before the transmission went dead…and far down the valley he heard an explosion. By now, several soldiers were turning and fleeing. But those that were left, the Colonel included, turned and looked up to the source of the noise. Echoing through the canyon…the sound of explosion still rang. That was right before he began to hear the sounds of treads and machinery again…moving forward.

The beast stiffened as this new fear struck him.

"God help us all."

* * *

Bahamut poured out his rage, hurt, and anguish into the fiend. He shoved him farther and farther, trying to force into him the same misery that he had given him. But for all his anger…he kept feeling tears flood from his eyes. He felt a horrible well of guilt inside him. The anguish nearly made him pass out as he realized the truth. Not Wyvern's truth…but the truth about his vision. Again, he had his heart torn to pieces within him…realizing in terror that it was his fault.

That was what the boy had meant. He had to choose between his world and Etteca. He should have known it earlier… His book said it all. It told everyone on Etteca where they could find another esper almost identical to him, and in the exact same condition. Those scientists…those fools…they ignored his warning about how evil he was, and had gone for him anyway. They were the ones who rebuilt him. They had to be. There was nothing else in the universe that could have. And once he had been rebuilt…he went crazy. He remembered his words…their race. The Ettecan race… He remembered what he claimed about them… Bahamut knew he had enough power to turn a continent into a cinder at this point. Wyvern had to have the same…even more than that. It would have been easy for him to destroy all life on that world… His crazy vision was that he had to destroy everything Bahamut touched…and so he had on that planet. He had annihilated it…killed everything on it…

He had come here to save Gaia…but he had left Etteca behind. And because he wasn't there to stop him when he was rebuilt…he had destroyed that world.

_The damned psycho…_

_Murderer…_

Bahamut's skin ripped off of his body and his wings unfurled. His body became streamlined and iridescent. But still he pushed on as he grew into his new size…using his new speed to accelerate his body to a blinding velocity. Still, he felt the agony with him. He felt his heart continue to tear as he tried to force his anguish onto Wyvern. Shinza was dead. The monster had killed her…horribly murdered her…just so he could get to him. His only friend…the woman who had come so far…the person he had helped free from her past…who had such a life ahead of her…she had been crushed by this psychopath. This vile thing of hate and evil…he had murdered millions…billions…just because he had some damned delusion that he was some weapon of justice. He had nearly caused the army to collapse on itself. He tried to kill his pupil. He tried to drive _him_ insane, twisting the world so that it was his fault.

_No more._

_I don't care if the Planet has chosen him over me._

_This ends now…for good._

Bahamut halted himself in midair…now fully reverted into his ZERO form. As he did, he cocked back his fist, and used the last push to slam his appendage into the still flying body of Wyvern. Still in his human form, snapped over so that he was traveling headfirst, the dark esper was smacked away and continued to sail through the air, toward the back and onward. Bahamut didn't know where was now, as he came to a stop. It seemed like it was still the Northern Continent. There were trees surrounding him to the south, and mountains to the north. But where he was now was an empty field…and it had to be miles and miles away from the City of the Ancients. The sky was still cloudy, and the rain was still here. It began to pick up, in fact. But he didn't care. He watched as he saw his brother's body sail further…until it reached a rocky hill. It immediately tore right through it, and crashed through on the other side. It slid along the ground afterward, digging a muddy trench into it…before coming to a halt at last.

The esper clenched his claws into fists. Using his power, he leapt into the air. His body sailed across the distance between him and Wyvern easily, going over the rock hill that was still collapsing from the hole Wyvern had smashed into it, and then landing on the opposite side. He touched down in the mud trench that had been dug on the other side. He looked ahead to a mound of dirt with two black boots sticking out from it.

"Get up." He spat viciously. "Get up now."

Moments later, the mound shifted. The dirt was flung off of it, and to either side of the trench. A second later, and the figure within pulled up inside it, and tucked his legs underneath him. After another moment, Bahamut saw Wyvern's pale white face stick out from the mud…still grinning, still full of insanity and maliciousness. He calmly flipped his collar, knocking mud off of it, and then smacked away at his arms as he cracked his neck and came to his feet. Soon, the dark man was standing again, right before the monstrous form of Bahamut ZERO.

Wyvern let out a simple sigh, still smiling. "It always comes down to this in the end, doesn't it, Bahamut?"

"It will never come to this again." The esper sneered. "You've walked the surface of this world long enough. It's time to die for good."

The dark esper merely chuckled as he knocked off a bit more dirt. "If ever the pot called the kettle black…" He murmured aloud. After that, he turned his red gaze to the esper before him. His eyes still flashed violence and confidence. "You don't get it yet, do you? You can't kill me. You never could. You were never able to. All you can do is chase me away…but I'll always come back. I'm your shadow…your guilt. I am as much a part of you as your soul. This world wants me. It craves me. The universe itself wants me around. That is why I keep returning."

"Not after this." Bahamut sneered.

But to this, Wyvern merely kicked his head back and laughed. It was a dark, horrible sound…full of glee and pride. It made Bahamut's stomach turn…but his anger kept him from being afraid. He only tightened his hand into a stronger fist.

"You fool!" He cackled. "With my new body, I can see into the future itself!"

This made Bahamut's face melt for a moment, turning from anger to surprise, and he leaned his head back.

Wyvern grinned wider, his teeth sharpening as he did so. "Oh yes, Bahamut… I have seen the future. The drugs they gave me while rebuilding me helped me to see it. And the future doesn't include you. It is mine. I saw myself standing before you throughout the whole of history…and as time went on you kept changing…but I always stayed the same. And no matter how many times you changed, you could never match my splendor or power. So let's see…space…time…destiny…each of these are on my side. You? You have nothing…nothing except some pitiful desire to live and fight me."

The esper hesitated a moment longer…but at last his brow creased again. He pushed that fear away, refusing to believe the words he had heard. The damned creature was full of lies and poison, and he wouldn't take of it. "Shut up." Bahamut spat at last, his face turning back into anger. "I won't believe your ramblings again. If you really think you're stronger, then show me. But I'm not going to lose tonight. This ends…and I'm going to make sure you never hurt another living thing again."

"Simple imbecile…" Wyvern answered, still grinning. "You still don't know. It seems I've surpassed you in wisdom and knowledge as well now, what with how little you realize." The dark creature rose up a bit more. He cracked his neck again, and then laced his fingers and cracked them as well. The air around him seemed to grow colder again as he did this…and the sky seemed to rumble a bit more as rain fell harder, starting to paint over Bahamut's face.

"Let's put it into nice secular terms." He sneered. "You were never anything more than a civilian prototype. When that Dr. Maester made you, he just wanted to see if he could do it. But me? He wanted to make me be the ultimate military model…a weapon for his use. He remade me completely…improved on my cells…enhanced my mentality and physicality. He made you an immortal…he made me a god. While your body may have come back stronger and faster than ever…"

The creature leaned his head down. To Bahamut's surprise…his red eyes suddenly vanished. In their place, two translucent, blue, shimmer orbs replaced them. They shone forth with unparalleled glory, and pierced deep into Bahamut's own eyes. They were immediately framed by the face of absolute wickedness.

"…I've evolved."

A transformation suddenly seemed to come from the creature before Bahamut. To his surprise…his blackness and shadow suddenly faded. An inner light suddenly illuminated the creature's skin. It was pale, blue, and shimmering…just like his eyes. And as it came forth, it swallowed up the blackness, and turned him into a creature of iridescent light. Yet he didn't stop there. He spread out his arms calmly at his sides, holding them up with his wicked smile…as if he was some sort of heavenly creature. When he did…Bahamut felt his power begin to rise. It was terrible…how quickly it shot up. The energy that began to flow through him. After a moment…it began to lift him off of the ground. His coat fell off and began to splay at his sides. His clothing underneath burned away. But still, he stared on at Bahamut, as his light grew brighter and brighter.

Then, suddenly, a flash went out. Bahamut recoiled as the blue light expanded to blinding. He raised his claws in front of his face a moment. But just as quickly…the light died…revealing what it had concealed before. Bahamut looked back…and gaped in amazement.

A new creature…or being…was hovering off of the ground. Its wings were smooth and curved, and were intricately designed with some sort of radiant or heavenly look. They way they hovered behind him made him look almost as if they were some sort of radiant symbol behind him rather than wings. His scales had grown long and flat, becoming like celestial armor. His hands were still out, although they had turned into claws at this point. His feet hovered beneath him now, lightly curled up above the ground as he calmly floated there. His breast was thickly armored…almost like it was armor rather than his own scales. His shoulder scales raised on either side of his head, becoming like the collar of his coat rather than his own body. The scales at his sides extended down long and to his feet, almost as if they were the edges of a coat. His tail hung down loosely beneath him, slowly swishing through the air. Then there was his face. It was smooth and streamlined…reptilian and powerful. It looked radiant and flawless now. His crest flayed behind him in razor sharp lines, looking almost like a radiant fire coming from the back of his head. His face was still turned into that wicked smile.

Most of all…his entire body now shimmered and swirled. He looked to be like liquid, glowing blue metal. He was radiant and beautiful…but it only helped to accent how deadly he had become. His power was sky rocketing now. It was horrible to behold. Coupled with his shimmering body…it was as if he had truly become a god. The radiant light around him seemed to make the water part from his body, and drained the dim sunlight to surround his own body with darkness, from which only his own form gave light.

As Bahamut stared at this…a memory returned. He had seen something like this before. In his first vision…he saw Dr. Maester. He had turned into some sort of deadly, radiant creature in that vision. And now…he saw that Wyvern had done the same. It made sense now. The vision was showing him that Dr. Maester had the ability to bring that horror to life, but that it wouldn't be him. It had ended up being Wyvern instead.

_"Impressed, Bahamut?"_ The creature asked in front of him. It didn't even sound like Wyvern anymore. It sounded stronger…more spirit-like…deadlier. _"The pinnacle of Ettecan technology…me. Their greatest legacy now that they have been destroyed. No longer does darkness alone fuel me. The very energies of the dead have become my strength. Their despair and anguish is my power. I have become death incarnate…for I both channel the powers of the dead, while I myself am above it. I have transcended the limits of mortality and immortality. And you…pitiful wretch…you are nothing to me."_

Bahamut stared at this creature. He couldn't even really call it Wyvern anymore. It barely even resembled him. Even if he couldn't focus on it himself, however…the truth of the matter was that it was far stronger than him. He could sense its power…and saw that Wyvern hadn't been lying. They had made him better…made him into this monster. The fools knew the whole time how unstable he was…and yet they turned him into this. They fed his all-consuming ego and made him even more lethal than before. There was no telling how high his pride would rise if he survived. There was no telling how many people would perish in his wake. He had to be stopped…somehow.

And weak compared to him as he was…Bahamut knew he was the only person.

"One thing is certain." Bahamut finally stated. "You still ramble like a lunatic."

With that, Bahamut ZERO took off to assault this new creature.

To put an end to their battles for good.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	56. Second Battle of the Cetra Valley

You know how I used to have all sorts of crazy quotes? I thought I'd open with something meaningful for a change...

"For God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten son; that whosoever believe in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: In case any of you didn't realize it, Wyvern's new form looks a lot like Seymour EVOLUTION (or Seymour Natus, take your pick) minus the little necro-phobe thing he had protruding from him. That was a spur of the moment decision. Originally, I wanted him to be just another ZERO body himself. However, I had planned on him gathering power from the dead, just as Bahamut's new body gets power from the living. While I was about to write him transforming into "Wyvern ZERO", I was listening to "Fight with Seymour" on my CD player. Now, I disliked most of FFX, and I despised the English voice of Seymour, but I still liked the idea of some already dead guy coming back again and again in a more deadly form each time, thinking he was death personified. So I thought...Wyvern thinks he's Death at this point...Bahamut saw Seymour Natus in his vision...he takes energy from the dead...he's supposed to be more suped up than Bahamut ZERO...why not go with it?

* * *

Zola stared down blankly below him. He was about a mile outside of the City of the Ancients now. Here, the deep ravine that cut through the city twisted and turned, and continued to work its way along the mountainside. Here, however, the stone was more granite like, and easier to use. When the army needed stone, they got it from here. Apparently, they weren't the only ones. This had to have been used years earlier, perhaps when the Cetra still lived in their city. An old, half rotted yet stable bridge spanned the ravine. It didn't lead anywhere now. There used to be a shed on the other side for tools. But those were gone. It didn't matter. Zola wasn't interested in that. He stood on the edge of the bridge, and looked down far below. The river was dry down there, even though it was now raining. An empty bed of rough rocks were exposed in their place…about a hundred feet down.

The half esper looked to this…and then turned and looked back to his side…where the statue of Tifa was still standing. He swallowed, and then looked back down again. The man quivered once…but then finally turned his body back to the statue. He put his hands on it, and began to push it, moving it toward the edge. Considering his strength, it was more than light enough for him. He should have easily pushed it in. And yet…he felt himself only inching it forward.

"I'm…I'm really sorry." Zola finally choked out as he pushed it, as if the statue could hear him. "I…I just can't. He'll kill me…or worse. I didn't want to do this… It's not my fault…"

All he received in response was the still surprised face of Tifa.

The half esper quivered his lip, and bowed his head. He felt so dirty. He tried to tell himself not to think about it. Who cared what happened to a few humans? He was supposed to hate them anyway, right?

However…it was hopeless. That had made him feel comfortable once, but not anymore. He was no longer a creature who thought that way. He no longer saw humans as just some subcreature or farm animal. And he didn't see them as destroyers either. Even if he did…this woman didn't do anything to him or his race. She was kind and pleasant. And she bore no ill will in her heart…and she didn't have that feeling of darkness coming off of her that he felt from Wyvern… Yes, it was darkness now. He knew that. He had denied that for a long time, thinking himself to be on the right side. But now…he could sense the evil dripping from him, no matter how he wanted to say it wasn't so.

There was a time where even daring to think these things would have driven him to terror. He would immediately blot them out, not daring to think a single thought against his master. However…his master had not been around for five hundred years. That gave a lot of time to unlearn some habits. What more…he had learned some logic. He wasn't supposed to second guess his master, and yet he was supposed to kill an innocent woman without hesitation?

_Don't be a fool, Zola. He'll kill you, just like he kills whoever gets in his way. Just stay quiet and serve him, and you'll be of high estimation in his eyes. You'll live in peace. Just shut up and do as your told as you used to… Serve him. Be his servant. Belong to…_

On thinking that, however…Zola stopped, and ceased his pushing of Tifa. He raised his head, and realized what he was thinking. It was just what Wyvern had said.

_Belong to him._

On realizing this, Zola gave pause. He bowed his head again and licked his lips nervously. He thought for a moment about that. And for the first time since he had been with Wyvern…he forced himself to think about it as if Wyvern still didn't exist.

_Belong to him… That's what I am. I'm his property. His tool. His lap dog or worse. That's what he thinks of me. He commands, and I obey. If there's any dissention, any attempt to assert myself…then I'm useless and destroyed. I've never been allowed to think independently. I've never been allowed to think or feel. One of the reasons I hated humans so much is because I wasn't allowed to make any judgments of my own on them. I had to just take what Wyvern thought of them and accept them. I wasn't even allowed to think for myself. And I served him…I followed him faithfully, risking my life time and time again to stay his faithful servant. And in the end…he was going to discard me like so much trash. He was going to let me die without a second thought. Then he returns five hundred years later…and expects me to grovel at his feet just like I used to…like nothing changed._

_And here I am…five hundred years later…two thousand years later…and nothing's changed. Our supreme goal, our supreme mission in life…nothing more than making his brother suffer. Our race is dead. Our kingdom is gone. Any smatterings of nobility or revolution this once had is over. Now…our mission is simply to get revenge on Bahamut. To make him suffer to appease the endless rage of Wyvern. And he's never satisfied. No matter what he does…he always wants to make him suffer more. He makes it look as if doing this is some sort of higher purpose or great mission. But it's nothing. It's nothing more than sating his unquenchable thirst for revenge. And the more he drinks, the more thirsty he is. Meanwhile…he wants us to take our lives and sacrifice himself to this same "noble" goal…the meaningless, stupid pursuit of making another man suffer endlessly…_

_This is my life. After thousands of years…this is what I amount to. Some little imp doing the dirty work of a hate-warped man. And now, I'm doing it again. I'm betraying these humans, slaughtering them, leading them to death, murdering innocent people…all so that Wyvern can get revenge. No other purpose. Not for my benefit. Not for our race. Not for the Planet. Just him._

_...But what am I saying? He'll kill me. He can kill me easily. As long as I serve him, I'm immune from his wrath. So long as I do what he wants, he'll continue to look kindly on me. He'll spare me from death…let me live…_

_…_

_…That's not a fair trade._

_There are thousands of ways for an immortal to die on this world. Even Bahamut has died before now. The rest of our race died too. But they didn't die in vain. They died fighting for a cause. They died trying to establish a new world. They used their lives to work for peace and prosperity in the world. They tried to elevate their own races. They didn't live as long as me…but they helped the world. They helped other people. They had meaning to their lives. They had a purpose and legacy._

_…What do I have? What will my gravestone say?_

_Sacrificed his life to help Wyvern get eternal revenge._

_Stabbed his friends in the back to help Wyvern get eternal revenge._

_Lived as a mindless dog to help Wyvern get eternal revenge._

_Abandoned friends, family, purpose, and meaning for his own life…to help Wyvern get eternal revenge._

_What does it matter if I die or live? Is the world any better either way?_

Zola's face slowly began to stiffen. There was a time when he wouldn't dare think these things…but he had been free too long, and was used to it now. And now, they came to him. This was what he was doing. He would live…but for what? To go on being the slave of Wyvern? A creature who cared nothing for him? Considered him disposable garbage? When Ragnar liberated him…he did more than just free him. He gave him a new purpose. Fighting on the side of the humans…showing his strength…being a hero in their midst…he was doing something. He was protecting other people. He was saving the world. And he was doing it for a man who was kind and generous…and who loved the things that he loved. A true human of an older time… And here he was, betraying him…hurting him…so that he could serve a heartless tyrant…

Here...Zola's restraints broke. The last part of the oldperson melted away, and he at last became a totally new creature. He found a new resolve inside him, and devoted himself to that.

He wasn't going to do this. He didn't care if he died anymore. He didn't care what Wyvern would do to him. He was going to serve Ragnar…to the death, if necessary. He was going to help the humans. He was going to fight for something greater than himself…and greater than one man's dark ambition.

The creature decided. Immediately, he turned back to Tifa. He had to start with her. He swallowed a bit. She would be angry, of course…and she wouldn't be able to fight. A regular stone spell that old mages used to use wasn't truly a killing maneuver. If you simply waited until the next day, it would wear off. But to actually be truly turned into a rock…she wouldn't be able to fight when she recovered. She'd have to regain her strength for a day first. Nevertheless, it was too late to worry about that. Quickly, Zola grabbed her shoulders again. He aimed his own face into hers, and looked deep into her stone eyes. As he did, his own eyes shifted and turned reptilian again…and a light once again burned within.

There was nothing at first. The statue stayed cold and lifeless. But then…everything began to happen in reverse. The white areas of the eye began to lighten. The center began to darken. Color began to fill the iris area. Zola continued to focus and stare, as the rock surface smoothed and began to grow soft. They started to shine and shimmer as tears from the body wet them. Soon, her eyes were real again. Not only that, but as before, they seemed to become two fires that radiated a warmth throughout the rest of her body. The gray rock vanished around her eyes, replaced by pink flesh. The ripple traveled to her hair, and one by one the strands turned brown again and wavered on the breeze. The effect continued to spread through her as Zola stared. It went down into her shoulders again, through her torso, and along her extremities. Her clothing began to turn colors again, and began to move as the rest of her body softened and turned pink. It kept going on, until at last her entire body was its old color and texture again.

Zola kept staring. As he did…Tifa's mouth began to slacken and loosen. Her fingers began to extend again. A breathless noise came from her loosening throat…the last word she never managed to finish before she was petrified. Warmth and movement went throughout her again, spreading throughout her system, making her body live once again. At last, Zola broke off the stare, and his eyes quickly shifted back to normal. As they did, Tifa's eyelids drooped…before she collapsed to the ground in a heap.

The half esper let out a large exhale and stepped back. He licked his lips again and looked around a bit, almost wondering if Wyvern was watching him now, seeing his treason against him. He didn't care if he died…but turning Tifa back into flesh and blood would mean little if he found her. At last, he felt safe, and turned back to the woman. She was breathing slowly and softly against the ground, as if moving her lungs was taking effort. Seeing this, Zola quickly bent down and went to her side.

"Commander Tifa!" He called out. "Are you alright?"

There was nothing for a moment. But then…the eyelids slowly moved again. They cracked slightly, and allowed her eyes to shine forth. They moved around a bit, before the orbs turned and managed to focus on Zola. She stared at him a moment, looking nearly dead. Then…her lips suddenly began to shift. A faint breath of air went out from them, but she couldn't move them enough to make noise. She just stared and tried to speak.

Zola blinked, but then leaned in closer. He put his ear to her lips. "What was that?"

He heard Tifa gulp in a breath of air. He heard a faint mumbling for a moment, as she struggled to move her tongue and mouth. But in the end…he did hear one slow phrase be whispered in his ear…

"You…bas…tard…"

That was all Tifa could say before she focused all the strength she had left into driving her knee off of the ground and into Zola's groin.

The half esper's eyes widened. He was shocked. Most humans lacked the power to hurt him…but somehow this weakened one had managed to do this. And now…he grasped his crotch in pain as his gaze bulged, and his teeth grit in agony. He let out a single moan before he too lost his strength, fell to the ground, and rolled over onto his back. He continued to groan there, holding his package in agony. While he did, Tifa weakly made a fist…and vainly swung it at Zola, barely tapping him in her attempt to beat him. Her teeth slowly grit, as her eyes burned with the emotion of anger.

"I'm…going…to…kill you…"

Zola winced and continued to hold below for a few moments more. He cursed mammalian species for keeping their genitalia outside of their abdomens. But once that was done, he managed to recover a bit. After all…he could regenerate pretty well. Nervously, he rolled back over and onto all fours. He walked himself back over to Tifa. She continued to grit her teeth, and feebly raised her arm to strike him.

"Commander…I understand you're rather upset right now, and I can hardly blame you, but…"

"Go…to…hell…"

Zola innocently raised his hands. "Alright…Wyvern wanted me to kill you, yes. But I've changed my mind. I'm trying to help you now. But I'm afraid to tell you that helping you is only undoing one thing that Wyvern was planning. There's a lot more going on…and if I don't get you back to the camp before Wyvern realizes that I haven't finished you, he'll kill us both."

Tifa released her grit and dropped her fist. She was too tired to keep fighting. However, she did hear what was being said. "What…what are you…talking about…?" She managed to croak. "What…did you do…to me…?"

"There's no time, Commander." Zola answered. Immediately, he began to reach down to pull her up. "We have to get going…"

On seeing him do this, Tifa's face flushed with fear. Immediately, she threw her hand over her eyes and shut them. "Don't…look at me…"

Zola hesitated again, and swallowed. "Commander…I'd understand if you never forgave me for what I did…but you have to trust me now. I'm the only one who can get you back to camp. And we have to get back right away if we're going to stop what Wyvern planned. It might already be too late."

Tifa winced and continued to keep her eyes closed. But Zola couldn't wait anymore. Every second they passed could mean death for them or for the army. And so, he reached down and scooped up Tifa with both arms. She tried to protest and fight back, but she was far too weak to do it. She had already blown her strength on the knee to the crotch, and Zola wasn't letting her limbs get anywhere near it. He easily raised her off the ground and carried her in front of him. After that, he turned and began to run back to the camp as fast as he could.

He had to at least get into walkie-talkie range…to tell them not to fire the cannons or explosives…

* * *

Bahamut smashed his fist against the translucent body. A moment later, he ducked to avoid the creature from swiping him across the head. He returned with an uppercut. Strong as it was…it only made Wyvern recoil slightly and snap his head up. It sounded strong though…tearing up the area around them with a crack of thunder that fractured the ground. Yet without being stunned for a moment, Wyvern swung his other arm at him. Bahamut ducked this as well, and then pounded away at his stomach for all he was worth. Each blow felt like it was hitting rock, and none of his strikes left a visible mark. Wyvern let him hit him a moment, before rearing back and swinging up his leg to try and sweep kick Bahamut in the face. The esper quickly snapped back, using his new speed to duck away from it. Moments later, he had to avoid Wyvern's other leg coming up and trying to bring down an axe kick against his head. He quickly swung back to avoid that as it swept down. The force of the blow was so strong…a deep fracture was torn into the ground beneath him, just from the air that followed it.

The esper grit his teeth and seized the thing's leg after that. He meant to try and lift it behind him and fling it. But it was too late. The moment he touched it, Wyvern formed both hands into hard chopping gestures, and then swung them down on either side of Bahamut's head. It was a short blow…but it felt like steel being dropped on his tender spots. He gagged in pain, and dropped the leg. Even with his new body and nearly unbreakable skin…he still felt agony from the strike. Wyvern didn't waste a second. He swung his shining fist at his head, and smashed it in one direction. Pain rocked through Bahamut's skull, far stronger and more agonizing than he had done. The creature before him swung his other fist back and smashed it into him again, snapping his head the other way. Grinning, the translucent being brought his fist back to smash it again into Bahamut's skull. But the powerful being turned his head back just in time, shaking out of his daze. He quickly crossed his arms in front of him…and the blow smashed into the part where his arms interlocked instead.

Bahamut didn't waste a second. He quickly twirled his body around, and leapt up as he did. He began to extend his foot. However, Wyvern was still faster. The radiant creature leapt up in midair as well, and brought one of his own shimmering feet to bear. He cocked it back as Bahamut finished swinging around. The two creatures moved so fast that none alive could see them move save for each other. They were powerless to stop each other as Bahamut finished turning and drove his leg in a sweeping blow against Wyvern's face as hard as he could…just as the creature drove his own leg forward into Bahamut's own beaked face.

The sky above split. The trees around them cracked and were forced down. The ground beneath them flattened and spread out into a great basin. And in the center…the two demigods went flying away from each other from the force of their blows. Both of them went limp and sailed away headfirst, frozen in the position where both hits had struck them. Their speed was like meteorites hitting the world, blazing away like shooting stars as the sky thundered from the wake of their hits.

However…Wyvern didn't sail long. Abruptly, his circular foil wings spread out…and he immediately halted. His eyes had closed briefly when he was hit, but he opened them again now. Still looking calm and untroubled, Wyvern leaned himself back up to hover in midair. He hung their simply, and looked ahead.

Bahamut was worse. He bounced off the ground a few times, his head swimming with pain as he tore away from the impact zone. Each one drove another trench into the ground. However, in the end, on the height of one bounce, he spread out his wings as well. Immediately, he halted, and quickly righted himself too. He hovered as well. His own face was still dark and cold, and his eyes blazed with fury. He looked ahead to his shining opponent, and showed no fear or pain.

However, it didn't last long. Abruptly, Bahamut turned his head to the side and spat. A thick wad of blood came out of his mouth, bearing a tooth with it. After doing so, the creature exposed his mouth as he opened it and cracked his jaw. It was filled with blood, particularly over a gaping hole. Yet he continued to hold it for Wyvern to see. As he did…a new tooth suddenly emerged from the bloody socket and grew to match its mates. The blood around it was drawn back into the wound, and soon his mouth was clear and unhurt. Only then did he close his jaw and crack his neck.

Wyvern raised an eyebrow to this. _"How interesting. It seems that Dr. Maester improved vastly on your regeneration abilities. Now, your body does so automatically…and far faster and more efficient than ever before. You seem to be at the peak of ability in terms of self-healing…"_

Bahamut glared back coldly, showing nothing in response to that. Wyvern stared a moment longer, and then snorted.

_"…So old fashioned."_ He sighed.

On hearing this, Bahamut's own head raised slightly, and his face turned to puzzlement. What did he mean by that?

Wyvern chuckled again, and then gestured to himself. _"Like I said, Bahamut…your body is still that…your body. Nothing more in the end…just an upgraded version. But I am totally new. Watch carefully…"_

Without the slightest reaction or hesitation…Wyvern swung his clawed fist around and punctured his own chest, driving his hand all the way in.

The esper gaped in astonishment, shocked at the sudden action. Had he lost his mind completely? At least…that was what he thought for the first few moments. But as he stared in amazement at what Wyvern had done…he noticed that he didn't react in pain in the least. What more, there was no blood that came out from the wound. Wyvern snickered once, despite the fact that his hand had to be inside his lungs at this point. Then, he calmly pulled his hand back out. A gaping wound was left in his shimmering flesh. But it didn't last. The moment he pulled it out, the wound closed and seemed to melt, liquefying the exterior and merging it together to cover the tear in his body. After that, it flattened out again and became normal, returning to being his chest.

_"I no longer have blood to bleed, Bahamut."_ Wyvern continued. _"I have no organs to fail, and no bones to break. Each cell in my body runs off of matter-antimatter reactions, so I no longer need to breathe. Organs form only as I need them, for digestion once a year to refuel the reactions. The cells work together as one grand unit to make my structure. As you can see…I am indeed a new creature. I do not feel pain. I do not suffer injuries. I am god-like…while you are still confined to a simple mortal body."_

Bahamut grit his teeth at this, and cursed Dr. Maester again. He had created a far deadlier monster than he could ever conceive. This being had no restraints anymore. There weren't any limits to its power. If it didn't have to breathe or have cavities…it could live in space without restraint. There was nothing keeping it from moving to other worlds and doing who knew what horrors there. Did the foolish Ettecans have any idea of the abomination they unleashed?

The esper tightened his hands into fists, and took off for the radiant being again. Chuckling slightly, it pitched forward and closed the distance as well. Bahamut began to pray that this thing had some weakness.

That…and that the Planet could even survive in the wake of their battle.

* * *

The ground rumbled beneath Red XIII's feet…right before a massive clap of thunder resounded. A gale of wind from the east suddenly ripped at the falling rain, making it almost blow horizontal as it pounded the field.

_Spectacular. Now, the world seems to be ending too…_

The battle was turning into a disaster. In the wake of that speech made by the two strange men, a hundred people had turned and run for it. Their forces were left in weakened condition, and the men were more disheartened than before for it. That, however, was only one problem that had arisen. The enemy was using some sort of new mobile bomb that was scaling the cliffs, running into the enclaves, and then detonating. They were able to use this weapon outside of firing range too. The only good thing about them is that they were apparently still a bit buggy. Some of them had missed their targets, particularly when lightning materia was used. It must have disrupted their signals. That would be a useful bit of knowledge in the future…assuming their survived today. Two of the enclaves actually managed to shoot the ones meant for them, although they had to spend a magazine trying to hit it…and a third never succeeded. Nevertheless, out of thirty separate areas…they were now down to seven. Three of those were at the end. Those that were left were unable to establish the rain of fire as before. They tried to shoot their weapons, but now the enemy was far better able to peg them down, even with the barricades they erected. They best they could do now was shoot wildly and throw their firebombs and explosives down. The canyon was still packed and it was doing damage…but this time the enemy wasn't halted and kept coming at the same speed.

Red XIII shook his head furiously, making the water that had collected on his mane scatter. He ignored the fact that Yuffie and Barret were still on either side, and the former gave out a whine from his action. Barret was too busy loading another grenade into his minigun. The soldiers that were still gathered were trying to steel themselves as they looked ahead. The enemy had entered this portion of the valley. The heavy machine guns were opening fire, but just like last time the artillery units were being sent first. The shots bounced harmlessly off of them. Just like before, they had to go in rows of two…and they lumbered toward the opening. They were already aiming to fire, ready to attack the moment they were in range.

The beast frowned. This was too easy. They were making the same mistake as last time. They should have sent in ground troops first…but they were still using tanks. Fearing the worst, Red XIII nevertheless sighed and lowered his head behind his barricade. It wasn't just to duck. It was going to the radio before him. It had been specially made for one of his "physicality", with the speaker much larger and with large pedals for the buttons stretched before him. He depressed one and spoke.

"Artillery units…ready to fire. Target the first two tanks as soon as they are in range."

The colonel released the pedal after that, and looked up anxiously to the path ahead. The tanks continued to rumble forward, squeezing their way into the narrow spot. Their chain guns turned and began to take aim. Red XIII flattened himself, and tried to put his ears down to avoid the loud noise that was coming.

Suddenly…a panicked voice came from the speaker before him.

_"Belay! Belay! Don't shoot the-"_

Red XIII heard no more…as a huge eruption of fire and metal came from his left. The soldiers there were blown into the air as a ripple of fire and force tore by them. People screamed in agony as they were flung over the barricade. Red XIII himself felt pieces of hot debris strike against his fur before Barret's body was flung against him, knocking him off of his feet and to the ground. Rock and dust fell everywhere as a fireball arose in the wake of the blast.

The beast landed on the ground roughly a moment later, and was skidded against it before striking Yuffie and knocking her to the ground too. The rest of the soldiers collapsed around him. Everyone else flattened, hitting the deck in the wake of the boom. For a moment, they lay still against the ground. Red XIII winced in pain, feeling his flesh burn and smelling his singed hair. He continued to lay curled up as the troops rested against him. But then, with groaning and moaning, they began to pick themselves back up off of him. Some of them cried in agony. Fortunately, those on top of Red XIII were only injured…although some worse than others. One screamed in pain from a large piece of metal shrapnel imbedded in his leg. However, just a bit ahead, amid flaming bits of wreckage and falling rocks, several soldiers lay dead. The beast managed to slowly drag himself up a bit, gasping and panting as he did. He turned and looked to the source of the explosion, stunned at what had just happened. As he looked back with the others, he saw only a black cloud and smoldering ruin where one of the artillery units had been.

"What the hell…?" A groggy Commander Barret asked as he pulled himself off of the lion/wolf.

Somehow, Red XIII's radio had survived the blast, probably due to being low to the ground. It was still intact, and a moment later a crack of static came through. It was the same voice as before, which the colonel recognized as Lieutenant Mack.

_"The guns have been sabatoged, sir! I was checking the first round and I saw it was cracked! Someone cut into it and loaded the guns with them to make them blow up when fired!"_

Yuffie shook her head as she rose from the ground, after having been crushed under two large people. As for Barret, he clenched his teeth and nearly pushed Red XIII aside, slamming himself down on the radio and pressing the talk button. "Damnit! Get that cleared out and get the damn thing shooting!"

"I think it may be a bit late for that…"

Both Yuffie and Barret turned and looked to Red XIII as he said this. They saw that his one good eye was growing wide, and was focused ahead of them. They turned and looked as well…and were just in time to see the two tanks roll out of the narrow area into wider ground before they opened fire with their big guns.

Barret soon seized the beast and wrestled him to the ground as two huge eruptions impacted into the barricade. The sandbags did little to help other than create explosions of dust and debris in their wake. The explosions still ripped more soldiers off of their feet and flung them backward, crying in agony as their bodies were flung into the air with the rest of the debris. They were like dolls in the wake of the blasts. The rest of the terrified soldiers hit the deck. Far on the right side of the barricade…Mack suddenly dove out of the remaining artillery unit as another shot hit it and blew it to kingdom come, sending another eruption of fire and metal out that scattered more troops in their wake. A fourth shell blew away another part of the barricade, destroying anyone in its path.

At last, Yuffie grit her own teeth and looked above the remaining barricade defense line. She took only a fraction of a second to aim her shot, and then flung her shuriken. The deadly weapon sliced through the air with enough force to pierce metal. A moment later, and it reached the tank on the left, slicing into its tread. The line broken, the segments of metal tread went flying everywhere as the wheels continued to turn and propel it forward. Again, the PPA ducked as pieces of debris flew everywhere. However, after running out of tread, the tank slammed down and dug one side into the rock. Now only able to turn, the tank swung around and full momentum and slammed into its partner. The force ripped this tank off of its traction, forcing it back and pushing it away into the nearby cliff wall. A moment later, it smashed into it, and crooked its own treads off of the ground. When that happened, this tank too halted, and the advance was stopped.

Yuffie grinned a bit as she reached up and snatched her returning shuriken out of the air. The ducking soldiers slowly began to pick themselves back up, and looked out to what had happened. "That takes care of that." The ninja laughed.

However, as Barret leaned off of Red XIII, and the colonel himself began to rise from the ground and look over what had happened, he soon swallowed uneasily.

"I do believe you are mistaken."

The girl turned to Red XIII at this and cocked a confused eyebrow. After that, she turned back to the battlesite…and soon gulped. Though the tanks could no longer move, their guns were still active, and were rotating to aim at the barricade again. But that wasn't all. A division of heavy troopers, no longer blocked, began to flood around the sides of the tanks and take up positions to attack the enemy barricade as well. More soldiers came in behind, obviously meaning to flood them.

Yuffie groaned after a moment. "Oh hell…"

* * *

Ragnar forced his feet back into his boots. They weren't quite warmed yet, but he couldn't wait any longer. From what it felt like…the battle was hell over there. The ground was shaking, and the snow seemed to fall harder every now and then. Winds blew it into the cave occasionally. Whatever was going on, it was tremendous. And he knew he had to get there somehow. Besides…as he slowly regained his basal body temperature, he had grown more worried about Wyvern coming back to make sure they were dead…

"…Tifa…"

Ragnar turned his head at that. Cloud was still lying on the ground. He was doing better now, but Ragnar had wrapped his own blanket around him just in case. He still seemed to be delirious. There was a wound on his head… It looked as if Wyvern had thrown him so hard through the lake that he hit the bottom. At any rate, he was doing better. He had stopped shaking by now. Ragnar had dragged in his sword and his clothing, and had set them in front of the fire to dry. In a few minutes, they should be dry enough to put back on him. Unfortunately, he was still semi-conscious, and he had only started speaking to occasionally mumble "Tifa"…although Ragnar thought he caught a few "Zack"s in there…

Still, that left a rather big problem, the youth realized. Actually, a few of them. How they could possibly go through the New Shinra Army and back to their own side of the battlefield was a mystery. If Cloud was up, then perhaps they could have risked running it, suicide as it was. But Ragnar feared he'd be dragging him back across lines, and they couldn't do much like that. Then there was Tifa… She had to have been used as bait by Wyvern to get Cloud out here. But if that was the case…where was she? What had Wyvern done to her? Was she even still alive? He began to fear that the answers to those questions weren't things he wanted to hear.

Ragnar finished tying his boots, and shivered a bit. His clothing was still cold, but it would soon get warmed up by his own body. After that, he went back over to Cloud's things. He felt them a moment. The outer shirt seemed to be dry enough… He decided to start putting that on while the rest continued to dry. By the time he was done dressing him in this piece, the next piece would be ready. The young man turned to Cloud afterward, and began to pull him up and out of the blankets.

"Alright Cloud…try to help me out here."

Cloud groaned in response, but managed to sit up. As Ragnar began to put on his sleeveless undershirt, his limbs moved somewhat weakly in compliance, allowing him to do so. However, he didn't open his eyes, or seem to even acknowledge Ragnar's existence. The youth grew a bit worried. He hoped he didn't have a concussion… It didn't seem like the wound would cause that much damage, yet he was acting very listless and lifeless. The youth began to fear that it was because of Tifa. He hoped that Cloud hadn't had enough of his senses to reach the same conclusion that Ragnar deduced…that she might be dead. If so, then he wondered if Cloud really wanted to be saved after all…

The young man tried to push this out of his mind for now. Nothing to do but try to get him back on his feet…and then think of how he was going to get him back.

* * *

The two combatants rushed into each other again. As they did, Bahamut angled himself up as much as possible. He had to make sure they were off the ground…as far away from the world as possible, when they collided. A moment later, they did so.

A clap of thunder cracked through the sky all over the Northern Continent. A vacuum was actually created around the two as a sphere of water was blasted out, the result of their shockwave pushing back the rain that surrounded them. The ground below rumbled and fractured. A gale came from them both and swept away at the trees below, snapping trunks and flinging them aside. And in the center of it…the two creatures continued to fight.

Bahamut and Wyvern spun around each other, twisting this way and that, locking limbs, and striking out again and again at one another. As they did, they ascended into the heavens further, away from the ground. This was Bahamut's doing, struggling to get them both farther away from where they could accidentally kill people. As they climbed, Bahamut dodged two blows, and swung out to block a third. He drove his fist into Wyvern's side afterward, and followed up by smashing his head into his. The creature recoiled a bit, but quickly snapped out of it and jabbed at Bahamut's head again. The esper blocked this with his other hand, and then swept his leg up and pounded it into Wyvern's side. Again, the creature barely reacted. Bahamut didn't stop, but brought his leg up a bit higher, and struck it against Wyvern's face. Finally, he reared back and slapped his tail against his head. The radiant being turned his head slightly with each blow, but other than that showed nothing. After hitting him with his tail, in fact, Wyvern swung back with impressive speed. Before Bahamut could react, one of his glowing fists struck him across his face. The power was agonizing, wrenching his own head and neck to one side. Somehow, he managed to catch himself and swung his head back…but was just in time to have Wyvern swing his foot up and catch him below the chin. Another thunderclap went out as they connected, and Bahamut went sailing away from him.

The two were now in the air a considerable distance. The world and mountains were far below. Bahamut was left to shoot back through the sky in open air. But as he sailed away, grunting and stunned from the latest blow, Wyvern grinned evilly once more. He once again held his hands to either side…and moments later, balls of red, flaming energy started to gather into them. Bahamut, still flying away, finally spread out his wings and halted himself, and with a wrench forced himself to look back up. He gaped atthe sight. Looking into Wyvern's hands…he saw Pyron balls forming. But that wasn't possible…Pyrons only came from the mouth… He looked back up to the creature, only to see it grin in delight…as it increased the power in its hands. Suddenly, both became filled with even larger, more intense balls of energy…Mega-Pyrons. Apparently, to Bahamut's fear, he had learned a new trick…

And now, he vented it, aiming both of his hands forward and at Bahamut…and letting the Mega-Pyrons fly.

Soon, huge balls of destructive light were sailing toward the esper. Gritting his teeth, Bahamut banked to one side and took off as fast as his new speed could take him. Behind him…a trail of fire lit up the sky, all streaming from Wyvern's hands. Fast as Bahamut was…the balls were even faster, and they obeyed Wyvern's every command. Flames and eruptions lapped at Bahamut's heels as he swung around in the sky, trying to avoid the stream. He sailed away for a few moments, trying desperately to outrun the attacks which seemed tomove as effortlessly as Wyvern's gaze. Then, he decided to break it. Quickly, he generated his own attack in his mouth as he dodged the incoming fire. As he came close to pass by Wyvern again, he discharged a Mega-Pyrin.

Wyvern grinned wider as he broke off his attack. He peeled back his hand as he did so, and let the attack come to him. At the last moment, he swung forward and struck it. Bahamut continued to sail by, but soon saw Wyvern vanish into a fiery explosion. The deadly energy bathed him now from striking the orb. Yet it lasted but a moment…before the gleaming creature suddenly erupted out of the flames. The fires seemed to reflect off of his skin, turning him into a hellish piece of metal. He still grinned like a demon…as he shot forward to Bahamut with inconceivable speed.

However…Bahamut had been expecting this. As the being shot forward with a fist outstretched, ready to strike the esper from the sky…Bahamut dodged at the last moment. The glowing fist tore by his face, the sheer power ripping his cheek open. Yet Bahamut moved the instant it went by. Immediately, he reached out and seized the arm with both hands. Then, anchoring himself here…he swung his body up and drove both of his feet into Wyvern's gut as hard as he could. Not pausing to see if his own earth shaking blow did any good, he continued to push and gave a yell…doing a somersault in midair, and utilizing Wyvern's own power to throw him behind him. Soon, he released, and the radiant being was being cast away from Bahamut at speeds even greater than before.

The esper wasted no time. He was already charging the next attack within him. He turned around, and saw Wyvern's body sprawled out as he flew through the sky, still overwhelmed by Bahamut's inertia. Bracing himself…putting as much power as he could immediately gather into it…Bahamut opened his mouth and blasted out a Sol-Pyrin. This one was violent, snapping not only Bahamut's head but his body back as well. However, the deadly attack was large and powerful. Theball of solar energy sizzled and flew through the sky even faster than Wyvern, cutting a line of fire through it. Moments later, it connected with the creature's back, and erupted. For miles, the world was lit up by the blinding flash of the Sol-Pyrin.

Bahamut rested a moment…and exhaled a rather deep breath. He didn't think anything could tire him out in his new body. But now…he was hitting Wyvern for all he was worth. He was putting everything he had into every blow. He went all out right from the start this time, not giving Wyvern a chance to bring his own power to bear. But as his cheek sealed itself up again, he felt overwhelmed. Wyvern was far deadlier than he had ever been before…far stronger. Bahamut didn't even know if he could feel pain in this new body. All of his own blows seemed to not even phase him… The esper began to feel a bit anxious. The truth of the matter was…he already knew that he was far Wyvern's inferior in terms of strength and power. So fighting right now was almost pointless…as the creature was still far stronger, and could outlast him…

Bahamut cut off this thinking as he saw something emerge from the black smoke in the wake of his Sol-Pyrin. He braced himself for an attack…but one didn't come. However, he recognized it. The iridescent body of Wyvern sailed out of the smoke with grace and poise. He sailed through the air in a grand formation for a moment…before he flew up and halted, once again holding himself in midair. His gleaming body didn't have a scratch on it. His smile had returned, and was quite confident.

_"Was that supposed to hurt?"_ He calmly asked.

Bahamut swallowed, and let out a long exhale.

* * *

All around Red XIII, gunfire crackled. He frequently winced and ducked, stopping only to raise his head occasionally and fire off another attack from his Contain Materia. The rest of the time, he was struggling to survive with the rest of the soldiers at the barricade. Abruptly, another mortar shell went off, and an explosion tore through one of the sides of the barricade. Another six people were thrown away violently as another heavy machine gun was blown. Shortly after, Barret gave out a yell and raised off of the ground, firing one of his grenades into the attacking heavy cannon. Another explosion soon totaled this machine. Afterward, he screamed out again as he turned his gun to the ground, blowing away some sort of metal machines that were rolling toward the barricade. Each shot caused them to explode. Yuffie herself ran along the edge of the wall, flinging out her shuriken before enveloping herself in her cloak, and reappearing a moment later after it had hit its targets and returned to her.

This was going to hell.

The emplacements around the canyon had fired off all they could. Now, they were pinned down under enemy fire. The barricade on the end of the valley was already breached in seven places. People were panicking. Twenty more had run off. Those that were staying were all but too scared to come out and fire. The New Shinra were flooding the opposite side, using their own tanks as barricades as they came forward. They had stayed down for a while at first. But then the enemy started to send in more tanks. They pushed the two that blocked their way ahead and forced their way onward. They managed to disable them after they fired off a few more deadly shots…but each time they lost another precious few feet of ground to the enemy, and went into a wider valley.

Red XIII snarled, and rose over the edge to fire out a Freeze maneuver. It locked up the wheels of the latest tank, and the cold caused it to snap its treads and run into the ground. He quickly fired off another Freeze attack on its barrel, locking up the main gun as well. After that, however, he was forced to duck again as the chain guns opened fire, tearing up more of the barricade. Barret gave out a scream further down the line, and fired away with his tri-minigun, razing the area with as much suppressant fire as he could. The last heavy machine gun behind the colonel finished reloading, and began to join with it.

It was just in time. Suddenly, Red XIII saw a flash of something ahead. It was gleaming metal. Moments later, they came. They had started doing this a few mintues ago, and now they were making another run. A line of soldiers bearing bullet proof shields began to run down the field, charging for the barricade. A hundred other soldiers began to flow in behind them, using them as protection. The Planet Protector Army forces raised over the line and opened fire. Sparks went out from around the enemy shields, but only one or two got in a critical hit. Barret cried out and turned his fire to them, and managed to cut through a few more shields and the soldiers beyond…but then the enemy retaliated, forcing him to duck again. Yuffie tried flinging out her shuriken again, but only managed to cut a few more. Unrelenting, they continued to pour forward. The beast sneered. It looked like they would make it to the line this time…

Suddenly, a giant spiked fist shot out from behind Red XIII. It looked like it was attached to some sort of spring as it went over him. The beast looked up in surprise. As he watched, the fist sailed right into the first shield carrier. It impacted the metal, and the force dented it in immediately. Not only that, but the impact forced the man back, off of his feet and charging into the others. Soon, he caused a large hole to be opened up in the enemy. Rifle bullets and rounds soon poured into it. The enemy began to break up, and soon the wall began to collapse.

Red XIII sighed in relief. They had survived another strike…but just barely. He turned around behind him to see their savior. As he did, he was just in time to see the spring-loaded fist recoil and reattach itself to the arm socket of a giant moogle. The cat on the back gave a cheery yell.

"How do you like my secret weapon?"

Stoic as the beast normally was, he usually would have given some praise in this event. However, that was a little hard considering the constant gunfire, explosions, and general chaos that now surrounded him. And that wasn't the worst of it. Transmissions were constantly coming in on his radio…

_"My unit's dead! My unit's-SKH!"_

_"Damnit! The gun's overheated!"_

_"Colonel! We're pinned down up here!"_

_"We're running low on magazines!"_

_"We're cut off from the rifle shots! We need more ammunition here!"_

_"Another pair of tanks are coming in!"_

The beast grit his teeth and looked around in anxiety. This was going from bad to worse. The massacre was on their side now. He estimated that they had already lost at least a hundred and fifty due to casualties. Taking into account those that had deserted…and they were nearly downby a quarteralready. This was a slaughter. They were taking out a lot of the New Shinra as well…but it wasn't enough. They were in a real fight now, not an ambush. And they were losing badly. They didn't have the resources to outlast them now. Their heavy weapons were almost gone. Their regular ammunition was almost out. They had only managed a fraction of the intended damage to the New Shinra Army. They were running out of options…and distance to the barricade.

There was only one option left.

Frowning, Red XIII turned back down to the radio and pressed the talk button.

"Prepare the charges. We're going to blow the canyon."

The last word had barely escaped the beast's lips, when he immediately heard a frantic cry return.

_"No! No! Don't fire! Don't fire!"_

Red XIII recoiled a bit in puzzlement, as did any other officer who was somehow able to hear their radio and keep fighting at the same time. A moment later, the beast leaned back in. "Who is this? Identify yourself!"

_"Lieutenant Zola, sir! It's a sabotage! Don't blow the charges! They've been repositioned!"_ The frantic, somewhat staticy transmission returned. _"If you blow the charges, they'll blow open the bottleneck and send two tons of dirt on the barricade!"_

"Say what now?" Yuffie asked as she suddenly reappeared right next to Red XIII's side, just in time to snatch her shuriken back out of the air. She turned her head to the radio for a moment…before a stray bullet tore a strand of her bandanna. After that, she turned back and frowned at the enemy, and then flung her shuriken again before vanishing once more.

Red XIII hesitated a moment, but then growled again. He smacked his paw against the ground angrily. He didn't know what was going on with Zola…but he could tell a lot from a man's voice, and even over the radio he didn't sound like he was lying. Besides, after that first act of sabotage, he was willing to believe it. He didn't know how Zola knew this, or where the heck he was when they were in the middle of combat, but there had been enough crazy moments in this battle for him to act on some faith. Of course…that only made things worse. Their trump card was gone.

The beast looked up and around. New tanks were rolling up again, pushing the wrecks ahead of them away. They opened fire…and soon the wall around Red XIII was breached in two more places. More clouds of dust and debris flew up in the air. The people at the front line were getting massacred. New Shinra bullets marked two more right before his eyes. One soldier was panicking as he dragged himself behind the bodies of his own dead comrades, using them as a barricade. Another was totally shell shocked, quivering and mumbling behind the sandbags, letting his gun fall uselessly into his lap. The slaughter was continuing…but the New Shinra weren't letting up. This barricade was the only stalwart left, and they were progressively destroying it. The battle was a disaster. They were being wiped out.

Red XIII narrowed his one remaining eye, and clenched his jaw. He growled slightly again deep in his throat.

_Ragnar…I held as long as I could, but this is it._

The beast put his paw on the talk button again.

"All units…engage the retreat protocol."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	57. Daredevil

Whoo-hoo! It's done!

I finished the Wyvern Battles last night. Now, that doesn't mean that this is the last chapter of the Wyvern Battles, but it means that the end is in reach. I still have about five more chapters after this one.

* * *

The New Shinra scout slowly turned off the accelerator. His motorcycle ground to a halt a second later. Right in front of him was the source of the plume of smoke. He had seen it from a distance, even in the midst of the falling snow. He had tried to radio over there, but on getting no response, he had moved to check it out. It was possible that the revolters to the south had still another ace up their sleeve, and that this was the source of it.

The soldier turned his head to look around the area. Nothing much of interest. A single dead tree. A frozen lake. No signs of any weapon, for certain. There were some indentations in the snow that had been partially covered by the weather. It was impossible to make out what they had been exactly at this point. He turned back to the rock wall before him. A slight grate opening was letting the smoke out. Nearby was a larger crack, looking to actually be a place to walk into the cliff. The man frowned at this. This was weird. This whole day had been weird…

As if to accent that thought, another one of those sonic peels of thunder suddenly rang out. It was so sharp and harsh that the soldier cringed a bit from it. The ground seemed to shake beneath him in its wake. He swallowed nervously. This freaky storm had been tearing up the sky almost since the battle began, and it was unnerving more of the men as it went on. It only seemed to get wilder as time went by. The scout had no interest in staying apart from the main army longer than he had to.

With that in mind, he unslung his automatic rifle from his back and put it at the ready. He licked his lips once, but then dismounted the bike. Afterward, he began to creep forward toward the entrance of the cave, prepared to shoot anything that tried to leap out at him, and watching for anything unconventional. Nothing happened as he got close. There was silence on the snow-filled air except for the occasional crack of thunder. After a few moments, he had left his motorcycle behind, and was now at the entrance. First, he put himself against the wall with his back to it. He held his weapon up and inhaled deeply, steadying himself. Then, in a flash, he spun around and aimed his weapon into the cave.

A moment later, he began to calm down. There was nothing there. A half-drunk old bottle of liquor…a couple of blankets…and a lit fire that was dying down a little. On seeing this, the man relaxed and raised his weapon again. Someone had to have been using this as a shelter. It made sense. Since the New Shinra had moved in on Icicle Inn, they had found lots of temporary shelters dotting the countryside, particularly near to bodies of water. They had to be for accidents or people lost in the weather. They were handy, but nevertheless the New Shinra had destroyed all they came across. They offered too many stops on an "underground railroad" the residents of Icicle Inn knew about and could use to escape. It looked like they had found another…

However, as the man stood there, he turned back to the bottle of liquor. He hesitated a moment. He hated this cold weather…and he hadn't had a stiff drink in months.In the end, he took a step forward. Maybe he could get anip before heading back…

"Hey buddy, can we borrow your bike?"

The soldier looked to his left, toward the sound of this voice. And that was all he saw for the next few hours. At that moment, a thin yet powerful fist lashed out and smashed him against the face with enough power to crack the visor on his helmet. He let out a moan and dropped to the ground unconscious soon after. The soldier would never know, at that moment, that he had been that close to killing the general of the Planet Protector Army.

Ragnar, on his part, sighed in relief. It was a good thing the man had come in so slowly, and that there had been a place to hide against the wall inside the cave. With the man knocked out, Ragnar turned slightly behind himself and hoisted up a bit. Cloud, fully dressed again, was resting against his back, still in a state of semi-consciousness. The youth had him somewhat hung over his back now, with his arms around his neck. Despite his state, Cloud was walking a bit with him. And that was good. Ragnar now moved forward with him on his back, half-dragging him until he reached the side of the fallen soldier. After that, he ducked down to his side just long enough to go to his belt, where a key was hanging. He snatched that off, and then took off his helmet, placing it on his own head. After that, he pulled Cloud back up, turned, and exited.

The young man had heard the motor running as it approached, and he had used the time there to hide and prepare for the enemy to come in. Now, he was thrilled at the thought that they had a ride. Hopefully, wearing this soldier's helmet, the people would be too distracted to realize he was an enemy until he had passed them by. They just might be able to pull this off…

Ragnar's enthusiasm died quickly, however, when he saw what the ride was. A motorcycle. The youth paled. He had bad memories concerning motorcycles, especially on Fenrir. These weren't like the four wheelers he had stolen earlier. You actually had to balance on them, lean into turns, and consider several other factors too. It didn't help that they were on snowy ground either.

The young man thought for a moment. He had turned with Cloud when he had been riding behind him, and had stayed up tall when he wasn't… But that wasn't the same as actually driving one. One day, he had actually tried to take Fenrir for a ride. He sputtered forward about a hundred feet before giving up on it. That wasn't very hopeful… However, they had no other choice. The enemy might let them through if they were on this thing, but not if they tried to just march through.

The youth sighed again, but then gave up. Ruefully, he walked himself and Cloud up to it. Once there, he first settled Cloud on top and into the seat. Holding him up, he walked over the edge and got on himself. After that, he nervously settled himself into the seat, quivering a bit as he did. Once he was inside…he only reluctantly extended his key down and into the ignition. He hesitated, but then turned it on.

The rumble of the engine made him jump. The youth leapt back a bit against Cloud, causing his friend to groan in response. However, he then blinked, and sighed in relief. Slowly, he rested his hands on top of the handles. Once there, he tightened them into grips of iron. He slowly kicked away the stand beneath him, and then put his feet on top. A moment later, he began to wobble, and the bike started to fall. Giving a yipe, Ragnar quickly put his feet out again and stabilized it. He quivered a moment, struggling to maintain his balance. Then…he slowly pulled his feet up again and placed them on the bars. He tried to keep himself steady…but it didn't work. He began to fall again…

Ragnar stopped himself and swore. This was never going to work. He…

_Stay calm._

The young man froze. There it was again. That voice…it suddenly went through his head, clear as day. The youth looked around himself for a moment, seeing if anyone was there. But there was nothing. Just the falling snow all around. Cloud sure hadn't been the one who had said that.

_Steady yourself._

Ragnar blinked in response as he looked ahead. The voice was still in his mind, but it wasn't painful this time. As he listened…it sounded much softer, more comforting…and it _did_ seem to be female. He thought about that for a moment… But then, he did as he was told. He swallowed once, and then began to breathe slowly, calming himself down as Bahamut had told him. His quivering slowly ceased. His anxiety diminished. His hands steadied themselves.

_Move forward slowly._

With much calmer movements, he slowly turned the ignition. His feet were still at his sides now, keeping his balance as he started. The engine rumbled slightly, and then began to inch forward. Ragnar's feet dragged in the snow, but he also kept it balanced. He wavered a bit, but soon he positioned his extended legs more properly. His upper body shifted into the right position.

_Go faster…and pull your legs inside._

The youth gunned up the engine a bit more. It responded by moving a bit faster. Slowly, he pulled his feet up at the same rate and back into the cycle. He wavered a bit, and nearly panicked…but the voice kept him calm. It was very slow and patient, and it made him be the same. He stayed focused, and adjusted his balance as he pulled his feet up and put them against the motorcycle. Soon, he was resting on the bars…and going forward. Ragnar let out a nervous chuckle, and began to smile. He was doing it. He was riding a motorcycle.

However, he suddenly realized he was still going forward. He needed to turn, to get back to the Cetra Valley. That was hard, however. He was still so unsure he was afraid to move at all. How was he supposed to…?

_Turn the bars…and lean just a little._

The voice once again came to his aide. Ragnar hesitated again, but then did as he was told. He turned the bars, and the bike began to angle and go in that direction. As he did, he began to lean into the turn. He accelerated a little, and kept his body moving down as he made the turn sharper…

_That's good._

Immediately, Ragnar stopped leaning. He felt nervous, but with how he had turned the bike it was just in the right position. The motorcycle continued to make the turn, cutting a pretty good ninety-degree curve. When it was done, Ragnar straightened the wheel as he leaned back up. He maintained balance, and soon he was once again straight, and the motorcycle was moving along straight as well.

The young man let out another nervous chuckle. He was actually doing it. That voice had come to his aid again, teaching him how to ride this thing. In the end, however, he didn't dwell on it long. He had to get moving. Feeling a bit more confident, he gunned the engine a bit more, driving up the acceleration. It was far from Cloud's own crazy pace, but it was faster. Soon, he was racing down the snowfields and back to the exit.

* * *

Red XIII snarled and seized the nearest soldier's throat. With one furious snap, he took him down to the ground and slew him. Barret nearby cried out as he continued to fire away at the troops that were now surrounding them on all sides. Yuffie was throwing her shuriken twice as fast, and actually reappeared more often to hit some of the troops away. Cait Sith smashed his huge body into a sweeper, causing it to be knocked back and shoot wildly at the surrounding enemy forces. As Red XIII stepped off of his latest victim, he cursed and fired out another powerful attack, this time a discharge of lightning. Another twenty troops were thrown away in agony from the attack. It was especially painful now, because many of them were standing in a pool of gathering water, and it spread to the others.

The soldiers behind them only slowly clambored down their ropes. They weren't that good at climbing down yet, unfortunately. Silently, the beast nearly growled at them to urge them on. He needed them down as fast as possible. They had to move to the next enclave before they got pinned down. Mighty as they were, they couldn't fight them all off with just the four of them.

_Where is Lieutenant Noonian? Or for that matter…Lieutenant Zola, Commander Tifa, our two Generals…_

The evactuation was in full order. In a desperate attempt to buy their troops more time, Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie, and Cait Sith had charged right into the bottleneck as in the last battle. They were still a fearsome force to contend with, and the army soon learned to fear them if nothing else. A few soldiers stayed behind to try and provide as much coverage as possible, but most of them were clearing out as fast as they could. Another group was planning one last ditch effort to secure the area. They were placing more explosives around the elevator array that had been assembled on the cliff leading to the area. Once it was destroyed, the enemy would barely be able to move, and would be powerless to bring down its tanks. It would take months to build a ramp for them. That would buy them a few more hours minimum… But they had to hold until it was done.

The four had another task now. The enclaves were all pinned down at this point. They were moving to each and holding the area as long as they could, giving the people time to come down and escape. It was a risky business. They could be shot while coming down the lines… Yet that wasn't what disturbed Red XIII the most. It was the fact that there were two enclaves too far to try to assist. Those soldiers would have to be abandoned…

Red XIII snarled in his own self fury as he spun forward and sliced through another trio of soldiers. The hellish storm wasn't letting up as it thundered around them, seeming to be continuing as long as the armies continued to wage war on another. The sun was beginning to go down now…long as this battle had lasted. Soon, they'd be fighting in mud and darkness. And still no sign of the General…

_Ragnar…wherever you are you're almost out of time…

* * *

_

Bahamut swung himself around in two spirals before smashing his heel alongside the face of Wyvern. He kept swinging afterward to hit him with his tail as well. The blow was hard and earth-shaking, and sent the creature flying back slightly. The esper immediately dove on him again, and pounded him in the stomach for all he was worth, trying to break his nonexistent bones. Nevertheless, the shimmering being grit its teeth, obviously feeling something, while he did this. After that, Bahamut followed up with an uppercut, sending Wyvern soaring into the sky. Not satisfied with that, Bahamut immediately tore into the air after him, and hit him with a second one of even more power. The radiant being flew into the air even faster than before.

The esper balled his hands into fists, and shot after the creature yet again. He opened his mouth again as he rose, and discharged another Pyron. The thing looked too stunned to recover, and he hoped so as he extended his fist to add more injury once his Pyron hit. However, just as the Pyron ball was about to strike, the creature recovered. It bent down, crossed its arms in front of itself, and let the attack harmlessly strike its crossed arms. Bahamut swore as he shot further into the sky, fist outstretched, meaning to smash in Wyvern's beak. But as he closed on it, the being merely did a forward somersault in the air, spinning out of the way. By the time Bahamut reached Wyvern's level, the creature was already behind him with his back to him. A second later, Bahamut yelled out in agony as he felt a powerful rear kick strike him in the back. A rib snapped, and he was sent flying through the sky himself. Yet he wasn't quite fast enough. As he sailed forward…the shimmering creature reappeared in front of him. He grinned maliciously for a moment before he swung both fists down, smashing against Bahamut's head and fracturing his jaw before sending him hurtling back to the Planet.

The power was too great. Bahamut knew what the result would be on landing…but he was powerless to stop himself. He could only groan in pain and agony from the strike of Wyvern before he connected against the mountainous ground. Immediately, a giant mushroom cloud of dust erupted in his wake. Pillars of earth were ejected from the groundby his earth-shattering impact. As his body blasted a crater into the crust of Gaia, faults and cracks began to spread out from it. Another sphere of water was blasted up…so far that it reached the heavens. The clouds themselves overhead seemed to form part of a sphere in the wake of the damage. Any trees in the surrounding two mile radius that had survived were now snapped and flung away like toothpicks. The rain and dust mixed, and a hail of mud slowly dribbled back to the ground.

Bahamut, now at rest, groaned slowly from the bottom of the quarter-mile deep crater he had made. Mud splashed down against his eyes and face. Very slowly…he felt his rib reposition itself and rejoin. He shattered jaw merged again. His regeneration was slowing down, however. It was no longer instantaneous. The esper knew what that meant. He was running out of energy. His body could no longer sustain itself on that level of performance. He was losing again…

Slowly, the esper cracked open his eyes and rolled his head off of the ground. When he did…he stopped. Standing ten feet in front of him…or rather hovering…was Wyvern with arms crossed. He grinned wickedly from his celestial-like face, still shimmering in the darkness. It was even darker around him now, for night was beginning to fall. The water and mud seemed to not touch him as it fell on the esper and stained him. Bahamut managed to grit his teeth, and began to rise back to his feet again.

_"Still haven't learned, Bahamut? I guess you truly are the dumber of us two now."_ Wyvern calmly responded. _"I'm feeling your bones break underneath my fists more often than not. You can't even scratch me. I can tell you are seething with hatred toward me…but you must understand it is simply inevitable. I am merely the enactor of fate. Any misery you feel is entirely your own fault…punishment for your sin…and a consequence of you thinking that you could just ignore it and have a mortal life. Hell opens its mouth wide for you…and you cannot avoid your inevitable trip down there."_

Bahamut stumbled once, but then came to his feet again. His yellow eyes glared darkly at Wyvern's own shimmering ones, and his beak clenched again. He cracked his fists and unfurled his wings. As he did so…he began to stretch out his tendrils of energy seeking blackbodies. He cracked his neck once and then exhaled. Once more, he forced his tiredness away and focused his strength. As he began to absorb the power…he took off for the creature again.

Wyvern merely laughed and swung out a hook to knock him out of the sky. However…the smile on his face faltered as Bahamut kept coming after his blow hit him. To his surprise, Bahamut had pushed himself so fast that he appeared to go right through the fist when he dodged it. A moment later, and Wyvern's face was snapped violently one way as Bahamut crossed him. The beast ducked after that, and pounded Wyvern in the stomach two more times, forcing so much power that the chest at last gave way under the blows. Wyvern swung up after a moment, trying to hook him with his legs, but Bahamut merely ducked under that, and then swung his body down to balance on one hand temporarily. He brought his other two feet up using that as a fulcrum, and smashed his two feet against the side of Wyvern's head, snapping it the other way.

Bahamut quickly went back up to his feet, and smashed a blow into Wyvern's solar plexus…at least where it should have been. He followed up with another upper cut to his face. As Wyvern staggered back from that, Bahamut cupped both hands into fists, swung his body around, and then smashed them against the head of the creature with all his might just as he recovered. Wyvern's head was snapped violently to one side as a result, harder than it had moved yet. But that wasn't enough. Bahamut swung his body around and put even more power into the next blow. He smashed it into the side of Wyvern's head again just as he recovered. This time, one of Wyvern's shimmering teeth went flying from his mouth, and a part of his crest was fractured. Genuinely stunned both physically and mentally, Wyvern's face turned to one of disbelief as he looked back to him.

That was all he could see before Bahamut reared back and smashed his foot into his face. The result snapped him back, giving Bahamut enough time to strike him in the gut afterward. This made the creature double over. Not wasting a second, Bahamut ducked in and drove his fist up and deep into Wyvern's already collapsed body. The result pounded him hard, and forced him into the air, over Bahamut's head. With that done, Bahamut positioned underneath him, opened his mouth wide, and let fly.

_"Giga-Pyrin!"_

The stunned Wyvern could only look down before a sizzling hot, air shredding bolt of energy impacted him. The deadly burning force immediately began to fry his outer layer of cells as his body was forced upward and into the sky at a blinding speed. Bahamut's new ZERO body was capable of forcing more power and energy into that attack than ever before. He rocketed upward at a fraction of the speed of light, being fried on one side by energy and crushed on the other by the force of the eruption. The shimmering being was powerless to stop itself as itrose into the sky, soon plowing a tunnel through the overhead rain clouds, exposing a second of blue sky. The deadly energy turned him into a spark for a moment, before the clouds flowed back in and covered where he had gone. Soon, he had vanished, and Bahamut knew he was well on his way back into space.

The esper, at that point…collapsed to one knee. His eyelids drooped, and he began to breathe hard. That last bout had taken him everything he had. He didn't know if Wyvern felt any pain, but he definitely had felt surprise when he had unloaded on him like that. And he could take damage. What more, Bahamut actually felt the creature's energy diminish a bit with each mighty blow, so he didn't have unlimited power either. Nevertheless…this didn't help things. Bahamut was nearly drained by now. That beam would hold the creature off for a while, but not forever. At the best…he had only made him mad. This was looking more and more hopeless…

Bahamut realized he had to think of a plan, and soon. He had to find a way to kill this thing while he still could. And he had to hurry. Even if he could survive this onslaught…there was no telling what would happen to Gaia in its wake…

* * *

Red XIII went backward as best as he could. Bipedal organisms were far better suited to this, but he wasn't going to risk putting his back to them. Cait Sith continued to bat away pursuing soldiers and robots with his spring-loaded fists. Barret was out of minigun bullets by now, and instead turned his microlaser on the opposition. Yuffie flung out her shuriken one more time to take off the chain guns of an approaching tank. The four continued to back up to the lines, with the last soldiers they were able to save running behind them. The last of the barricade continued to shelter some twenty or so troops, who covered the area the best they could as they withdrew. Everyone else was pulling out. As the four got closer, they too began to back away.

The beast looked around him as he stepped over the lines. It was almost time. As one final distraction, they were going to blow the barricade itself, leaving a large trench in the ground that would slow down the approaching units long enough for the last of the PPA to get to the elevator, withdraw, and then blow it as well. The creature sighed as he stepped over it, discharging another Flare. He was getting tired. He only had enough power to fire it one more time, and then that would be it. He hoped that wherever the General was, thathe wasn't on the enemy side of the lines. It would be all but impossible to get across in just a moment…

* * *

Ragnar briefly shut off the engine. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. He had made it back. He was crossing out of the snow and onto bare rock. Now, he was on the last hill before he descended into the Cetra Valley. But ahead of him, flooding the valley about a quarter mile ahead of him, was the New Shinra. They were still there, and there were still thousands of them unhurt. Their machines were still operating and still tearing onward. They filled it like a swarm of hungry locusts. They were pushing forward too, still making progress down the valley. They were so thick in it that there was no way through, and they were still advancing. That could only mean one thing…

The youth pushed that out of his mind for now. He couldn't wait long. Already, some of the rear guard was turning and looking to him. He had to go now. Swallowing again, the youth tightened his hands on the handlebar. He gunned the engine again, revving it a few times. He was more comfortable with his motorcycle now…but what he was about to do was crazy for an expert stuntman. He shivered once, and gunned the engine a few more times in hesitation.

_Time to see if those reflex lessons paid off._

"Cloud…if you're still there hang on tight…and try to lean with me."

With that, Ragnar put the accelerator to full speed, and tore down the hillside and to the valley.

His motorcycle soon picked up more speed than it was supposed to. He went past the forty miles an hour he had been adjusting to and all the way to eighty. Ahead of him, like a wall of flesh, was the New Shinra. More of them heard him now, and were turning back to him. They were surprised, seeing one of their soldiers barreling right into them. They began to wave their hands and yell to him, trying to be heard above the engine noise. Ragnar's eyes stayed cold, and he only pushed it faster. He then put his thumb on the horn, and began to let it blare. He held it down without release as he went up to maximum velocity. It attrached more attention to him as he came down into the valley. And as they saw, the soldiersbegan to turn fearful, realizing he wasn't going to stop. Finally, at the last moment, they dove for cover, screaming out. Ragnar plowed into the valley soon after.

The youth descended into a nightmare. His heart raced and his eyes darted about fearfully as he was surrounded on every side by enemy units. They blocked his way in every direction, with nowhere to move. He blared the horn continuously, and screaming they would jump out of the way just barely in time. They dove onto each other as they tried to get away. Still, the youth had to twist his bike this way and that. Sweepers, tanks, and other pieces of artillery were everywhere. There were also soldiers who wouldn't move. He was caught in a maelstrom of confusion and bodies as he went through the ranks, plowing his way at maximum speed into the valley.

This was horrible. Ragnar used every bit of his reflexes and learned skill to maneuver through what surrounded him. Metal scraped his sides more than once. His uniform was torn once or twice, and a cut was made in it from barely avoiding things. The trip was rough, for he couldn't watch the ground ahead of him as he ran. He bounced off of rocks, into potholes, and was jarred painfully one way and the other. The motorcycle nearly lost its footing more than once, and he almost slid and burned. Yet somehow…he miraculously managed to figure out the right balance to keep, and regained control just in time. Ragnar began to breathe hard. His heart felt like it would rip out of his chest. Yet still he kept going at full speed, his world a swirling cacophony of blue and metal…

Then, at last, there was a brief break in the ranks. Ahead of him, after their brief pause, Ragnar saw a pile of twisted metal and flames. Soldiers were hunkered down behind it, although some were working around and forward. He knew what it was. The bottleneck. He had made it. However…he soon realized something else. The soldiers weren't paying attention to him, and they had already filled up the valley. There was no way to break through. A massive pile of fire and twisted metal was ahead of him…and he was headed straight for it.

Sweating coldly now, Ragnar swallowed.

"Cloud…I _really_ need you to hang on now."

Then, the youth did the craziest thing yet he could recall as he kept the motorcycle going, and snapped his body back to put it into his first wheelie…

* * *

Red XIII was now back behind the lines. The others quickly moved back as well. The soldiers left moved to the walls now, getting what protection they could. One of them was preparing the detonator. The New Shinra saw that they had routed the enemy at the same time. Immediately, they began to break out from behind their barricades and charge forward, hoping to swamp them while they had their backs turned…

And yet…everyone froze a moment later, as something new came.

Red XIII looked up, and saw as the flames ahead of him suddenly parted. Shooting out through the sky overhead, motor blaring, looking like a bat out of hell…was a motorcycle with two passengers. The beast's eyes widened, and he immediately threw himself to the ground. The bike was headed straight for him. The rest of the soldiers stopped and stared up in amazement as they watched it. It sailed through the air for a few moments…before it went right over the trench line and landed on the ground. It hit too hard. Immediately, the axle snapped, and the bike pitched to the side and went wildly out of control. It ground against the rubble that now surrounded it, swerved to one side, and then fell over. Its two passengers fell off of it a moment later and were run against the ground. As for the bike, it continued to wildly scrape its way forward before the engine busted. With a sputter, it came to a halt and then stopped, beginning to smoke.

The beast hesitated a moment, but then shook it off. He didn't know what had happened, but that didn't change the situation. He turned to the front again and yelled out the order. "Blow it!"

The soldier pushed the detonator. Immediately, the New Shinra units vanished behind a wall of fire and rock as the entire front line barricade was destroyed. Sand was blasted everywhere, creating a smoke screen of sorts. But the attack hadn't just been isolated to the top level. It destroyed the ground below too, upheaving the rock floor of the valley in considerably sized pieces. The PPA was forced to recoil and guard themselves again as large pieces of debris were cast about the area. The New Shinra themselves halted and ran back as rocks rained down on them. Both armies were halted momentarily in the wake of the new blast.

However, after a moment, the smoke began to die down again. Red XIII looked ahead. He was satisfied. Already, he was beginning to see a trench form in the wake of the eruption. It was over a yard deep. With that in mind, he turned away. He had seen enough. While the smoke was still clearing, the rest of the army had to run for it. Already, the remaining soldiers broke and began to run back for the cave entrance. Only Cait Sith, Barret, and Yuffie were lingering, backing up and continuing to provide coverage.

Yet that wasn't all they did. They also began to look down to the two men that had arrived. Red XIII turned his own head down to them, and rushed over to their fallen bodies. The wreck had to have shaken them both up a bit at least, and both of them appeared to be unconscious in the wake of their daredevil maneuver. However, as Red XIII rushed forward to evacuate and see who these men were, he started to slow down. Even before he reached them, he caught their scent. He halted, and widened his one good eye as the others rushed over to their sides and looked down. They soon looked startled as well, recognizing who they were.

"I don't believe it…" The lion/wolf spoke aloud.

Yuffie, on her part, scowled and lowered her own head to scream into the ears of the unconscious men. "It's about time you guys showed up!"

* * *

_Ragnar…_

Ragnar tried to open his eyes…but received nothing for his efforts. His vision was swimming. His head throbbed with pain, and he felt a hot gash against one of his legs. Yet even those pains were distant. He thought he heard voices, but they were swirling around him, turning up and down…like some sort of deformed amplifier. He couldn't tell where he was anymore. He couldn't feel his position well enough, and he only saw swirling lights for a few moments.

_Ragnar…_

The youth snapped his head up a bit more, and tried to open his eyes more. However, he could see and hear no better. He only became more dizzy and disorientated for his efforts. And yet…somehow, this was only isolated to his conscious self. His unconscious self…if that's what one could call it…the part of him that operated even in senselessness…it felt focused and aware. In fact, it seemed almost as if Ragnar was looking out through his mind's eye, and only seeing his body on the fritz or something. As for the voice, however, he recognized it. And he felt himself able to respond to it mentally in his semi-conscious state.

"Master…" Ragnar tried to say. The thought was clear in his mind, but his mouth only managed a half moan that he could barely decipher himself. "Where are you…?"

_There's no time, Ragnar. This might be the last message that I send you._

Ragnar struggled to look up more at that, but he was powerless to. "Master…what…?"

_I'm fighting with Wyvern. He's gone totally mad…assuming he had any sanity left before. He's reached a whole new level of megalomania. And he's more deadly than ever. He's transcended life as we know it to become some sort of horrific new being. I've been fighting him all day, but he has barelyweakened. But I know what he'll do once he's done with me. He'll come after you. He'll make you and your friends suffer even more than they have already. He'll torture you all to death if he can, regardless of whether I'm dead or not. He feels he actually _has_ to kill you as well to fulfill some sort of divine purpose._

The youth was stunned into silence…at least in the unconscious sense. His body merely went limp again in the real world. Inside his brain, fear filled him. It lacked the means to travel into his body, but his mind was gripped with terror. "Then…we have to fight him…"

_It's impossible, Ragnar. He's beyond the traditional methods of death now. I doubt even I can kill him. Each part of his body now is its own unit, working together as one mass. I just knocked off a piece of him, and I had to obliterate it afterward because it was still alive. I don't think there is a thing living in the known universe that can destroy him now…so I have only one choice. I have to totally destroy him. I have to somehow force him into the one energy source I know of that's still stronger than him…the sun. His body has to be totally eradicated. If the slightest fragment survives…a cell…a piece of magicite…anything…he'll be able to come back one day, and he'll be worse than ever. I wanted to talk to you once more…because I doubt I'll be coming back from this fight…_

Now, Ragnar's control of his body was beginning to be restored. His eyebrows raised. He weakly called out in an almost audible voice, both to him and his surrounding friends. "Master…no…"

_I wanted to tell you…I'm very proud of you. You are the true next generation of Light Warriors. Destroy the New Shinra. Save the world. I believe in you._

Ragnar's world began to stop spinning. Pain became more vivid. His ears began to hear more clearly the sounds of rain, and he started to feel it fall on himself. He raised his hand out into the fading swirls, as if Bahamut was there.

"Master!"

"Damnit, Scrawny! Snap out of it!"

A meaty slap soon struck Ragnar across the face. Fresh hot pain streaked one side of his head. When it did…the rest of his senses came rushing back. His unconscious self left and he was thrown back into reality. It wasn't a nice visit. His leg began to burn in pain. His head ached. But he began to feel the ground underneath him. He felt the rain fall against him. Most of all…he began to see where he was. Up above him, the sky was growing dark gray. Lightning and rain continued to fall. The edges of the cliffs of the Cetra Valley were on either side. Finally…he saw that four faces were hovering over him. Barret, Cait Sith, Red XIII, and Yuffie. He was back with his officers.

Cait Sith frowned and looked up to Barret. "What are you doing? Trying to ruin whatever brains he has left after that?"

"Forget waking him up!" Yuffie yelled back. "Let's just get him out of here! They're coming!"

"No…" Ragnar croaked in response. This caused everyone to focus on him again. The general grunted, but then pushed away his pain. Tightening his fists and gritting his teeth, he forced himself to sit up. The result left him feeling dizzy and sick, and he wanted to vomit. But he didn't stop. Quickly, he began to put his agonized leg underneath him, dripping blood against the ground, and forced himself to start standing. "Just…get Cloud…"

The others paused a moment, but then turned and looked to him. Cloud was in a similar heap to how Ragnar had been a few moments ago. However, he had not gotten up yet. He was breathing, but he looked totally out of it. Barret and Cait Sith ran over to him and knelt down to his side. They put their hands on him and tried to shake him, and started calling to him. However, he didn't react. Cursing, Barret reached out and put his arms under Cloud's armpits. Cait Sith likewise directed his moogle to grab his legs. As they did this, the dizzy, sore general rose to his own feet. He wobbled a bit once he was up. However, he saw where he was. Ahead of him was the cave entrance. It didn't take him long to guess from the situation when he arrived in the valley that there was an evacuation going on. And so, he began to limp toward it.

As he did, Red XIII and Yuffie fell in at his side. Yuffie turned around behind to the ditch that they had blown open. She flung her shuriken out at it, although no one was firing yet. She caught it again a moment later, and then threw it out once more. Barret and Cait Sith finished getting Cloud up, and they began to drag him off too. Soon, all six were making for the cave as fast as they could.

"What happened to him?" Red XIII asked, not bothering to press Ragnar for his own reasons as to why he hadn't been there, but turning his attention instead to Cloud's condition.

"Wyv…I mean, some guy…working for New Shinra, I guess…" Ragnar choked out a moment later, trying to withstand his own pain. "He tricked him. He kidnapped Tifa…told him to come after him. I caught the message just as Cloud left. I knew it had to be a trap. I tried to follow after him… He somehow tricked Cloud into getting into a frozen lake. He had been expecting me too…wanted me to go in after him. Thought the hypothermia would kill us both. But there was a shelter nearby… We couldn't come back that soon. We needed to warm up first…"

Red XIII took this in, and gave a frown as he turned his head back down. Yuffie caught her shuriken again, and then fully turned ahead to the cave. A couple of soldiers were in the entrance, beckoning them on. Barret and Cait Sith, bearing their load, went through it a moment later. They were followed quickly by their three friends. The cave was dark inside, but Ragnar knew his way through well enough, and quickly rushed deeper into its depths. They had to get to the elevator.

"I wonder if this had anything to do with that man who affected the army somehow this morning…" The beast darkly uttered. "Or the sabotage that we later discovered…"

"I'm not sure…but I know two people who _are_ involved." Ragnar answered, his voice turning a bit dark and angry as he spoke. His eyes began to blaze with the light of vengeance. "We need to evacuate right away…but put out an order for arrest on Lieutenants Zola and Noonian. If they resist…shoot on sight."

* * *

Bahamut ignored the stinging rain slapping at him as he tore back into the sky. He tried to get the last message out of his mind. It made him focus too much on other people…when he needed to focus on fighting. After being with Terra…just once he would like to stay alive…watch one of the people in his life grow and live after he had interacted with them… But it appeared that fate did not have that meted out for him. He would miss that young man…but he was not going to let him be killed by Wyvern. Neither him nor his army.

The clouds went by, and Bahamut flew into the dark clear sky beyond. The sun was almost down now. The sky was painted dark at this point. But still he rocketed upward, letting the sky continue to get darker as he went higher and higher. He clenched his hands into fists as he made his way upward, and tightened his jaw once again. He felt the air and atmosphere grow thinner and thinner…but still he was able to breathe and withstand it.

However, still inside the atmosphere of Gaia…he saw a glowing light up in the sky. It was far closer than a star. Immediately, he banked himself and headed straight for it. Within a few instants, he was pulling to a stop right in front of the glowing object, and straightened himself out again. He stared a few feet aheadcoldly.

Wyvern was hovering there, arms crossed, and smiling as always. The crack in his crest had come back together, and he grinned to show that all of his teeth were back. The Giga-Pyrin hadn't left the slightest sign of damage on him. Bahamut could sense his power…and it appeared to be diminished slightly, but he still had more than enough to give Bahamut a cocky look.

_"It's about time you showed up."_ Wyvern addressed. _"I've been waiting here for five minutes. I know how broken up you are about our potential damage to Gaia, so I figured we might as well take this fight higher. After all…she's my mother too."_

Bahamut glared at him. "…Pity you didn't feel the same way about Etteca."

_"That was your fault. I had no choice."_ Wyvern calmly answered. _"You had infected it. It had to die."_

Bahamut's eyes blazed as he bared his own teeth.

"So do you."

The two titans sailed to each other again, and renewed their battle.

* * *

At long last, Cloud began to hear voices again. His head still ached, but he felt warm again now. They were echoing all around him, faint and indistinct. He couldn't tell what was going on. He was still too disorientated. He felt as if he was being carried through many voices, but as he tried to open his eyes and see…he could only see swirling blurs. He was placed down somewhere after a moment, but the voices continued. Was he dead? No…that place was filled with white…and he knew he would hear one voice…actually two voices…more clearly than anything else if he was there. But where was he? How had he gotten here? His memory was fuzzy…

The last he remembered…was falling into the ice. It was so cold there…so numbingly painful… He couldn't even notice his head injury. It felt like it was smothering him. But before he ran out of air…he was already feeling his body shutting down. After that…despair. Dark, empty sadness and terror… That was all he could remember as a voice kept trying to beckon him out of the gloom and darkness. But he wouldn't go. He couldn't go… That was because he knew what that man had said. He knew what he had done. He did something to Tifa…he said he'd send him after her…

_Tifa…what did he do to her?_

Cloud's eyes finally snapped open. His vision hurt. Everything hurt. But now, he became fully aware. His eyes cleared. He felt pain in the back of his head…which was why he was now lying on his side. He felt hot pain through his opposite side too…yet he was resting on something. However, all of those thoughts vanished as soon as they came. One clear thought dominated as his eyes looked ahead.

Tifa's smiling face stared back at him.

The sound caught in the man's throat. His mouth slackened. There she was. She looked tired…weak… She appeared to be on some sort of green cot, covered with a green blanket. If Cloud had more of his senses, he would have realized that this was the medical tent. He would have also realized he was in it too, resting on a similar green cot and covered with a similar green blanket. But he couldn't think of anything else. Just the woman in front of him.

"Hey you…"

Cloud blinked again. He couldn't believe it. He had been sunk in despair…dying… And when he woke up she was right there in front of him.

"Am…am I dead?"

"No, Cloud. You're going to be fine."

The ex-mercenary stared forward a bit longer. He couldn't believe it at first. But then…he began to understand. This was real. This was life around him. He could feel pain and substance. And this was a tent somewhere… It was the real world. He was still alive. And she was still in front of him…which meant she was alive as well. Slowly…his mouth closed. It quivered after a moment, and then began to form a smile. He began to gradually extend his hand out from where he lay, and started to reach over to her. Tifa blinked once back, still smiling, and then quivered as she extended her own hand out to his. They were both weak…but both managed to do it. Their arms spanned the space between cots before their hands finally touched. Tifa was warm and real… Immediately, Cloud clutched the hand and held it. As he did, he felt his throat tighten. His eyes began to water…

"I…I thought I lost you…"

"I'm here, Cloud. You won't lose me again."

The general continued to stare at her. He continued to hold her hand fiercely. He wished he could drag himself over to her…to kiss her and taste her and make sure she was there. He wished he could at least pull her hand up to him and feel it against his face. But for now, this was all he had. This, and the woman before him. That would have to do. And right now…it felt like enough.

Slowly…Cloud's smile began to widen as tears began to fall from his eyes.

Beaten as he was, he couldn't remember the last time he had been so happy.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	58. Evacuation

"What's wrong with her?"

"As far as we can tell, nothing." The field doctor answered with a shrug. "It seems to be a case of acute fatigue. Other than bed rest, I can't suggest anything else for her."

Ragnar turned his head back over to Cloud and Tifa. They were still holding hands, still smiling at one another. It was a happy sight, and Ragnar wished he could smile at it. Yet considering the environment of the rest of the medical tent…he had little to be happy about. The field nurses and doctors were running around everywhere. Every cot was filled, and some were resting on mats on the floor. Gunshot wounds, shrapnel damage, burns, and lacerations covered them all. Some were holding out well. Others were groaning in agony. Still others the doctors struggled with, trying to get them stabilized before it was too late. It was horrible.

The youth bowed his head, clenched his teeth, and tried not to shed any tears. He also struggled not to punch at the walls. It was the opposite of what had happened last time. Now, they were the ones who had suffered the crushing defeat. And he hadn't even been there to help. Granted, if he could think logically enough, he would have seen that his presence would have made little difference. He could have kept the deserters from leaving, but he wouldn't have been able to stop their new weapons or the sabotage. Still, he hated himself. He had saved Cloud's life…but compared to the rest of this, was that an even trade? How many people would have lived if he had stayed? How much damage could he have avoided? How big would their army still be? Would they at least have had the power to drive off the enemy as well, make it a draw? And now…all these people were suffering... Some were handicapped for life. Some were dying…

_...I guess this is the ugly side of war that you wanted me to see, Master._

The young man could have easily just retreated to his chamber and mourned. He hadn't expected anything nearly so brutal and vicious. And he continued to feel the weight of guilt on himself for having not been there. It was a good thing he was a bit roughed up, dirty, and bloody. If he hadn't been, the army might have truly been furious at him for not being there, and accused him of hiding. Still…that didn't stave off his own disappointment with himself…his own feelings of regret…

However, there was no time for that. They had only bought themselves a little safety. Now, they had to get going. They had precious little time. In addition…much to Ragnar's fear…there was no telling when Wyvern could break off from Bahamut…and come back to try and finish the job. He didn't know if running would really help them, but they had little other choice.

"…Do you want me to take a look at that leg, General?" The doctor finally asked, after Ragnar had been silent for a long time. "Your head doesn't look too well either."

The young man turned back and shook his head. "It's fine. I'll live. I won't take up any more space that these people need. Doc…I hate to do this to you, but I need you to patch up the critically injured as best as you can over the next hour…then start moving the people out. We can't afford more than that."

The doctor recoiled a bit, and looked uneasy. That wasn't a lot of time. In the end, however, he bowed his head, and gave a slight nod. "We'll do our best."

"Doctor?"

The man looked up again at this. "Um…yes sir?"

"Tell me you'll do it in one hour." Ragnar answered, his face turning stern and hard. It wasn't a wish for a hope. It was a command.

The doctor was taken aback for a moment, and looked uneasy. But in the end, he stiffened himself, and gave a nod. "…We'll do it in one hour."

"Keep telling yourself that." Ragnar finished, and then turned away from him, leaving him to his work. He began to push through the rest of the doctors, nurses, and standing patients, and made his way back to the tent flap entrance. It was chaos in here. Many people were talking, and some were shouting. It was also rather thick. Outside he knew would be no better. The army was disorganized. Some officers were without teams. Some teams were without officers. Many of the people were still scared and nervous. A few had taken off and run when the retreat was given. The officers that were still there were struggling to maintain order. Luckily, most of the veterans from the first battle were holding out. Ragnar would need them to help keep things in line…

As Ragnar was about to reach the tent flap…he suddenly froze. This close to the exit, sound from outside was beginning to come in from the barely-open flap. He listened to it for a moment…and recognized what was going on. It registered in his brain…and instantly set off his emotions. His face turnedhard. His jaw clenched…and his knuckles cracked as his hands balled into fists. Nearly pushing those left out of his way, Ragnar stormed forward to the flap and threw it open, andstormed out into the night.

The rain had finally stopped. People were running around everywhere, scrambling to get things together and get them ready to move. The electric lights were already being powered down, trying to prevent a possible air strike or allowing the enemy to see where they were. Fires now lit things up. The tent to Ragnar's right across the lane was already being struck. But he ignored all of that, as did most of the people. They were focused ahead on a ring of soldiers. All of them had their guns out, automatic or rifles, and were pointing them in the center.

"Freeze!" One soldier yelled.

"I just-"

"Put your hands on your head or we'll open fire!"

"Alright! Just let me-"

"Get on your knees!"

"I need to talk-"

"On your knees _now!_"

"I have to talk to the general!"

"This is your final warning!"

"Just…just wait-"

Ragnar's speed increased during the time. Nearly shoving the soldiers out of the way, he marched right up to the ring and broke into it. The soldiers inside immediately held fire, turning their attention to him. But he didn't notice. His green eyes were locked on the man in the center. Until now, he had been going down to his knees with his hands behind his head. But as the man entered, he stood up once more and put his hands down to his side. His face immediately went into a tense expression, and he held his hands up defensively.

"General…please. I have to…"

That was all he got out before Ragnar slugged him across the face for all he was worth. However, despite the power of the blow, Zola's face barely shifted a few inches before turning back. He still had the tense and anxious look on his face afterward. However, Ragnar wasn't finished. Gritting his teeth, he hit Zola again and again afterward, smacking his face one way and the other. Each strike was strong enough to put a man like Barret on the ground. Yet Zola barely snapped his head one way or the other, and stepped back as he did only gradually. Growling, Ragnar pounded him in the stomach next, but the effect was similar. Finally, overcome with rage, he backed up and dove forward, seizing Zola by the throat and throwing him to the ground. He landed on his back. Immediately, Ragnar got on top of him, and crushed his throat for all he was worth.

"You _bastard!_" He screamed in his face. "You damn traitor! How could you do this! Huh! How could you do that to Cloud? To Tifa? To the army? To me!"

Despite how hard he was trying to throttle Zola, the man below him wasn't having any trouble breathing. He looked panicked and cringed none the less, however. "I…I had no choice… Wyvern would have killed me if I didn't…"

"Then why didn't you die!" Ragnar spat back at him. "Just like you always claimed you would for me!"

Seething in anger, the young man removed one arm from the man's neck…just so he could smash him in the face as fast and as hard as he could. Up and down his fist went while the other soldiers watched in shock, watching him beat Zola for all that he was worth. They watched until Ragnar's knuckles began to split and bleed, and bruises and swelling began to spread out on them. But through it all, he continued to hit Zola in the face.

But for all of what Ragnar was doing, in the end the only one looking hurt was himself. The other army units were surprised as they saw Zola barely move his head each time the fist came down before snapping back. He winced a few times, but never did a single bruise or contusion form on his face. In fact, at one point, Ragnar managed to hit him hard enough to force his lip back into his teeth, splitting it open. However, the cut barely managed to ooze a single drop of blood before it closed up again, and again Zola was unaffected. As Ragnar continued to try and beat him within an inch of his life, Zola called out in between blows, grunting between his teeth.

"It's…useless…to try…and hit…me… I'm too…strong to…be killed…by a human's…bare hands… And I…regenerate…from all…injuries…"

Ragnar stopped hitting at this, but nearly seemed ready to foam at the mouth. He sprung off of the creature and shot to his feet. But that was only so he could turn his bloody hand behind him and seize the hilt of Ragnarok. A moment later, and the sword of fire cut a blazing arc through the air before it was leveled right at Zola's throat. It hovered a mere millimeter above his neck.

"Can you regenerate from this?" The young general nearly snapped.

Zola's pupils shrank. He swallowed, the lump in his throat just scratching the tip of Ragnarok as it raised and lowered. He began to sweat coldly. Until now, he had looked meek and lowly before Ragnar. But now, he looked even more so. He clenched his jaw and stared up at Ragnar with timid, fearful eyes. He didn't make any display of begging. He just lay flattened against the ground, ready to be slain by Ragnar at a moment's notice.

"Give me a reason." Ragnar coldly stated after a moment. "Any reason at all…why I shouldn't kill you right now."

Zola swallowed. His tone turned insistant. "…I'm not with him anymore, Ragnar. I've turned my back on him for good. I'm with you all the way now. I don't care if he kills me-"

"That means _nothing_ to me." The young man retorted, cutting him off. "Swearing you'll serve me meant nothing to you before. It doesn't now. You'll have to do better."

"…He told me to kill Tifa." Zola continued, trying to make his voice as steady as possible. "I'm a basilisk. He wanted me to use my power to turn her into stone, then smash her. I _did_ turn her into stone. He was watching me when I did that. But once I was clear, I turned her back. I realized it wasn't worth losing whatever I had in this world to cater to a merciless, insane master."

"That sounds very noble of you." Ragnar sarcasticly returned.

"I ran back with her." Zola continued. "I tried to warn the army not to fire off the artillery rounds, but I didn't get in range in time. But I did get there in time to tell them not to try and detonate the cliff rockslide traps. Ask Colonel Nanaki. I talked to him myself."

"You could have just been trying to make sure you still had a place in our army after this was all finished." Ragnar replied, although his voice had lost some of its danger by now.

"I know you have no reason to believe me…" Zola went on, his voice growing insistant. "I know saying I'm sorry won't help. I know that you won't trust anything that I say. But if there's anything I've ever said before that was true, it's this. The greatest betrayal I felt today was the one I did against you. Had not Wyvern returned…the thought would have never crossed my mind. You're a great and noble spirit. You actually care about the things that the espers once cared for. Your inner light was what attracted me to you in the first place. And I hoped…I hoped that I could have one day been your friend." The creature hesitated after that, and then let out a long exhale. His eyes looked back up to Ragnar…and they started to shimmer as they nearly begged him.

"That will probably never happen now… I know I've made a terrible sin…far worse than anything that Wyvern ever dreamed up that his brother did to him. The only way I can try to atone for what I've done is by fighting now. It's the only way I can prove my loyalty again. I have to be allowed to fight, general. I have to try and make up for the lives who perished on my account. I don't care if you treat me like a dog. I don't care if I live in a dark cell the rest of my days. I don't care if you beat me daily. I don't even care if you kill me after this war is done. Just…please…please let me do something now. Let me fight now. Let me prove to you that I truly serve only you. Let me make up for the damage I caused working under Wyvern."

The young general hesitated. Inside, he still felt boiling hatred for the creature beneath him. He was a liar and a fiend in his eyes. If what he said was true…which it seemed to be given Tifa's condition…that only made him hate him more. Zola's actions had caused Cloud to run off, and had nearly killed the both of them. What more…he couldn't imagine anyone doing something so terrible to another human being. He saw his flesh exterior…but inside he knew he was a monster.

And yet…if what he said was true, then he also brought Tifa back. He had also warned the army about an act of sabotage that could have killed a hundred of them. Of course, as Ragnar had feared, he could have been lying. He could have been trying another trick, getting himself engrained back in the army to cause more mischief later. However…Ragnar was not a fool. He saw how the beast quivered beneath him, how he submitted himself totally to Ragnar's aggression. He didn't even try to defend himself here, strong as he was. He merely let his words be his only defense. Eyes were the windows to the soul…and his looked so large and innocent right now, begging Ragnar for mercy and another chance. He didn't even sound like he wanted the same status. All he wanted to do was live to fight. Like he said, a chance to atone…

But it could be another trick. It could be hypnotism…suggestion…anything. Ragnar couldn't even be sure that the pity he was feeling was his own or forced upon him. And so…he continued to hold Zola beneath his blade. A large part of him told him to simply kill the monster and be done with it. Had Ragnar been anyone else, he might have. However, there was another part of him besides his merciful portion. There was the one who loved the history of the ancient world and the espers. Vile as this creature's act had been…he still had one of the last traces of true esper blood in his body. He had lived to see the Fourth Age begin. Something so old and natural he couldn't stamp out so easily.

In the end, Ragnar inhaled deeply, and then spoke out.

"…You will be restrained for the remainder of the evacuation. Your fate will be decided afterward. As for Colonel Nanaki…I'll ask him myself about if your report was true."

* * *

Red XIII had brought some things along shortly after his initial week at the camp. A few items of reading material and projects, mostly. After all, he was still the head of Cosmo Canyon, and its chief historian. That had once been his grandfather's job…and he couldn't put it on hold that easily. It was the best way to remember him, and to hope to one day know as much as he did. In addition, it seemed that his new general had a very high interest in the ancient creatures known as espers as well as in the Cetra. With his knowledge of the Cetra language, the beast truly thought that Ragnar already knew more about the Cetra than he did. But he still wanted help…and Red XIII wanted to build a book to translate their previously unknown language as well…

Luckily, Ragnar had been kind enough to provide him with a shell house to place his material, to protect it from weather. This was where the colonel was headed now, when he was finally relieved of his responsibility of command. He too had to prepare to evacuate, and that meant he had to get his materials together as well. He feared he would have to abandon many of them…so he hoped to at least get everything that didn't have copies and hide the rest. Perhaps someday they would be back for them… As others rushed about to get their other matters done, the lion/wolf stepped through the flap and entered.

The beast was immediately on alert. The lights were on inside, and not just the natural ones. That made him pause a moment, before going in the rest of the way. He heard a loud noise. Silent as the beast was, it was impossible to hear him over it. And it was because of that…that the other occupant of the room didn't notice him right off the bat.

Red XIII stopped once inside. Oblivious to him, he saw that someone was ransacking his room. All of the books were open and the pages pulled out of them. The scrolls he brought were unrolled, and lying in disshelved piles around the chamber. It was obvious that some had been read and then discarded without any respect. And in the back of the chamber, near the cushion that Red XIII reclined on to work and read, was the perpetrator. It took Red XIII only a moment to notice that it was a female officer of the Planet Protector Army. She was tearing open another book right now and shaking out all of its notes and details. Once she had done that, she flung it to one side and then seized up the notes, beginning to look over them.

The beast sat down calmly as she continued, still not making a noise. Finally, he spoke.

"You know…it took me about four years to categorize these tomes properly and organize my notes on them."

The officer froze and immediately spun around in surprise. Red XIII soon found himself looking right at the face of Lieutenant Noonian. He felt the hair on his neck begin to bristle. He had heard Ragnar's brief rendition of the story. Although he wasn't sure about her being a monster…he believed him immediately about her being a traitor. She could smell the fear and anxiety on her as she turned, like a rat caught in a trap. For once, her sly seductive look had broken. Instead, she looked to the beast nervously. She turned her head one way and the other, as if looking for a clean escape. There wasn't one. Red XIII stood in the only doorway. After a moment, she turned back to him.

"C-C-Colonel Nanaki… I…I thought you were leading the evacuation…"

"There was no need." Red XIII calmly answered. "General Ragnar has returned with General Cloud, and he has assumed command."

Just as Red XIII suspected…he saw a flash of surprise flood into Noonian's eyes at that. She quivered a little, and she had a harder time maintaining composure. "Oh…truly?"

"You sound almost a little surprised." Red XIII asked, leveling his one good eye at her. "Nevermind that. What are you doing in here, tearing apart my private library for?"

The woman paled again. She clenched her fists for a moment.

"…I asked you a question, Lieutenant."

Noonian continued to hesitate for a moment longer. Then, abruptly, she stiffened…and suddenly turned and bolted to the side. Red XIII knew there was no way to escape in that direction, and initially he was surprised. That was…until something suddenly happened to her. Her body suddenly looked as if a liquid or something washed over it. To his surprise, Noonian became translucent, as if a cloak of reality was spread over her. It was much like it had been with Yuffie. However, she seemed to do it all on her own… At any rate, she made for the door after this.

Red XIII, however, was smarter than she thought. Not only was he blocking the way, but he could still smell her and hear her quite distinctly. Although his ability to use materia was diminished, he had enough for one more blast…and he had one other materia inside his headdress. Immediately, he snapped back, sprung onto all fours, and aimed his head at her as he yelled out his move. "Dispel!"

An invisible force seemed to strike the distortion, and it was as if she had run into a brick wall. Red XIII suddenly heard Noonian cry out as she spilled back and landed on her back. That was odd. He didn't think that Dispel had any sort of painful effect… However, his suspicions were soon confirmed. The woman had to be using some sort of technique to cloak herself. He wasn't aware of a materia that allowed one to use invisibility, but there had to be one…for now it seemed as if reality-colored paint had been thrown on her. As it did, bleeding colors of her true body began to come over her form, making her become visible once more.

But as the beast looked on, his face slowly turned into one of puzzlement and surprise. She wasn't just becoming visible again…

As he watched her, she seemed to be in pain. She writhed along the ground, and rolled over on herself, crying out. Her hands…seemed to be lengthening. It was like more bones were inserting themselves in them. Her neck began to extend as well. Her head was stretching out from her body…and her face was distorting. Her legs were shrinking, and her knees bent in backward. Suddenly…her clothing was ripped from her body. But her breasts were already melded into her chest, and it began to lengthen as well and become thin. Her hair fell out, and her skin began to turn gray as her mouth enlarged. Her arms continued todistort…and the skin began to extend out from it like some sort of flap. A long tail erupted from her back and extended behind her. Her teeth turned sharp and dagger like, and her mouth enlarged as her eyes turned reptilian.

At last, it stopped. The creature that had been Noonian flipped around and rested on its ventral side. It tucked its two clawed legs beneath it to position itself, and folded a large pair of leathery wings that had been its arms to its side. Its long neck flashed about, revealing a head that was almost like a dinosaur's…a predatory one. It flashed its reptile look over to Red XIII…and the mammal was so stunned that he backed away a step. His one remaining eye expanded as his jaw loosened. The creature didn't show fear anymore. Instead, it began to grin evilly. It unfurled its wings and began to flap. Soon, it was taking off into the air, and beginning to hover in the shell house.

"…Ragnar was telling the truth." Red XIII uttered, his mouth open and staring blankly at the thing that Noonian had become. "You are a monster."

"I guess my cover is blown now." Noonian hissed in a thin, snake-like voice. "And how unfortunate it is for you, mongrel, that you have seen me like this. Now I'll have to kill you."

With surprising speed, the creature swept down on Red XIII. Even with his reflexes and power, he couldn't dodge in time. The thing was on him and seized him by the shoulders with its outstretched talons. Immediately, it dug in, drawing blood and making the beast yell in pain. Then, with even more surprising strength, the creature yanked Red XIII off of the ground and violently flung him across the room. A moment later, the beast smashed painfully into the house, smashing the shelves on the wall, and collaping into a pile of furniture and junk. He smashed down flat against the ground, and held there a moment. His body ached with pain. He hadn't expected such a powerful attack…

Noonian gave out a cry, and began to shoot over to the beast again. On hearing this, Red XIII's one eye widened, and he quickly sprung back onto his feet. He turned to the thing, and saw it approaching. He gave a snarl and bared his teeth, and then reared back and brandished his claws. Barking viciously, he darted forward and leapt at the creature. However…Noonian simply adjusted her path to be over him, and seized him by the claws as he soared through the air at her. After digging in to draw more blood, and letting out a horrible snake laugh, she flung him across the room again, smashing him even harder into the opposing wall. Some of the Cetra lamps were smashed, and as he tumbled down…he began to feel rather bruised. Red XIII was stunned after he fell flat, and only slowly shook his head and rose back to his feet again…

That, however, was too slow. Suddenly, he felt Noonian's claws sink into his shoulders again, and he felt his body ripped off of the ground and flung across the room again. This time, he cracked a part of the wall before collapsing to the ground in a heap. Noonian seized him and flung him again after that…and again after that. The room was soon being smashed up all around them. Red XIII's papers went everywhere. The story orb for the building was destroyed. Still, Noonian cackled with delight as she tossed him about like a toy. The beast didn't even have the time to formulate a counterattack.

Finally, Noonian flung him especially hard into one wall. He nearly broke a hole through this one before collapsing to the ground. Once he fell, he lay there and panted a moment. He had lacerations all over his upperbody from talon wounds, staining his orange fur red. He didn't think he had any broken bones…but he knew some were bruised. His own body was in agony from having been beaten so badly, and he could only stiffly move. Very weakly, he turned his head over and looked up to his attacker, managing to form another growl and sneer.

The creature cackled with delight as it flew over him. Noonian was getting joy from this, just like she had felt joy in killing the New Shinra. She ran her thin tongue over her teeth as she held up her claws, letting Red XIII see his own blood dribble from them as she swished them. After that, she gave out another cry/laugh before diving forward to hit him again…

And a moment later, Red XIII saw her body violently snapped out of the air and flung across the room as well, to smash _her_ into a wall. She cried out in pain before she hit the wall, cracking it herself, and then groaned as she slumped down to the ground. She looked like some sort of great bat that had been smacked out of the air, and as she landed on the floor she staggered about to try and get her bearings. The beast turned and looked up to see who his savior was…

He was just in time to see Cait Sith's moogle retract his spring loaded fist and reattach it to his wrist. The cat himself stood on top of it and pounded his chest in victory.

"That's how you swat a big bug!" He cheered.

However, even as he yelled out in pride…his voice slowly turned down as his enthusiasm died. Noonian hissed from where she was, before springing back into the air and flapping her wings again. She turned around and glared at the new opponent. Blood was oozing from her mouth…but as Cait Sith watched it was slowly drawn back into her jaw and then vanished. She crackedit once, and then dove for the moogle and its rider.

Cait Sith gulped in fear, and gave out a cry of surprise as the creature came forth with mouth open, seeming ready to bite him in half. However, just as she was about to hit him, in mostly a panic move, he made his moogle swing its arms up together in a double-fist blow as he struggled to shield himself. It was just right, however, and the moogle caught Noonian under the chin. The force was so great that the creature got thrown up into the ceiling, and smashed her head into it. A second later, her body went limp again, and Cait Sith slowly stopped cringing and managed to look up to it. As dust slowly rained from the ceiling, the stuffed robot blinked. Noonian's head was embedded in a crack in the ceiling, and the rest of her body hung down like some sort of decoration.

The cat blinked again, and then let out a sigh of relief. Pulling at his cape around his neck, as if it was too tight, he slowly straightened up again. "Um…yeah…like I was saying…" He said after a moment. "_That's_ how you swat a big-"

Cait Sith's line was cut off as the ceiling was suddenly ripped down in part. Eyes flashing with violence and bloodthirst, Nooniantore her head out and sneered viciously at the robot beneath her. If the cat could have wet itself, it would have at that point. Instead, it let out a yelp of terror and tried to dive behind the head of its strange mount. However, it never got the chance. Noonian swept down dangerously, and seized him in her talons. Within a moment, he was ripped from the back of his moogle and taken back in the air, held far from where it could save him. The cat trembled in fear as one claw wrapped around his throat, and the other wrapped around his body. Hovering in mid-air, Noonian raised the robot to her mouth and glared at it.

"…Bug…" The cat finished pathetically.

"You damned toy…pathetic machination of a human…" Noonian hissed. "Why don't we find out if you have more stuffing or gears inside you?"

Cait Sith grinned innocently, his slit eyes expanding in terror, and waved his arms in a cutting motion. "No, no! I'm more gears! There's no need to look!"

The creature hissed, and began to tighten its grasp to do as it threatened. Cait Sith's smile faded, and he began to quiver again…

Before a huge roar sounded behind them both. Noonian looked up…but was too late to turn around. Cait Sith saw…and watched as Red XIII, beaten as he was, managed to get enough power to leap into the air and pounce on his foe. He spun around in a somersault when he reached her, extending his razor-sharp feather…and letting it cut a deep gash into her back, going all the way into her spine. Screaming in agony, Noonian released Cait Sith, and let him fall to the ground with another cry of panic. As for Noonian herself she writhed painfully in the air a moment. But even she couldn't regenerate that fast from this. She collapsed out of the sky and fell back to the ground once again. She sprawled out on landing, falling flat against it.

A moment later, Noonian attempted to feebly drag herself up and away. Her back was already starting to heal, but she needed more time. But that was too late. Snarling, Red XIII leapt on her back, brought his jaw down, and clamped it on her throat. He made sure to let his massive mouth enclose part of her carotid, and not just her jugular. With that done, he ripped out furiously…and tore out a massive mouthful of Noonian from the side of her neck and head. The creature yelled in agony once more. However…the loss of blood to her brain immediately made her relax. Her reptilian eyes lowered, and her cry died down to a moan. As blood fountained through the gaping wound, she groaned once and then let her head fall. She moved no more.

Red XIII spat out the wad of reptile flesh in his mouth. He looked down to her back. It continued to knit for a moment longer…but then slowed down and stopped. Blood began to flow from it. He waited until then, and then let his head fall as he panted. He wobbled a bit on his four paws. His tail only flickered about slowly. His one remaining eye drooped. However…it was over. This creature could regenerate, but apparently it only had a threshold that went so long. Severing the carotid caused it to lose too much energy before it could grow back. At any rate…it was dead.

As the beast perched over his kill, a groan was heard from within the room. Red XIII turned his head to look at the assorted rubble covering the floor. As he watched, a few smaller pieces of debris were pushed aside before Cait Sith stood…his crown a bit bent as it rested on his head. He shook it a moment later, mimicking being dazzled, and then looked to Red XIII. His face turned to surprise. He looked down at the dead Noonian, back up to Red XIII, and then down again. Realizing he had killed it, he grinned and turned back up to the lion/wolf.

"Thanks a bunch, Red XIII. You saved my…well…let's just say you saved me." Cait Sith answered, wiping its plush brow in relief. "If there's anything I can ever do to pay you back, just name it."

Red XIII panted a bit longer, but then turned to the stuffed animal. "…Just stick to using your moogle as your mount from now on…and don't use me again."

The stuffed toy rolled his eyes at that. "You're still angry about that? I told you ten times…he was getting an oil change…"

The lion/wolf sighed and shook his head. Slowly, with a bit of a limp, he walked off of the dead flying reptile. As he did, Cait Sith snapped out of his irritation, and looked back down to it himself. He gave a frown and scratched his head. "But what would a big…mean…regenerating…and, leave us not forget, _talking_ monster like that be doing in your room…" The cat looked up at this, and gave a look around at the chamber. After that, he raised one eyebrow, and turned to Red XIII. "…Ransacking your stuff?"

"As far as what she was looking for, I have no idea." Red XIII answered as he plodded over to one of his discarded books. "But as for why she was here…that's simple. That thing was Noonian."

On hearing that, the cat's slits for eyes widened again, exposing the black dots underneath. "Um…is my audio system off? Did you just say that was Noonian?"

"You heard me correctly." Red XIII answered as he reached the book, and then began to reach down in an attempt to close it again using his paws. "I don't know what she was…or how she managed it…but somehow she was a monster that managed to find a materia that disguised her as a human." After saying that, however…the beast raised his head. His eye narrowed, and he thought for a moment. "Unless…"

Cait Sith turned his own head curiously at the beast. "…Unless what?" He asked when he didn't answer after a moment.

Red XIII paused a second longer, but then shook his head. "Nevermind that. The point was…perhaps we should have taken Ragnar a bit more serious in some of the fantasy parts of his story. He told us that Zola and Noonian were both monsters. After what just happened…it's obvious that he was at least half right."

The stuffed toy looked uneasy after hearing that. He turned back to the dead body, and winced a bit as he started to crawl over debris on the ground and get himself into a clear area, so that he could walk back to his moogle. He seemed transfixed by it. After a moment, he finally turned back to Red XIII.

"Say…you think that if Ragnar was telling the truth about Zola and Noonian…" He hesitated here, and looked a bit more uncertain. "You…you don't suppose… Maybe…maybe he was telling the truth about that other stuff? Being chosen by the Planet? Trained by Bahamut? Hearing…you-know-who?"

Red XIII paused at that, and raised his own head up slightly. Slowly, he inhaled and exhaled.

"…I don't know. But I'm beginning to think we signed up for more than we bargained for when we enlistened in this army."

"…Did I interrupt something?"

Both Red XIII and Cait Sith looked to the door after hearing that. What they saw was a dumbfounded General Ragnar standing in the frame, looking about in amazement at the wreck…and especially at the dead creature inside.

* * *

An hour later, every car that could run was moving out. They were loaded to the brim with the critically wounded. However, there still wasn't enough space, even when the doors to the flatbeds on some of the trucks were opened. Many others had to be carried out by two men teams. Both they and the vehicles themselves were surrounded by armed troopers, marching out as well. The cars weren't going that fast, just fast enough to let the marchers keep up with them. Many of these people were weighed down with extra guns, ammunition, supplies, pieces of machinery, or tent material. Still others carried them on their shoulders in teams like porters. In the end, unfortunately, much of the tents and equipment had to be abandoned. They simply didn't have the room. Everyone had been up since the crack of dawn, and were exhausted from battle. Most of them could barely march themselves, let alone carry anything out. The only reprieve they could get was hanging onto the handle of a passing vehicle.

They were a sad, weary sight as they started to move…but they were moving. After the hour, the medical team was prepared to move out. It would take a while to get everything totally abandoned, but it would happen.

Ragnar himself stood at the head of the City of the Ancients and looked back. For a moment…the thoughts of the loss and his friends left him. He instead focused just on the ancient ruin itself. And as he did…he felt an empty pain within him. Although he had been here only a few months…it felt like it had been forever. Lonely and isolated as it had been…he actually felt like this was his true home. He couldn't explain it, but he did. And now…he had to leave it to the New Shinra. There was no telling how much they would do to this place when they came through…or what they would do ransacking it while they looked for them. They might defile that one pool… However, he could do nothing for it. It hurt him to leave this place. It was like leaving an old friend… It filled him with melancholy.

In the end, he sighed.

_…I'll be back someday._

With that put aside for now, he had a much larger problem to worry about. And this proved to be a greater pain than losing the city. It made him almost swear to think of it. They had lost the Cetra Valley. They had lost the bottleneck. Now…nothing was left to stop the New Shinra from marching to the sea, and then spreading out again. It would take him months to rebuild what had been done to his army and make it into a force that could stand against these invaders. But even then…it might already be too late. He couldn't fight a global war. He couldn't even fight on one front. If volunteers and help didn't follow with this disaster…then he was doomed. They were all doomed.

He hoped that Bahamut's warning hadn't proven to be a sentence…that he hadn't already failed before he could begin…

He heard some footsteps come up to his side after that. Ragnar turned his head slightly to his left, and saw who it was. Lieutenant Mack was standing there, at attention and at Ragnar's side as he stared out longingly at the city. The youth looked to him for a moment, and then turned his head back again.

"…We're going to get everyone off of this continent. We need to make for Midgar. Kalm is closer…but only Midgar has the resources we need to house and shelter these people."

Mack, on hearing that, licked his lips once. He bowed his head, and raised a finger to scratch at his temple. "Yes sir…about that…" He slowly responded. "…How exactly are we supposed to pull that off?"

Ragnar snapped out of his melancholy at that, and turned his head fully to the lieutenant. His face was twisted into confusion. "Pardon me?"

"Sir…we have two tugboats that _might_ hold a hundred people apiece _standing_. We have five hundred people gathered here. And you know…there's the issue about the people who deserted us. They still have to be somewhere, and if they're panicked they probably went south. They might be trying to take the tugboats for themselves."

"Let them on with us." Ragnar immediately answered.

Mack raised an eyebrow at that. "Excuse me? Sir…they left us to _die_. They ran off without even firing a shot. They-"

"We have two choices regarding the deserters, Lieutenant." Ragnar cut off. "We can either leave them here to get shot by the New Shinra when they arrive…or we can take them with us, hope that they'll be grateful for what we did for them, so that hopefully they will rejoin our recently thinned ranks to help fatten us up…or at least will get to work helping with supplies, food, and weapons when we get back."

Mack frowned in response to this. He let out a slow sigh, seeing the logic in this, and bowed his head for a moment. However, it was only for a second. After that, he raised his head back up and gave a shrug. "Alright…but that doesn't solve our problem, General. We don't have enough room to even take half of these people."

Ragnar hesitated at that. Inside…he let out another curse, faulting himself for his own lack of foresight. He had been working on an escape plan…but he had been avoiding it. After all, he really didn't know what they could do after they lost the bottleneck. Even now…he didn't even know if the army could keep fighting after losing such a critical piece of territory. At any rate, he had planned for boats or aircraft to shuttle them out once they reached the southern shore. But to his sudden fear…he realized that all he had obtained so far were a couple of tugboats, and he knew that wasn't enough. A new dilemma suddenly arose. He couldn't evacuate his people. The block they had thrown up wasn't going to last long. Once the New Shinra got by, they would sweep the entire pass to the sea clear, killing anything in the way. He had to get them out somehow…but how?

In the end, he could only think of one thing.

"Alright then. Once we get to shore, gather anyone who's still up and able and get them to work cutting down the thickest, largest trees they can find. Start making them into barge-sized rafts."

Mack's eyes widened again. "…Rafts?" He asked incredulously.

"We can use the tugboats like barge ships. They can tow us across sea and to the Midgar shore." Ragnar responded.

The lieutenant frowned in response. It was obvious he was losing more faith and patience with his leader. "This is crazy… We're going across an ocean, not trying to float down river. If there's turbulent waters…"

Ragnar himself frowned, and his eyes blazed a moment. "You have any better ideas, lieutenant?" He asked, nearly shouting in growing irritation. "Because I'm just about out of them myself, and I'd love to hear them."

Mack didn't answer. He shut his mouth, and stared at him in response. Ragnar's own face continued to stay tight with a measure of anger as he stared back at him. He was losing his own patience, and he was starting to feel the tension of having to deal with such a large crisis. In the end, the officer sighed, bowed his head, and gave a nod. "…Alright. I've followed crazy plans from you before. I might as well do another one."

Ragnar gave a nod in response. His own anger began to diminish, and he looked to the man plainly in response.

After that, however, Mack looked back up, and his look became tense. "But sir…we don't have the time to make these rafts, put them in water, load them up, and then get away on them. We got maybe another hour before the New Shinra tries to run us down."

"Then I'll hold them off."

Mack froze again at that. His eyes widened in the largest surprise yet. "…Come again?"

"I can kill two hundred of them without breaking a sweat." Ragnar retorted, beginning to draw himself up again. "I'll stay behind…try to drive them into a bit of confusion. While they're out trying to get me, the rest of you can work and get out while you can."

"That _is_ crazy!" Mack yelled in response, his face filling with shock. "You want to take them on all by yourself? The whole army? There's a good 16,000 of them still battle ready!"

"It should be me, more than anyone else." Ragnar answered simply. "I'm one of the only people who didn't fight. I'm at full stamina. Everyone else needs to get the rafts built, or needs to rest themselves up. I can't afford to ask for a division to help me out with this. Besides…I'm the fastest one out here. And I know the forest better than most of the other people here."

"But you can't!" Mack insisted. "It's suicide! One man against sixteen thousand?"

"No…_two_ men against sixteen thousand."

Both Ragnar and Mack turned around at the sound of that voice. They soon saw another approaching them, walking away from the caravan waiting to leave. His head was still matted with some blood, and the gash on his leg was still soaking up blood from a dressing. He was limping slightly. However, his face was as dark and cold as ever, full of determination. His eyes blazed with his inner power. Finally, he already had his sword out and hefted on one shoulder as he approached the two.

Ragnar's own face finally broke out of being stern, and turned to a bit of anxiety. He shook his head to the approaching man. "No…no, Cloud. You're still hurt."

"I'm fine now." The man darkly answered, continuing to approach the two until he was right next to them. At that, he came to a stop and stood straight and tall. "I've been resting all day. Now that I know Tifa's safe…nothing's holding me down. Knowing that she's escaping while I'm fighting will only push me on more."

"I can't let you do this, Cloud." Ragnar answered back, his own voice growing firm again as his face turned serious again.

"You have no voice in the matter, kid. Whether you want it or not, I'm fighting." The ex-mercenary answered. After a pause, he added a little something more subtly. "Besides…I'm not going to just sit back after you showed me up this morning by saving my life."

The young man sighed and groaned. "Damnit, Cloud…what would you say if Tifa was trying to go out to fight?"

"She already did."

"And…?"

"I had the doctor sedate her. Getting my jaw knocked loose later by one of her iron palms is worth my peace of mind."

Ragnar frowned and sighed again. "…So why don't I just do that to you too?"

"Because I'll do a lot worse to you if you try it."

The young man rolled his eyes and groaned again. They were right…Cloud _was_ too stubborn. Sure, he could probably handle himself, but Ragnar hadn't nearly frozen to death saving his life this morning to just let him jump back into the fray now. He had too much on his mind to worry about him too. Yet in the end…he realized there really was very little he could do about it. In the end, he turned back to the fellow general and gave him one final frown.

"…If anything happens to you, I'll kill you."

Cloud snorted in response. "Hey kid, _I'm_ the one who's supposed to be looking out for _you_."

Ragnar sighed. "One of us has to be responsible."

Cloud cracked a grin at that, and managed a small chuckle. Ragnar, however, felt too uneasy to return it. He turned his head and looked out to the leaving caravan. In truth…Mack was right. This was suicide. Even he couldn't take out all of this. He couldn't even hope to hold them off that long. But he had to try. He had abandoned the army today to save Cloud. Now…he had to be there for them. He had to try and help them. They were his responsibility.

The youth exhaled, and then looked up to the night sky. The stars were coming out. It was clear at last after the day of rain. Now that night had totally fallen, they were becoming clear and beautiful. However…that wasn't all he saw.

It looked like some sort of meteor shower was transpiring. Streaks of light and balls of fire kept appearing far in the heavens. However…they didn't all go one direction. They darted around and seemed to strike each other frequently.

The young man swallowed at that.

_I'll try to keep us alive, master. Don't_you_ die…

* * *

_

To be continued...


	59. Share Your Wisdom

The humming of engines rolled through the streets of the City of the Ancients early the next morning, and plunged into the forest soon after.

The New Shinra had arrived by now. The delays that the opposing army had made hadn't lasted long. Unlike the PPA, they had field engineers helping them out. They bridged the gap they had made and rolled onward. They were delayed for a while at the cliff area, and in the end it was impossible for them to move their larger tanks and heavier machines down it. However, the engineers went to work right away blasting the cliff into making a ramp. In the meantime, hundreds of troops had been shuttled down on ropes…as well as the more mobile artillery they had. Special cases were brought down on cables that contained miniature, easily assembled and deployed artillery units called Cromwells. It didn't take long for twenty of these to be dropped down the cliff, and then get assembled. But even as they did this, the New Shinra Army advanced the moment they had two thousand troops on the lower level, moving into the city.

They found nothing there but discarded material. Typically, the army had evacuated. That was good for them. They had feared that they would have regrouped at another location, or would have set booby traps at the least. However, it was clear. There was nothing out there. The homes and city were searched and turned up nothing. There wasn't much to ransack, seeing as each home lacked a basement or much in the way of places to hide a person. Even searching cavities and out of the way spots turned up nothing. However, by the time they were sure that the area was secured, the Cromwells were ready, and night was coming to an end. It was then that they fanned out the machines and the troops…and went on the hunt as they made their way to the sea.

Now, the main trail leading out of the Sleeping Forest was filled with troops. Eight of the Cromwell units were flanking them on either side, turning their large artillery guns slowly to scan the horizon. The soldiers themselves were fresh troops from yesterday, having been in the reserve the whole time. Now, they had their guns out and were watching carefully as they made their way south. Although the opposing army had lost their advantage of a bottleneck, it was still possible that they would try a surprise move. And if they ran into any, they wanted to be ready to eliminate them immediately.

The group of soldiers in the lead was especially wary. The commanding officer constantly pulled out a pair of binoculars and scanned the trail ahead. No one had confirmed that the enemy had mines, but there was little sense in taking the chance. It was still dark, although the sun had risen. In this forest, the canopy was so thick that it always seemed to be evening, even at noon. And there always seemed to be some sort of unnatural mist hanging over the air, which did nothing to settle the troops. It decreased visibility far too much. If that wasn't enough…it was so quiet that they could hear their footsteps gently crush the soil beneath them, and the sputtering of the Cromwells as they trudged on seemed a little too loud. All in all, although they had the enemy on the run, it was slow going…and nerve wracking.

The officer lowered his binoculars and swallowed. He continued to hear his boots crush leaves and detritus as he moved ahead. His breath misted slightly in the cool morning day. He tightened the grip on his own weapon. The damn morning… Dark…foggy… It was like they were walking through some sort of structure or cave rather than a forest. And even though the understory was virtually void of any plant life taller than six inches, the trunks were thick enough and numerous enough to create even more obstacles and hiding places. This irritated him to no…

Abruptly, the officer froze. His face stayed stern, but he quickly held up a fist next to his head. Instantly, the company halted. The Cromwells chugged to a stop, and the rest of the convoy began to follow suit. The soldiers at his sides raised their weapons and dropped to the ground, falling into a protective crouch. As the line of machines and soldiers behind them continued to stop, the officer turned back to his now silent team. He motioned ahead, to a nearby tree.

They looked after him. It was dark and hard to detect…but they could just see the edge of what looked like tan fabric flapping in the wind from behind it.

Seeing this, they understood, and turned back to their officer for orders. The man responded by holding up two fingers, and motioning to one side, and then holding up two more and motioning to the other. A moment later, four soldiers rose and broke up to flank the area. The officer stayed back, but they moved in on the tree. They stayed as quiet as they could as they approached, and they held their weapons at the ready. The rest of the men stayed back and waited, watching to see if anything else would spring out of the forest and attack. Two of the Cromwells turned and aimed their heavy guns at it, ready to fire when they had visual. Through this all, the army was almost silent. Everyone held their breath and waited.

At last, the two pairs were on either side of the tree. They turned to each other and gave nods, coordinating their positions. Then, they all looked back and leapt forward as one, twisting around the trunk, and aiming their weapons behind it. The officer looked up, and waited for a word or sign…

A moment later, however…one of the soldiers uneasily stepped back. The officer and other soldiers saw him raise a hand and smack something.A rotting thin log, almost branch like and about a meter and a half high, fell over and to the ground. Attached around the top of it was a cape of the Planet Protector Army.

The officer raised an eyebrow. At that moment…a startling thought hit his head. It had been a decoy…

That was the last thought he managed to think before the previously unseen assailant jumped down from the trees overhead and landed behind him, slashing him from behind as he did so.

The soldiers snapped around in shock, seeing that an officer of the enemy army had suddenly entered their midst. He was young, but his eyes blazed with power, and his large sword that he brandished flickered like a flame as he twisted it about. They soon began to recognize his face from the briefing as New Shinra's most wanted: Ragnar Vice. But that was all they could do. The man moved quickly. He lashed out after landing and sliced through another soldier on one side. Then, he spun around and sliced again, this time first cutting through a soldier's weapon that had been rising to shoot him, and then cutting through the trooper himself. Right after doing that, he snapped around and twisted his blade over his back, making it a guard of some sort. That was good…because moments later another unit just ahead began to fire on him with his own weapon. Other soldiers began to get up around him and turn to the youth.

But it was too late. Ragnar advanced quickly, blocking the bullets that thundered at him, until he reached the one shooting. He lashed out once and cut him down. Another soldier on his side leapt up to attack him while he was doing this, but he simply removed his arm from his weapon and backhanded the person as he approached. Despite how thin and small he looked, he boasted more than enough power to knock this larger, armored man off of his feet and flatten him. As he brought his other arm back to hold his weapon again, he swung up with his opposite leg at another approaching soldier, catching him underneath the chin and knocking him to the ground. After that, he spun around one more time to decapitate a final soldier who was coming up behind him, gun almost ready to fire.

At that moment, Ragnar turned and bolted. He was doing great until now…but suddenly he dropped his massacre and turned to run back into the forest, this time on the opposite side of the trail. It turned out that he must have had a sixth sense…because the moment he was out of the way one of the Cromwell's fired. They had meant to strike him and blow him into nothingness. But now that he was out of the way…the shell continued to sail through the air toward the tree that the decoy had been placed behind moments ago…as well as the four men surrounding it. They only had time to gape in surprise before the shot struck the tree, and immediately blew the trunk into a thousand pieces. The eruption, fire, and shrapnel struck them, and they cried out in pain as they were blown away from the area and flung to the ground.

Using the interruption, the attacker vanished into the woods on the opposite side. However, the remaining Cromwell was still tracking him, and followed him into the woods as he went, preparing to fire…

However, he never received the chance. Two flashes of light suddenly streaked across the body of the Cromwell, and it stopped moving. Moments later…it broke apart into four pieces, along the lines of what appeared to be a gigantic X slice. As it fell apart, the noise caught the attention of the rest of the soldiers, who until now had been totally transfixed on the first attacker.They gaped in surprise to see their other mini-tank sliding apart into pieces…and then to see another body leap over it, flip in midair, and then land in their midst.

This one was even more brutal. He wielded two swords in either hand of different size. With the first, he smacked away the nearest soldier, and then advanced to slice through another with the smaller blade. He finished up by driving the largest one through the next one ahead. Shocked, the other people began to turn around, but they were just in time to see him rush forward and continue to cut through them. The other Cromwell reacted, and turned its massive barrel around to fire on this latest assailant. However, he reacted to it simply. While he was running through one soldier with his smaller blade, he snapped the larger one around and tossed it with enough force that it sliced off the top barrel of the Cromwell at the turret point. The blade continued to shoot through the air afterward, until it reached a nearby tree. Somehow, the man not only managed to put enough power into his sword to cut through thick metal…but it was just enough so that it lost its inertia, so that when it hit the tree trunk it embedded in and stayed there.

The man turned back to the soldier he had just dispatched afterward. With another slice of his sword, he cut off the belt from this man as he fell to the ground. Pulling it up, he turned and began to run toward the tank he had just attacked. The turret was still falling off of the top of it when he reached it, and nimbly leapt onto the treads and carriage that were still standing. He vaulted to the top, as he brought the belt to his mouth, clenched the pin of one grenade (out of three) that was there with his teeth, and ripped it out. As he ran to the edge of the mini-tank to jump off again, he turned and flung the belt back further into the enemy units, back to the companies that had been unable to advance or see what was going on. After that, he did jump off the end of the tank, sailed through the air, and landed by grabbing the handle of his sword, still protruding from the tree trunk. He ripped this out and fell to the ground. However, he landed on his feet, and only staggered a little before he put his sword up and ran off into the woods.

A moment later, the three grenades detonated…scattering more troops in its midst as it did so, and sending fire and shrapnel spraying everywhere within their ranks.

Soldiers snapped up seconds after the explosion, and began to open fire into the woods on either side. However, their bullets were wild, and didn't meet any targets. All they shot were leaves and tree trunks for their efforts. The men were panicked…acting wildly. The whole affair of the two men attacking and leaving had taken about seven seconds. In that time, twenty of their troops lay dead, and two of their Cromwells were disabled. And now, the two phantom warriors had disappeared back into the surrounding forest again, leaving nothing but their damage in their wake.

The soldiers looked around uneasily after that. They had been so brutally ambushed…and only by two people on a sortie run. They had almost wiped out a whole platoon on their own, with barely any shots fired while they were there. They had been cut down as if they were nothing more than grass to a lawnmower. The army hesitated now, seeing that their phantom attackers had vanished back into the mist and darkness. As the gunshots started to die down, and the men began to calm themselves somewhat, the echoes faded to reveal nothing. There wasn't a sound or a rustle of leaves anywhere. It was as if two ghosts had indeed sprung out and assaulted them…

In the end, the officers hesitated. They didn't know how many more warriors like this existed…and they didn't want to go ahead to be ambushed by those two again. Until now, the army had felt safe and protected within its collective unit. But once that attack had happened…their confidence was rattled, and they began to become more aware of their own mortality and vulnerability. The officers did as well…and they realized most suddenly that they definitely wanted these two dead before going much further.

Soon, the soldiers began to scramble around themselves to arrange two companies of soldiers to hunt after their mysterious assailants. In the meantime, the rest of the army would only be moving forward with greater caution and slower speed. Evidently…the Planet Protector Army wasn't done yet…

* * *

"Let me go! You have to let me go!"

"Shut up or you'll get a rifle butt to your face!"

Zola hissed from where he was, so intensely that he nearly betrayed his reptile heritage. Apparently, the army didn't yet know that he was truly a basilisk. Ragnar did…but his assault on him had been so frantic and sudden that no one had really known what had been said, or what it meant. That was a point in his favor. His skin was as hard as Kevlar to regular bullets, but focused swords and heavy machine guns could still kill him. He wasn't that eager to give people a reason to attack him irrationally…as humans often did when they encountered his true side.

And yet, that didn't help his current situation that much. Ragnar had gone ahead and charged him as a traitor. Mercifully, Zola found that his life was spared. Unfortunately, he had burned down too big of a bridge with the general. He wasn't going to let him fight now. Instead, he found himself hog-tied with handcuff chains and restraints, curled into a backward O. He had been shipped out early with the evacuating army, thrown into the back of one of the flatbed trucks and not-too-gently crushed in between equipment and other personnel. Then, he had been hauled out with the rest of them to the southern shore, where the rest of the army was gathering.

Zola grunted and looked out from where he was. At the moment, he was still in the truck, although everything else had been unloaded. A guard's feet blocked most of his vision, but he could see beyond it in the rapidly brightening day. Over near the edge of the forest, all of the able bodied members of the army were gathered. This wasn't the sacred Sleeping Forest, but the more conventional woods on the edges. They had large trees just the same…and currently the camp was making use of them. All of the people who could were sawing down the tallest, thickest trees they could find. Those that were down were quickly stripped of their branches and excess twigs, and their trunks were rolled down toward the sandy part of the shore. Another group was here, tying…nailing…screwing…even gluing them together as best as they could to make them the most rigid ramshackle rafts they could manage. They almost had one rather large one complete, but they neededmore. Behind them, further out to sea, the tugboats earnestly waited for them to be done, load up, and get out of there.

And Zola knew right now that the men he betrayed were fighting for their lives, struggling to buy as much time as possible for this.

The news had already reached Zola that Noonian was dead. To say he wasn't sad would be a lie…but to say that he blamed Ragnar or his friends for her death would also be one. He knew Noonian…and he saw Colonel Nanaki come away from the fight. In the end, if he hadn't killed her, she would have. And besides…Zola had already lost so many relatives that he was used to losing them by now. It didn't matter. He knew that the moment he turned his back on Wyvern again…that he would be counted among the lot of humanity from now on. Noonian would have come and tried to kill him eventually, on Wyvern's command. And nothing he could say or do, other than killing her himself, would have stopped her. It was painful…but in the end, deep down inside, he knew there could have been no other way. At least she wasn't helping that madman anymore. He hoped that if she had any decency left in her…that it had gone on to a better place.

However, he couldn't sit at rest here any longer.

"The general needs me!" Zola cried to the man guarding him. "I can kill five hundred men alone! Please-"

Zola was cut off as the butt of a rifle smashed against his face. It was wrenched one way…but Zola felt no pain save for a bit of a tap. It did serve to cut him off, however.

"You've done enough, you damn traitor!" The guard yelled down at him. "What? Weren't satisfied with how many of our people died already? Want to run on back to New Shinra to get a nice reward?"

"Every able bodied soldier who can fight should be out there!" Zola cried back. "And that includes me! Please believe me! If I die, you've lost-"

Another mostly painless smack cut Zola off again.

"I said shut it! Or I'll put a bullet in your leg next! You might as well be yelling something I _want_ to hear!"

Zola sneered and dropped his head again. He couldn't just lie here. The truth of the matter was that Ragnar could never hold him. The only reason that he was in this position now was because he allowed himself to be. He felt he deserved it. However…more important than being punished, he believed, was to act in a way to atone for what he had done. He had been responsible for hundreds of deaths. He had to fight now to save who was left. He was able to do so much… He might have deserved to be here, but it would make more sense for him to risk his neck in Ragnar's service…trying to help him. Cloud had to still be injured from what had happened. Ragnar had to be exhausted from being up for so long, and having burnt up so much energy to keep from freezing. They couldn't fight long…

In the end, the basilisk reached a decision. He needed to help. He _had_ to help. Much as he may have disliked it…he was going to have to disobey General Ragnar yet again.

Shaking his head out of the latest blow, Zola gave a sigh and looked up slightly to the man overhead. "…I'm sorry about this."

With that, Zola balled his hands into fists and gave a quick yank. Instantly, his cuff chains broke as if they were made out of wet paper. He extended his feet next, and did the same to those chains. One more pull broke the link between them, totally freeing himself. In a flash, Zola snapped his body around in an inhuman display of torsion and loose muscles. The guard's gruff demeanor vanished. His eyes widened in surprise instead, and his gun and mouth dropped as Zola was suddenly back into a squatting position, and then snapped to his feet, totally disregarding the pain and stiffness that one would have from being in that hog-tied posture all night. He looked up and gaped at Zola's resolute expression as the ex-lieutenant stood face to face with him.

But that was only a moment, before Zola swung his fist around to give a light tap to the side of the guard's head. Light as it was…it jarred the man's head painfully, and dropped him like a ton of bricks.

Zola sighed and exhaled again, but then waited no longer. Bringing his own inhuman agility to bear, he leapt over the fallen man and landed on the ground outside of the truck. Before anyone could stop him, he was taking off for the forest at full speed.

* * *

The two creatures circled each other though the void of space, keeping about five hundred feet apart. Bahamut kept his teeth grit, and continued to pant although there was no air here. The latest lump over his eye was only very slowly receding. Across from him, the gleaming body of Wyvern was still smiling. He hadn't stopped smiling in hours. He wanted to smash that look off of his face…but he no longer had the power to do so. He was beginning to feel weak. His muscles were sore, and his body was starting to tire. He couldn't keep this up much longer…and yet Wyvern still had more than enough power to spare.

In the end, there was still no choice but to keep fighting.

Balling his hands into fists again, Bahamut took off for the shimmering being. Wyvern halted when he did so, and waited for him to approach. A moment later, he was on him, and sweeping his leg in an attempt to strike him across the face. He soon cursed himself afterward…because he realized he was getting too slow. Wyvern was able to duck under it this time. However, as he came out of the first leg sweep, he spun around again and drove his leg toward Wyvern's middle. Again…he was too slow. The creature reached out and seized his leg in response. He was held for a moment, and gaped in response. But then…he quickly lashed back his other leg and smashed it in Wyvern's face. The first time had no effect…nor did the second…or the third. By then, it was too late. Wyvern snapped Bahamut around and flung him deeper into the void that surrounded them. After doing so, he opened his mouth and discharged a Mega-Pyron in his direction.

The esper flailed out for a moment, caught up in the inertia. However, he sensed the energy coming in behind him. He could no longer hear these attacks, but he could feel their deadly heat. Gritting his teeth, summoning reserves he knew he shouldn't be wasting, Bahamut forced his body up just as the wave was about to strike him, and just barely let it by underneath as it singed his wings. As for him, he flipped partially backward, so that his body was now horizontal and aimed at Wyvern. Tapping into more of his reserves, he brought his speed up to bear and launched himself once again, throwing himself back at Wyvern. He spun his body around so that both of them were orientated correctly as he did so, and moments later he struck the esper with both fists in the head as hard as he could.

Wyvern actually recoiled a few feet in response to that. However, Bahamut couldn't take advantage. He was tired and dizzy from fighting so long, and he had pushed himself too hard on that last attack. He righted himself again, but that was all he had time for before Wyvern snapped his head back up again. A moment later, a powerful blow slugged him from underneath his jaw, snapping his head up and at an angle. After that, another fist smashed into his stomach, causing him to double over around it. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened to gag. However…he forced his jaw to shut and his teeth to clench. He laced his fingers and hands together, and then swung up with a double fist to catch Wyvern under the jaw, snapping his head back up again. The monster staggered back once more…but only a moment before he suddenly snapped back like a slingshot, crushing his crest into Bahamut's own. He felt his own horns break and begin to bleed as he flew back, and dizziness and nausea overwhelmed him. He actually flailed back a considerable distance. But that was before he forced himself to overexert his body again…and then snapped forward as well to drive his elbow into Wyvern's teeth. The blow was strong enough to actually dent in his front ones, and the thing's smile was distorted into a deformity as he snapped back again.

Face turning angry now…or at least irritated…Wyvern snapped back yet again and swung up his knee to crush into Bahamut's side, snapping a rib in the process. The esper opened his mouth to cry out in pain…but somehow managed to tough through the growing agony in his body. He swung his other fist forward and buried it into Wyvern's throat. Despite the lack of any organs or windpipe there, the monster still winced and reacted in some pain. After that, however, his shimmering eyes opened and blazed violence. Bahamut himself forced the pain in his side down, and glared at him as well.

Abruptly, both swung their fists at each other. However, they both held back on seeing this, and raised their other arms to intercept. Bahamut soon seized Wyvern's fist, and Wyvern seized his. On doing that, both of them widened their palms and grasped the other's hands. Both of them locked, and soon began to push at each other. Their eyes met and blazed the hatred and violence they possessed for one another. There…they held in the depths of space and clashed…as they had in their first battle ages ago.

Bahamut grit his teeth and forced back against him. All of their power was generated by themselves. Here, there was nothing to push off of. It was just the two of them. It hurt… Even the skin of Wyvern was burning him. And his body was barely regenerating at this point. His injuries were still fresh and he was dizzy. Yet still they pushed on. Their respective energies flared up around each other, casting both in a strange aura as they fought on. Wyvern continued to glow brighter and more radiantly, but Bahamut himself generated a cloud of energy around himself. He locked his limbs and kept pushing, ignoring how tired and sore he was. He began to tremble and buckle. His strength began to give out. But still, he forced himself to hold on to the superior opponent… The energy continued to whip around them, sending out streaks of light and auras into the blackness around them. Some went back to Gaia itself and began to light up the sky…

Finally, Bahamut knew he could hold no longer. There was only one thing he could do. Quickly, he summoned everything left that he had. He fully dipped into his reserves and brought them out. Then, most suddenly, he pulled back from Wyvern. The shimmering being was trying to advance on him, but because he yanked his arms back first…he had the briefest fraction of a second to react. And that was what he did…shove all of his remaining power that had been in that clash into his legs. And as Wyvern dove inward, he swung his legs up and gave Wyvern the strongest kick possible to underneath his jaw. The impact was so hard that Bahamut felt his own tarsals break on connection. A ripple rocketed out from them both. Had they been on Gaia…the blow would have swept the entire Sleeping Forest away.

Wyvern's glowing form shot away from Bahamut at speeds to great that he seemed to become a ball of fire or a comet. Bahamut didn't even have time to see what had happened, or how Wyvern had reacted. All he saw was Wyvern vanish into a glowing dot.

Panting, Bahamut slumped down. If he was on Gaia, he would have collapsed. But weightless in space, he could hover in the void. As for breathing…he knew he was getting no air, but he couldn't help it. He was used to it. And he did get rid of carbon dioxide that way. Yet the mechanics of space meant little to him now…

His rib was still shifting in his chest, repositioning itself. His tarsals were taking even longer to heal. His bruises on his hands from the death grip with Wyvern were only slowly lowering. He knew right now that he was using most of his remaining power to heal himself. Although the esper barely had a mark on him, he was almost out of juice. After that…the marks would start adding up rather quickly. Every one of Wyvern's blows had lacerated him or broken one of his bones. As for Bahamut…he didn't even know if his blows were doing anything more than shoving him around. He was losing most of his energy trying to withstand Bahamut's attacks…not actually being struck. He had been fighting him for over twelve hours…and still he wasn't weakening. He had lost a portion of his power…but it was far from enough to even make the creature slow down. On the other hand…Bahamut's body, durable as it was, mighty as it was…it was running out. This fight would be drawing to a close soon…

And he realized he couldn't do it.

Bahamut weakly looked up and out to the blip. He hoped that this blow had left some sort of visible impact on his foe. Yet even as he thought that…the blip suddenly ceased being stationary. It began to go the left, streaking across space as it did so. Bahamut's breathing stopped. He weakly looked up to it…and saw that the glow was getting larger. He was coming back…and coming back fast. The esper struggled to move…struggled to guard himself. But he was too out of power. He needed to rest longer. His body hadn't received more than a few seconds break since he starting fighting him again… Now, it wasn't going back into action so easily… He was helpless to do anything but watch as the monster streaked closer…

Bahamut never managed to see Wyvern's furious, irritated face…yet still managing a grin of pleasure and satisfaction. Wyvern could sense Bahamut's power well now, after all…and he knew that he was nearly finished. But Bahamut didn't see this. He only saw a blinding flash, before he was struck.

The esper remembered nothing after that. However, as his head was dislocated and two of his vertebrae shattered from the force, his jaw nearly forced up into his head, his body was flung across space with such tremendous force and power that his regeneration was powerless to do anything about it. The strength of the blow continued to hold Bahamut's body parts separate as it struggled to put them back together. As fast as Wyvern had been knocked away, Bahamut traveled even faster. Had he been on Gaia, a horizontal tornado might have formed in his wake, as the air he cut through struggled to rush back in to fill the void his body made. As it was, he rocketed through the vacuum of space causing little damage…sailing far away from the powerful blow that Wyvern had inflicted…

Something got in Bahamut's way. Some force of light gravity began to pull on him again, although he wasn't aware of it. He had been knocked straight against the face of Gaia's moon. Yet he was still senseless, powerless to do anything about it. All he could do was ride it as he sailed through the vacuum, and felt his world behind him fill with gray rocks and matter as he went closer and closer to it… Unable to do anything to stop himself…

Far below on Gaia, a moment later, astronomers all over the world gaped in amazement. In the days to come, it would be chronicled as one of the most amazing scientific happenings of the year, and would be reported on news and within geological and astronomical communities for much longer than that.

Some sort of event on the moon caused an eruption of dust and the formation of a new crater large enough for the world to see.

* * *

Ragnar panted as he continued to run, struggling to keep ahead of his pursuers. He couldn't afford to run in a straight line through the forest. He had to zig-zag through the trees. If he kept going in a straight line, they could stop and shoot him in the back. This was getting to be hard. He had a lot of stamina…but even he couldn't keep going forever, especially considering all of what he had been through since he last slept…or ate, for that matter.

The youth kept dodging, twisting and turning as much as he could. He was mindful of the tree roots, stumps, and branches that threatened to trip him, and was light enough on his feet to dodge them. However, they weren't tripping up his quarry nearly as much as he had hoped. Three of them were still hot on his tail, with more following at a further distance. He had to think of something new…

Just up ahead, slightly on his left, was another tree trunk. This one was one of the thicker ones, even though they were out of the older Sleeping Forest. Quickly, he turned and picked up speed, suddenly putting more distance between him and his enemy. It wore him out a bit more, but it did the trick, suddenly surprising them. They moved to speed up, but all they succeeded in doing was screwing up their steps more, making them trip and stumble a bit more. That widened the distance enough for Ragnar to run to the large tree, and zig-zag behind it. However, once on the other side, he quickly froze and pressed his body up against it…and hoped that his enemy was in such a rush to get him that they thought he had just turned and run on, getting out of the clear path of fire.

It seemed to work. A few moments later, he heard a crashing of brush and plants to his right as the three soldiers stood upright again. They soon began to run again, and after a second ran right past where Ragnar was hiding. They had thought for so long that they had their opponent on the run that they had fallen for such a simple trick. However, on passing by and seeing nothing, they froze. They seemed to realize they were tricked, and one of them turned around to look behind the tree. That was all he got before Ragnar leapt forward and struck down this soldier. He quickly swung his blade two more times as he advanced, slicing through the other two.

That, unfortunately, was as much as he could do before a rifle bullet nearly struck him in the head. Luckily, his sword was up at the time, and it impacted that instead, sending off a small shower of sparks. Ragnar spun around and looked behind him, his face lighting up in fear and actually sweating a bit as he realized he had just had a scrape with death. Hehad forgotten about the rest of the company following him. Although these three had fallen into his trap, the others had frozen from a distance when they didn't see Ragnar pop out. And now, they had their guns trained on him and were getting ready to fire.

Ragnar grit his teeth and began to heave again as he spun around back behind the tree again. A crack of automatic weapon fire soon peeled out, blasting off the bark from the back of the tree he hid behind. Crazy as it was…Ragnar took off again shortly after hearing the first spurt. He tried to stay behind the tree as long as he could while he ran, struggling to stay out of range. He had no choice. If he stayed behind that trunk, he'd be a sitting duck for them to ambush him.

The youth groaned at himself. He was getting sloppy. He had made a blatant mistake, setting himself up for those others. He was growing too tired… He was winded now. When he had started, he could have killed those three soldiers without them ever knowing what hit them. But he had been getting so exhausted that he had slipped up. It took so long for him to get moving they actually had been able to look at him before he could strike. And the men behind him had the time to set up again. He was losing strength… He couldn't keep this up much longer. Perhaps volunteering to hold the army off by himself had been a rather bad idea… He hoped it wasn't another critical mistake…and this time a fatal one.

Ragnar finally went out from behind the shadow of the trunk, and then began to zig-zag through the forest again. He was panting and sweating both from exhaustion and anxiety now, but he had to keep going. He had to try and force them on again, until more soldiers got close enough to try and fire again, and then would break off so that they could get picked off. He hoped he had killed the fast ones by now. He was getting too tired…

The young man snapped out of this line of thinking as gunfire suddenly crackled behind him. The leaves were torn up at his feet. Immediately, he felt a cold snap down his spine, and he was gripped with shock. He turned and immediately bolted faster, despite running past his limit as he did so. Yet that didn't help much. Soon, he had to zig-zag again to avoid another spurt of gunfire tearing up a tree to his left. He risked a look behind him as he began to sweat in panic again. He saw that the New Shinra were hounding him still…but now kept their guns drawn. What more, they looked closer, although Ragnar knew they hadn't changed speed. At that…he swallowed again. That meant he had to be slowing down. Quickly, he turned back ahead and pushed himself harder.

Now, Ragnar was the one receiving misfortune. As he struggled to push himself, he also had to keep dodging. The enemy were firing at him a bit erratically, but were getting enough shots close to him to get him to try and move. And now that he was moving faster and struggling to keep moving in enough range to keep them from getting a bead on him, he couldn't watch the ground. He was beginning to trip and stumble as he moved on, and every time the enemy gained on himthey peppered him with bullets. The youth began to breathe harder as he tried to keep going. Exhaustionbegan to grip him. His legs began to burn and the soles of his feet grew tender. He kept sweating, letting the salty fluid fall into his eyes and blind him. His vision blurred as he struggled to move onward more…

Finally, it happened, Ragnar felt his foot hook a tree root. He paled, and then suddenly felt his body slip and fall forward. For a split second…he realized he had flubbed up. He looked ahead of him, and saw the forest vanish overhead as the understory began to come crashing at him.

Then, somehow, he heard the fateful gunshot.

_Blam!_

"Uh…AGH!"

Ragnar cried out in agony as his body smashed against the ground. His momentum was so great that he continued to spill forward, tumbling across the ground. However, that only drove more pain into his lower right calf. A horrible burning sensation was in it, and his muscles felt like they were locking up in it… His body crashed against plants, wood, and mud as he continued to tumble down, not knowing that his own blood was streaking his path as he went forward. But at last, he came to a halt. Somehow, despite how he had fallen, he had managed to land on his back. His head was up at a higher angle, on some sort of incline, and so he was sitting up when he came to a rest.

He couldn't be thankful for that, however. He was in too much pain.

Gritting his teeth, crying in misery (forgetting how Bahamut had taught him to stay quiet when injured), Ragnar grasped at his leg. His pants were already stained and dripping. Continuing to writhe against the ground, Ragnar pulled himself up into full sitting and ripped off his lower pant leg. He soon saw his sweating flesh underneath…and saw a dark hole pouring out blood. Immediately, he dropped Ragnarok, which had somehow stayed in his hand until this point, and grasped it with both hands. Part of it was to stop the bleeding…but mostly it was to just wrestle with his own pain. The youth was nearly blinded by it. He had no idea that a bullet could hurt this much… He thought he had already felt enough pain to know all about it.

The young man began to pant, somehow managing to stop fromscreaming. His heart was still racing, and sweat kept pouring from his brow. He looked up and around him. The forest floor formed some sort of bowl shape in this area. He was now at the bottom of it, resting against one of the "edges". The plants here grew longer. If he hadn't been yelling…he realized he might have been able to lie down and hide in the plant growth. But then, through his misery, he realized he had been yelling. He already heard the footsteps closing in on him…like a wounded deer on a hunt.

Soon, he began to see them pop up around him. A New Shinra soldier stepped over the edge and aimed his rifle at him. Two more with automatic weapons sprung on his sides, and aimed their own guns as well. More soldiers came, and continued to spread out. Ragnar, struggling not to cry from the pain, lest it be mistaken for fear, grit his teeth and looked hopelessly around him. Soon, the entire bowl was surrounded by no less than fifteen soldiers. Each one of them lowered their weapons at him. And there he was, bloody fingers clutching his wound. The forest went silent, as the predators had their prey completely cornered.

The young general swallowed. There was no way to fight out of this one…

"Finally got you, you bastard." One of the soldiers sneered.

Ragnar looked defiantly back, his eyes blazing. He could do little else, unfortunately, except sit there and hope that some miracle brought him out of this. His eyes began to dart around the ring, looking at the men surrounding him. He kept his breath held, and there was total silence on the air.

_Rustle._

Suddenly, Ragnar snapped his head around. He had heard a sound. It was something like leaves or vegetation moving. It was almost little enough to be confused for a squirrel or bird…especially to ones who hadn't been in this forest before. But Ragnar recognized it as unusual…and something larger. When he reached the source of the sound, however…all he saw was a shaking branch on a tree far overhead…and something that looked green vanish below it, over the ridge of the bowl and behind the men.

The soldiers, however, didn't notice. One of the privates turned to the officer. "What now? Do we bring him in as a prisoner, sir?"

"To hell with that!" One of the other privates angrily snapped. "He killed three dozen of us! Let's grease him right now!" He lowered his head to his rifle sight to emphasize this intention.

However, Ragnar was only looking to the soldiers with mild interest now. Most of his attention was focused on where he had seen something falling. He could see little outside the ring from where he was. However…the vegetation around behind them seemed to shift. It was just slightly more than he would expect from the wind. And it was also directional. It seemed to be moving…toward the angry private.

The officer stared at the wounded man a moment longer. He frowned. "That's General Ragnar. He's the leader of the insurrection. Orders are to bring him in if possible…but kill on sight if unable."

Another private chuckled at that…a dark sound. "Boys…" He asked as he turned his head up and looked to his surrounding platoon. "I don't know about you…but this guy down here ran me so hard, I don't think I got the strength to drag him back. How about you?"

The others let out a dark snicker, and raised their weapons up to their sights. The officer alone, the hard military man, was the only one who reacted with emotionlessness. He looked around the circle for a second, and then back to Ragnar. After a moment, however, he raised his own weapon and aimed it right in between the youth's eyes.

"…Fine. We waste him." He finally said out loud.

The angry private grinned, and began to depress his trigger. "Nice knowing you, mother-"

The dirty word that would have finished this sentence was never sounded.

As the private spoke…a giant green reptile rose behind him, opened its mouth wide, and engulfed his head.

The creature gave a rather loud roar as it did so, shaking the entire area around it. On hearing this blood-curdling sound, everyone, Ragnar included, looked up to it. They soon saw a horrible sight. The private's head was inside a reptilian mouth larger than a crocodile's. The creature's talons had snapped around and sunk into its chest, pinning it against it. The thing that had attacked the private looked like a gigantic, quadrapedal reptile…bigger than horse-sized. It was a pale green color, almost like the leaves of the forest, which had yet to turn despite the onset of Fall. Its eyes were blazing yellow and reptilian. Its massive, carnivorous head had a set of horned frills behind it, spreading out. A long tail swung behind it dangerously.

The private yelled from within the thing's head, a strange muffled cry. He held up his gun and fired wildly, shooting the air and forest. He did so for a moment, before the creature clamped its jaw shut. At that, the gun ceased, the man went totally limp…and a moment later his headless body, gushing blood, collapsed to the ground. As for the creature itself, the platoon watched in grotesque horror as it tipped its head up…and they saw a lump travel from its mouth into its throat that looked head sized. Once the thing finished swallowing, it dropped onto all fours again. It gave a snap of its jaws and a mild cry before lunging forward to the nearest private. It slashed out its razor sharp front claws at him, slicing him open. Gurgling from the sudden drop in blood pressure…just from the depth of the cut…the private fell back and began to pour it out on the ground. The thing snapped its talon behind it next, reaching out to slice through a man's leg…and his femoral artery. He cried out in agony and dropped to the ground…soon to be dead. Still not done, the thing snapped its tail behind it like a whip made of chains. Its long reach sliced through the neck of the next one down, cutting into his jugular. He too gagged before grabbing his neck and falling. At that, the reptile turned ahead again. It hissed and snarled for a moment…but then reared back…and suddenly waddled forward at incredible speed, like a real lizard. In the end, it leapt into the air and lunged at another soldier. He cried out in terror before the thing clamped its jaws around his throat and yanked him back to the ground.

Ragnar paled and felt his stomach churn. His mouth trembled as he saw the bloodbath unfold. The men were stricken with terror…unable to fight back or run from the reptilian monster. It flashed about and cut them into ribbons…devouring some every now and then. Some eventually did get enough bravery to open fire on it…but succeeded in doing nothing. The creature's thick skin buckled a bit under the bullets, but then the bent, twisted projectiles merely fell off of its body. It was like trying to shoot a bullet proof vest. The young general began to quiver…as he saw blood pour down the edges of the basin and run into the bowl area that he was seated in. It was like some sort of nightmarish liquor was filling it. The general, despite his pain, dragged himself away from the edge, trying to avoid getting hit by it. All around him, over the next few seconds, all of the soldiers were butchered by the monster…before it too vanished into the underbrush.

All was silent afterward. Ragnar looked around, quivering for a moment…before he reached out and snatched up his sword. He brandished it in front of him, forgetting about his leg wound…and hoped he could have some hope against this thing though he was still seated…and knowing that it could merely leap on him and tear him apart before he knew what had happened. He panicked and turned his head around him from side to side, trying to see where it would come from next…seeing where it was planning on attacking…

_Rustle._

Ragnar's head snapped in front of him again. There it was. Its green head poked out of the underbrush, and raised out to stare at the young general. Its reptile eyes stared unblinking. Its mouth was still covered with blood. A long thin tongue came out and ran along it, licking it off…but also exposing its dangerous teeth that still had bits of flesh stuck between them. The youth felt himself begin to breathe heavily. As best as he could, he held up his sword and prepared for an attack…

Then, to his surprise, the reptile changed.

Somehow…it seemed to force its lips up into a grin.

"I told you that you needed me, general."

Ragnar blinked once again. Had the thing just spoken to him? He didn't recognize the voice. It was thick and snake-like. However…his brain, now having calmed down a bit, began to work again. He thought back to who had said something like that…and to what he knew already about dangerous creatures running around. At once, it began to click. The youth gaped in disbelief…but lowered his head in slightly and glared at the creature.

"…Zola…?"

The thing kept smiling, and flicked out its tongue in a gesture that almost seemed to be a way of saying yes. After that, it simply turned and scurried off, flicking its tail behind it as it ran. Soon, all was silent around Ragnar again. The youth was left dumbfounded in the center of the bowl.

Ragnar lowered his head and began to breathe a bit heavy again, trying to catch himself. He didn't believe it. He knew that espers and half-espers could shapeshift…but he had never seen one in its full glory. All he had seen were the images that Bahamut sent to his brain. He had never suspected it…never believed for a moment…that Zola really possessed such a fearsome creature and power within himself. But it made sense. No wonder he had no peer in battle. Nothing could stand up to a cloak of human flesh that concealed that monster. Only now did the general realize how little in control of Zola's destiny he had been. He saw now why his blows did nothing to effect it. In fact…if Zola hadn't wished it, he never would have been able to point his sword at him…or restrain him. No doubt, that was why he was here. It would have been nothing for that creature to have escaped the guard and restraints.

However, that set Ragnar thinking anew. Zola…had just saved his life. He was supposed to be working for Wyvern. If anything, he should have finished the job that the frozen lake failed to do. But he had turned on his attackers instead…even after Noonian had tried to kill other officers herself. What did that mean? Was he trying to work on his confidence again? Was he trying to regain his trust so that he could trick him in the future, make it look as if he wasn't all that bad?

Somehow…Ragnar didn't think so. Monstrous as his face had been…gruesome as his blood-covered teeth had looked…he didn't feel as if Zola was malicious when he talked to him. He didn't feel as if he was acting sinister…but was behaving in a sincere fashion. Something about what he had just done made Ragnar start to wonder if Zola had been telling the truth…

"…All this _after_ they managed to shoot you?"

Ragnar snapped his head up again. He had been so lost in his own thoughts, he failed to hear another person coming. But now that he looked up, he saw that someone also covered with blood and panting had joined him at the edge of the hole. This one was no monster, however.

Cloud gaped down in genuine shock, turning his head around at the area and seeing the bloody remains of the platoon that had nearly got Ragnar. His swords were stained with blood, but were joined as one for now. He was holding it over one shoulder to conserve energy, and was breathing hard and sweating as he looked around the area. At last, he turned back down to Ragnar. He looked at him a bit uneasily. That only figured. After all…many of the soldiers overhead looked almost torn into savagely or _bit_. Some of them had body parts missing.

Ragnar shook his head at this, still breathing hard himself. "It wasn't me. It was Zola."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Zola? I thought he had betrayed us."

Luckily, Cloud didn't know yet that Zola was the one who had nearly killed Tifa. If he did…he would have done worse to the reptile than what he had done to these men… However, Ragnar continued. "I thought he did to… He might still be. But he was in his true body here…that of a basilisk. But it was the strongest basilisk I've ever heard of… He slaughtered them all in seconds. But he didn't attack me. He just smiled and then ran off."

Cloud calmed down a bit now, realizing that Ragnar hadn't been the source of this mutilation. He began to step down into the hole, uneasily stepping over the blood trails as he made his way. "Any idea why?"

Ragnar looked down a bit at that, and hesitated. "…He said that he was sorry for betraying us when I accosted him. He said he wanted to help hold off the enemy army while the rest of us ran." The young general paused, and looked around himself for a moment. "…From the looks of it, if he's bluffing, he's doing a very good job of it…"

"Well, let's forget about him for now." Cloud answered as he reached the youth. He stuck Event Horizon into the ground, and leaned over and put his arm around Ragnar. The general let him, and grit his teeth and strained as he pulled him back up to his feet. It was painful. He couldn't walk on that one leg now. He was going to have to hobble on as best he could. Once he was up, Cloud put one arm around Ragnar's middle, while Ragnar himself put one around his shoulder. Both men held their swords with their other hands. Cloud began to lead the youth forward. Ragnar winced and cried out mildly, but forced himself to go along. It was painful at first, but soon the two of them managed to start moving at a fairly good speed.

"Our diversion is over. You're no good to fight like that, kid." Cloud stated as he moved them out. "We need to get back to the army…and hope that our fighting unnerved them enough to keep trying to find us for a few more minutes. In the meantime, we need to get clear before they find us. I don't think we can fight them with you like this."

Ragnar frowned a bit. "…You don't have to sound so condescending, Cloud. You know, I saved your ass yesterday."

"And I'm saving your ass today, so we're even again already." Cloud simply answered. After that, however, he cracked a playful smile and turned back to the young general. "And don't swear. It's very vulgar." He chided in a scolding voice.

Ragnar snorted and gave a slight smile of his own before flashing Cloud an even more vulgar gesture.

* * *

Bahamut opened his mouth and tried to gasp. However…he forgot he was still in space. He couldn't breathe here. But if that was the case…why did he feel like he was on the ground? It was sandy, soft, and seemingly barren…but it felt like ground. This was what he first remembered as he gained consciousness. However…he couldn't move. He felt bones broken throughout his body. He had to wait…had to let them regenerate. But by now…his regeneration was barely moving. It had just managed to reattach his neck and fix his cervical vertebrae. But now, it tried to reconnect the numerous other bones that had been shattered on impact.

As they did, Bahamut blinked, and slowly opened his eyes up. He would have groaned if there was any air to send sound through. Where was he? Up above him, the stars in the sky shimmered. But they were in positions he had never seen before. All around him, thrust up nearly a mile high, was a tremendous crater. The dust and dirt that had been in it had been flung everywhere around this world, some of it launched out of its gravitational pull and into the cosmos. He saw all of this…and remembered something like it from the Lunarians. It was the moon. Wyvern had flung him into the moon, and had left this in his wake. Now, it towered up on all sides around him. Some of the dust had settled back on him, and he shifted slightly to have it fall off again.

Standing over him, in space's empty silence…was Wyvern. He didn't notice him at first, and only noticed space. But as his senses came back, he looked up slightly, and saw the shimmering being. Its arms were crossed again. It was smiling. It looked every bit as strong as it had when it started this fight. It didn't seem the slightest bit tired, hurt, or injured. It looked calmly down over Bahamut's form, not at all miffed that the beast had opened his eyes again.

Bahamut swallowed, moistening his dry mouth. His body was nearly burned out again. His muscles were sore and throbbing. His body left the newest blood on it. It was running out of energy. Now, it no longer tried to suck in the blood that it had lost. It had to focus all its power on reknitting his bones. Even when they were reconnected, they were still weak…for he lacked the power to instantly make them functional. His head was starting to hurt. He could operate in space without oxygen, but he was never meant to exert himself this much in space. It was starting to effect him. His own energy was nearly gone. He couldn't even pull off a Pyrin anymore. The last of his juice was being used to rebuild him. And after that…there would be nothing. His entire frame still ached from Wyvern's blows. It became clear to him at this point. There was no way he could possibly win. In the end, he couldn't even wound his foe.

With all that in mind…Bahamut grunted and struggled to roll his still-regenerating body over, so that he could push himself up.

A dark chuckle sounded in his mind. He didn't look up to it. In space, he could no longer hear words. However, Wyvern had more than enough ability to feed him mental messages now. And now…that was how he talked, still in his superior voice.

_Bahamut…what do you think you're doing?_ It calmly asked. _Are you getting up? Are you going to try and hit me again? Are you going to continue this pointless fight?_

Bahamut didn't answer. He just plopped onto his stomach. He held there, waiting for his legs and arms to form a bit more.

_You must love pain, Bahamut. You keep coming back for it. Not just now…again and again throughout our lives. Every time I've taken you to the edge of death or beyond…and you just keep coming for more. Why? You can't win. You never could win. The situation hasn't changed simply with the passage of time. _

The esper still didn't answer. He began to slowly place his quivering arms and legs beneath him. It hurt a bit, and they still weren't fully connected. But he forced himself to start pushing up.

_Just lie there, Bahamut. Just lay down. Just give up. Why should you suffer needlessly? Why continue something that's pointless? Is there some part of you in your maddened brain that actually thinks it can still win? That some cosmic act of fate will intervene? That destiny will revoke its sentence?_

The esper grit his teeth, and finally pushed himself up onto his knees. He held there, with his arms out, and breathed out more carbon dioxide. He waited to knit a bit more.

_I've said this before, Bahamut…but I don't understand you. I never did understand you. Why are you doing this? I truly don't know, so please enlighten me. Why have you kept fighting this long? Why did you start fighting at all? You're smarter than that, Bahamut. I know this. You knew you couldn't win from the moment you started fighting. You knew that all the pain I wracked your body with was only going to get worse. You knew that no matter how much energy or force you threw at me, I'd withstand it. And yet you kept fighting. You're trying to fight right now, even though you can barely stand. Why are you trying to get up?_

Bahamut clenched his jaw, and slowly and surely began to move his newly regenerated legs underneath him.

Wyvern's voice began to turn irritable.

_Why are you not seeing it yet, Bahamut? Why does this one vision of the future elude you…or why are you trying not to see it? Don't you get it? It's over. Your life is over. This is my world and my time. Destiny has decided against you. Mother has decided against you. How blind are you? How many more of your bones do I have to break before you realize it? How much more of your own blood has to wash your eyes before you can clearly see the truth? Did you think I was just spouting out air earlier, when I kept asking you if you could see the truth? Seriously…I want you to see it. I want you to understand. And yet…here you are…sad…pathetic…mortal…getting off of the ground and still blinding yourself to it._

Bahamut began to push up…and slowly uncurled his body and began to straighten it.

_There's nothing left for you, Bahamut!_ The voice continued, beginning to turn angry. _You have no future! You have no destiny beyond today! Is the only meaning left to your sad life going to be breaking your own arms into pieces trying to hit me? Everything else you have is dead! Why don't you just die with it? What meaning or point is there to this futile gesture you're making? Anything? Even a desire to go down fighting me? Do you even understand why you do what you do anymore? _

Bahamut finally was on his feet. He wobbled on them, even in this light gravity. However, he turned his tired head over and gazed at Wyvern. He was still there, hovering with arms crossed, blazing with power. However, his smile had vanished, and had turned into a sneer.

_Why are you fighting me, Bahamut? WHY?_

The esper exhaled one more time. His own weak eyes pierced those of Wyvern's. Compared to him…he truly was some dark dull creature before a god. However, he continued to gaze just the same, without fear or hesitation.

_…If you haven't figured it out after these many centuries…_ Bahamut slowly sent back in reply. _You'll never understand._

Bahamut was immediately cast to the ground again by a powerful slap across the face. He was so weak by now that he couldn't even see it coming, or make the slightest move to react. A moment later, his face was eating dirt as he was thrown down once more. This time…he couldn't get up. He had already used all of his strength trying to stand that last time. He had nothing left. Wyvern had even been gentle, not breaking a bone that time. He did cut his mouth, however, and this time it bled without ending. The last of his energy to regenerate was gone.

Wyvern was standing over him now, his hand still peeled back from where it had ended after slapping Bahamut. He glared down on him, and his shimmering eyes blazed. He glared at his fallen body, almost motionless and unable to move, for a few moments of silence. In the end, however, Bahamut heard him snort in his mind as he shook his head at him.

_Sad…pathetic…creature…_ He slowly murmured. _Very well…it's time to end this. But I had to ask before I did. Part of me was genuinely curious at this point as to what the answer is, but it seems even you don't know it. _

Bahamut managed to lift his head up slightly, but that was all. His eyes half opened and tried to look out.

_Pity._ Wyvern continued. _I genuinely wanted to know. And I felt that I had to. You see…I gave Shinza an opportunity for some last words…a message that she wanted to say to you but never had the chance. I thought I'd tell you them right before I killed you. And since that time is now…I might as well._

Bahamut struggled to move…but was powerless to. Everything was gone. Here, solar energy flowed more easily, but it was barely refilling his drained reserves. Wyvern would have to keep rambling just for him to throw a weak final punch. Suddenly, he felt something seize him in the back of his head, by one of his horns. It burned to the touch, and made him wince. It had to be Wyvern's glowing hand. He winced and recoiled, but could do little else but hang as Wyvern ripped him off of the ground.

_Out of all the things she could have said…all of the phrases…she told me something I didn't expect, but I figured must be important, which is why I asked you that just now._

Bahamut felt heat against his face as Wyvern leaned down next to him, holding his own head next to his. It was in a gesture to whisper, even though it was impossible to whisper here.

_She told me to tell you… "Share your wisdom". Now then…any clues as to what she might have meant by that, before you die? Any knowledge that you want to share with me?_

Bahamut weakly held for a moment, hearing this message but not saying anything. He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. He planned on just hanging there until the end. Yet Wyvern held him, and waited…as he merely hung back and waited for the death blow.

Then…time suddenly seemed to slow down.

Bahamut's eyes widened…as he felt a moment of true insight suddenly strike him.

He remembered back to his language studies of Etteca. On Gaia, knowledge and wisdom were two different things. However, the distinction was even greater on Etteca. One never tried to exchange one word for the other. Knowledge was facts and data, nothing more. Wisdom was more ingenuity, cleverness, ability, and philosophy. Shinza had even told him while writing, on one of her complaints about spirituality and opinion, to stop being wise and be more knowledgable. Knowledge was referring to something that could be passed on and was concrete from one person to another. But wisdom…wisdom was talents, abilities, insights…and aptitudes.

Had she meant something more by this phrase?

Wyvern's vision… He had seen himself the victor… But as Bahamut thought again…had he actually? Wyvern's mind was warped. He jumped to conclusions. And he hadn't mastered his precognition like Bahamut. He only saw this through the influence of drugs. Bahamut knew full well that drugs distorted what you saw. That was why he only saw twisted, unusual versions of events that actually came to life on them. What had he said exactly? He said that he had seen Bahamut changing through his different forms throughout time…and that each one had failed to beat him…

However…there was another way to look at that. He was more than just a new body when he changed form. He was different abilities. His original body performed the Sol-Pyrin. His Neo body had the ability to power itself up using the Sol-Velo, and performed the Giga-Pyrin. And then there was the force he hadn't unleashed yet in his new body… Just like Wyvern now absorbed energies from the dead instead of merely darkness…Bahamut's new form absorbed energies from living things instead of just light. The result was the ability to form a much stronger attack than before…but one that he knew couldn't defeat this body…

_Wait a minute…_

_I couldn't beat him the first time either…could I?_

Bahamut suddenly remembered…and a new insight came to him. He couldn't contest Wyvern the first time…nor the second. He was outmatched both times…until he used his new ability, something that was considered in the realm of "wisdom" and not "knowledge" in the Ettecan language. That was his power-up moves…the Hyper-Velo and Supra-Velo.

The esper suddenly became aware of it. He realized something. He had been using Giga-Pyrins and Sol-Pyrins this entire fight. But Wyvern never used anything more than his Mega-Pyron. Was that because he felt it was enough?

…Or was it because this new body, different as it was from his true form, _couldn't_ do it?

Perhaps…that was why Wyvern stayed the same in the vision while Bahamut changed. Bahamut was still an esper, not this creature that Wyvern had become. He still had his accumulated powers and abilities. But Wyvern…he was something else. He was only what his new cells had been programmed to be. The Sol-Velo was irrelevant now. Both of them had ascended beyond it. However…Wyvern, much intelligence as he had now, never learned the Hyper-Velo or Supra-Velo. It took Bahamut months to learn them himself, smart as he was.

_Share your wisdom._

Time returned to normal. And now, Bahamut's eyes were opened wide. His mouth hung a moment…but then slowly shut and began to smile. Wyvern was wrong. His vision hadn't been prophecizing his victory…but his flaw.

_Shinza…thank you._

Unseen by Bahamut, Wyvern's head turned at this. The mental message had been out loud, and he had heard it. _What?_ He asked in growing confusion. _What was that?_

In response, Bahamut felt his weak body forcing himself into a grin.

_Supra-Velo._

Moments later, Wyvern was knocked back away from Bahamut as a new wave of red energy suddenly enveloped his body. Suddenly, a distinct red light was swarming around him, and the force was so great that Wyvern, to his shock, found his body thrown off from him. The force ripped against his own mighty body and pushed him away…nearly throwing him to the ground. The creature managed to stop himself as he flew back, but then leaned back up and gaped at what he saw. He couldn't believe it…

Bahamut did not fall to the ground as Wyvern released him. Instead…he put out his hands and held himself firmly, without falling down again. His legs stiffened as they filled with new strength…new power. It began to make his muscles bulge. His lungs began to work faster, and his heart began to rush as he felt new strength in his bones. His regeneration went to work, and immediately strengthened his bones and body. The cut on his lip was sealed. His eyes began to blaze with new power as the red light continued to swarm around him. His wings unfurled.

_No…no…this can't be possible…_

Clenching his hands into fists again…Bahamut began to push himself off of the ground. It was easy here, in this weightless environment. Soon, he was standing on his feet again. Now…he was the one who smiled confidently. And now, he slowly turned his head and body over…to glare at Wyvern with that same look. The shimmering being gaped back at him, its own burning eyes raised in surprise. Its arms hung back uncertainly…almost as if it was going to recoil from him as he stood. For now…Wyvern too could sense power.

And he sensed that Bahamut's had just surpassed his.

_No! This can't be!_ The creature shrieked in his mind as his jaw clenched and he fumed from where he was. _You're dead! You were as good as dead! This can't be right… I'm supposed to win! This is a trick!_

_Looks like you're the one with the bad memory now, Wyvern._ Bahamut answered much more calmly. _You forgot about my power-up moves._

The radiant creature hesitated where it was. It was dumbfounded. It thought this was over…but now his opponent was standing again…and he could sense he was even stronger than him now. The Supra-Velo had more than pushed him beyond him. And now…the shocked creature could only stare in new horror…seeing that the dead foe had come back. He couldn't believe it. It wasn't possible… He had to be imagining this…

Face filling with rage, Wyvern sneered at Bahamut. _You can't hold that form for more than a few minutes! Not after the beating I gave you!_

Bahamut leveled his powerful gaze at Wyvern, and kept smiling.

_…What makes you think you'll last that long?_

Wyvern's eyes widened. He actually recoiled a bit, not expecting that sort of dangerous reply. Now…his godlike impression began to crack. His nerve began to break. He was still here… His foe was still alive. He was laughing in the face of fate…of destiny… He was still coming back…again and again…no matter how mighty that he became… Somehow, he was always here to challenge him again and again…and he just wouldn't die!

Growling, Wyvern snapped forward and lunged at his foe. He was on him in a moment. Bahamut saw him come…but didn't bother moving. Soon, the towering radiant being was over him, and with all the power he could immediately bring to bear…he slugged Bahamut across the face.

Bahamut's head went flying down, and his neck turned as well. He closed his eyes and winced against the power. Wyvern, teeth grit, eyes blazing with a mixture of shock, fear, and anger, glared at him, wanting to see him fall…wanting to see him moan…wanting to see him die…

However…his mouth soon loosened…and he began to hover back again.

Bahamut hadn't even shifted weight. He opened his eyes again, smiled, and then leaned his head back up and into the previous position. His eyes burned with strength as he continued to beam at Wyvern.

The shimmering being felt himself actually quiver. That…couldn't be. He was the strongest thing in the universe now…the mightiest creature. That blow would have punched a hole through a land mass. And yet…Bahamut had taken it. He was still standing. He was always still standing… No matter how many times he burned him and broke him…he was always still standing. It was like he was an immortal…or a devil…or a curse…or a nightmare. And here he was… Mighty and ultimate as he was…Bahamut was still here. Still alive. Still fighting…

The shimmering being actually hovered back slightly…backing away from Bahamut.

Then, he froze. His eyes widened again, as he realized what he was doing. He was retreating. He was moving away from him… Him…the man who had cost him everything…the bastard that took everything away from him…the creature that ruined him and his life… And now…_he was still alive!_ He was doing it again! Hissing, turning to rage again, Wyvern swung his fist again.

This time, Bahamut snapped his own arm up even faster.

His own glowing fist struck Bahamut's…and moved no further.

The creature's eyes widened again. Bahamut was still smiling as he held him. He didn't shift at all. Wyvern looked back to his hand, and grit his teeth. Sneering, he tried to push it onward, tried to get through. Bahamut didn't even flinch. He didn't even shift. He held him firmly…not yielding at all. The thing began to foam at the mouth. He pushed harder and harder, and began to quiver underneath the fist, struggling to push it through. The heat of his body was even smoldering Bahamut's flesh. Yet it couldn't go through. He couldn't push him past it… He couldn't believe it…but he was actually holding him back.

Abruptly, Bahamut's smile turned into a stern frown.

Suddenly, his razor-sharp, whip-like tail snapped around, flashed in front of him, and then swung itself down on Wyvern's elbow.

His glowing appendage was neatly severed from his body.

Evidently…Wyvern could feel pain from something like that…because his mouth opened in agony and his eyes winced as they glared at the severed stump that had been his arm. He recoiled in a mixture of shock and pain, bringing up his other glowing arm to grasp the place where it had been. As for Bahamut, he looked at him for a moment more, watching him recoil in agony. Then…he snapped forward like a gunshot and backhanded Wyvern across the face with his free arm.

The creature's head was violently snapped in one direction. If he had bones, they could have been broken from it. Three teeth went flying from his mouth before his body was torn away with violent force, rocketing away from the moon and back into the heavens. It was every bit as strong the blow that Wyvern had given Bahamut only minutes ago, and soon the shimmering being was sailing again into a glowing dot, before going even farther and nearly vanishing. This time, Bahamut's force wracked Wyvern's entire body, nearly making his super cells separate. His wings were nearly ripped from him as the force pushing his head exceeded that of his wings. And now…he was the one powerless to do anything to stop himself.

Bahamut glared at the dot for a moment, before looking down to his body and the arm he held. He could sense that the cells within it were still alive. He turned his head down, and looked to the ground of the moon. Slowly floating down to rest on it were the teeth that Bahamut had knocked loose. Glaring coldly, he threw the arm on top of them, and then summoned a Mega-Pyrin. A second later, he blasted them all at point blank range. A massive fireball erupted from the moon in his wake, and a terrific explosion pounded an even deeper crater into it. But Bahamut stood their calmly as the fire and dust washed over him, and kept scanning the dirt until he saw every single cell in those pieces disintegrate and die.

Once that was done, Bahamut turned back to the vanishing dot…and then launched himself at full speed for it.

Now…the truly final battle would begin.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	60. The Last of the Espers

This is it...the last chapter of The Wyvern Battles. However, it won't quite be over. I still have a rather sizable epilogue to tag on, but I'll be submitting that later tonight.

* * *

It seemed to take forever to finally get out of the forest. But at last, Ragnar began to see the trees thinning out ahead. Not a moment too soon. Cloud had paused long enough to tie his leg down, stopping the bleeding, but it still ached. It had the bullet inside, and that needed to be removed. He was in rather severe pain at this point, but he grit his teeth and hobbled through it. He struggled to keep himself moving forward, even as he felt himself slowing down. The two men continued to close a bit further, tripping and stumbling a bit over the growth, as the trees continued to pass them by. At last, they finally reached the outer line, and Cloud practically yanked Ragnar out from the forest and into the light of day.

There it was. It turned out that the forest had ended a bit earlier than usual. That was because as they came out into the daylight, both men saw several freshly severed stumps still in their way. Many of them were rather thick, and a quick glance to the right and left revealed that they extended in either direction. Ragnar knew the cause immediately. He turned his head forward, and saw what was still ahead. The ground was flat and grassy for about another half mile. It also looked as if it had been torn up by hundreds of feet, and was muddy and trampled as a result. However, beyond this, far on the horizon, the seashore loomed, and the great vast ocean beyond it. They saw the two tugboats out there, and even from this far they could see them swamped with people. Moreover, however, they saw the massive wooden rafts that had been built. There were six of them at the moment, and each one was crowded with people and stuffed with as many supplies as they could manage. Luckily, with that many rafts, there was more than enough space for everyone. Still, as many people as possible had gotten onto the boats, which were far more seaworthy. A few final soldiers were leading in the last few crate carriers as they mounted the final raft. Once they were on, they quickly began to get on themselves. Ragnar looked up, and found that some fortune was on their side. The sea was smooth, just like the day he first left the Northern Continent. If it could hold out…they might just make it to the other shore.

Cloud began to drag the hobbling Ragnar down the hill, moving away from the forest and into the grass valley. The youth panted and struggled to keep moving, trying to ignore his pain a bit longer as he ran. But as they moved, a crack of static suddenly sounded from Ragnar's hip. Moments later, a rather panicked and annoying sounding female voice yelled through it.

_"Where the hell have you two been!"_

Ragnar grit his teeth and frowned. He didn't have any free hands to answer Yuffie at the moment. His were full with Ragnarok and bracing himself against Cloud. He was going to simply ignore it…until he heard something else.

_"Get down here now, you idiots! We just overheard their radio! They're almost through the forest…and they're calling in an air strike!"_

Both Cloud and Ragnar paled on hearing that. They nearly both stumbled, and turned to look to each other with mutual surprise. Yet even as this happened…they began to hear an echo from back in the woods. It was the sound of engines…and it appeared to be some of the Cromwells that they had missed before. On hearing that…they both swallowed as one.

"Alright kid…we need to pick up the pace." Cloud finally stated. "Hold on to that sword…and try not to let it touch me."

With that, Cloud swung Event Horizon around and locked it into his back sheath. With that done, he quickly leaned over with both free hands and scooped Ragnar off of the ground while still moving forward. The young general felt like frowning…feeling even more helpless at this moment. However, this wasn't a time to worry about pride. Cloud was right. So instead, he exhaled a bit and crossed his sword over him, keeping it from Cloud's bare skin. A moment later, Cloud huffed and puffed a few times before doubling their speed, moving them into a run. Soon, he was charging down the grass valley much faster.

The sounds of engines coming continued to roll. However, they weren't sounding any closer. If anything, they were going farther away. It seemed that Cloud's new speed managed to keep them apart for now. As for up ahead, one of the tugboats suddenly generated a spray of foam and took off. Its soon began to putter away from the shore. Moments later, it snapped its lines taught on the rafts it was connected to. In response, they lurched away from shore and into the water.They couldn't afford to stay any longer, especially if they were calling in Gelinkas. All they had to do now was focus a targeting laser on them once they were out of the woods and in visual range. They had to get farther away and pray that the Gelinkas couldn't target on sight…

It seemed to take forever to get to the shore. It was the longest half mile of Ragnar's life. Yet Cloud continued to push himself, and he only increased in speed as he ran. The second tugboat began to fire up the engines once the first one had fully yanked the rafts by, but it held. On the last raft, the soldiers frantically waved them on, yelling at them to keep coming and to get on board as soon as possible. At last, Cloud's feet plunged into sandy soil. He charged forward a bit longer, kicking up clouds of dust in his wake, before he finally reached the log of the final raft. He immediately leapt up with Ragnar in his arms and touched down on it. The beckoning men quickly turned to him, away from the edge, and grabbed on to help him.

"The General's been shot. If we have any medical supplies here, we need them." Cloud announced on arriving. He quickly began to let Ragnar down again. The other soldiers moved in and grabbed him by his arms, and with their help, they managed to get him off of Cloud and slowly lower him to the ground of the raft. Ragnar winced a bit as he did, but he finally was seated on it.

Once he was down, one of the soldiers went to his own walkie-talkie. He yanked it up and out and put it to his mouth. "The Generals are aboard. We are good to go."

Ragnar panted a moment after that. However…something suddenly struck him. When it did, he began to look around. He couldn't see much from where he was. This raft had mostly supplies, but a few soldiers were on it as well. They were already seated, letting the men who were standing do the work. He also noticed that some of them were rather meek looking and cringing. They seemed to cower where they were…and avoided the eyes of the other troops around them. Whenever they met, the latter would give an evil eye to the former. He understood this. Apparently…some refugees had come back after all. But they weren't what he was trying to see. He held for a moment after looking around…but in the end, he decided to go for it. He turned back to the officer on the walkie-talkie.

"Where is Zola?"

The man turned to him and frowned. "He escaped, sir. Overpowered his guard and ran back into the forest. We haven't heard from him since."

Ragnar held for a moment after hearing that. Inside…he felt a twinge of something pulling at him. His brain screamed at him, telling him to get out of there, and that what he was thinking was a bad idea. However…another part of him told him that he should do this. Most of it was intuition…and a small part was a sense of mercy…but eventually it did manage to override his better judgment. He looked out back to the shore a moment and let out a sigh. Then, in the end, he reached for his belt, raised his own walkie-talkie, and spoke out into it.

_I must be crazy…_

"Negative. Belay that order. We're staying here."

Cloud, the two soldiers nearby, and anyone else in the area snapped around to the general in surprise.

"…Kid…what are you doing?" Cloud asked incredulously.

"We're not leaving yet." Ragnar continued into the walkie-talkie, looking up. "Get ready to gun the engines on my signal, but not before." With that, he let the radio down, and glared silently at the shore.

"Sir…why are we waiting?" One of the soldiers asked in response, sounding genuinely nervous.

"The enemy will be here any minute." The other added, likewise beginning to show anxiety.

"We're waiting for one more soldier…" Ragnar responded, trailing off a bit in the end.

The two soldiers looked up to one another uneasily. After that, they exhaled, and nervously sat down as well on deck, balling their hands into fists and anxiously looking out to shore again. Those nearby also began to grow nervous. Some started to reach for their weapons again. Cloud himself stared at Ragnar for a moment, but the youth didn't look back. He continued to fix his gaze on the shore. Slowly, the ex-mercenary sighed. Then, he turned around and crossed his arms as he looked to the shore as well. He knew what this was about. He couldn't say it was a good choice. However…he also couldn't say he might not have done the same thing. After all, he wasn't the one who had his life saved.

Ragnar merely put his fist to his mouth and bit against it…and prayed that he didn't make the wrong decision.

A few minutes went by. Now…the engine sound was getting louder again. It still stayed faint compared to how it was before, but it was coming nearer. The other tugboat continued to pull its cargo away, putting more and more distance between it and the shore. The people on board the other rafts began to look worried, and started to talk among themselves about what was going on. However, Ragnar continued to hold and wait, looking ahead to the forest. He scanned it desperately, trying to see some sign of anything coming out of it…

Suddenly, some of the lighter trees began to snap and fall down further back in the canopy. As they did…something new began to come forth. A steady line of Cromwells, rolling over any object that got in their way,emerged. They filled the tree line on the horizon, stretching about fifty long. The enemy had obviously constructed more… That wasn't all. Falling in behind them, flooding out like a carpet of army ants, was the rest of the ground troops. As many as Cloud and Ragnar had killed, it wasn't nearly enough. They filled the entire forest, spreading out and coming forward, turning the green area blue in their wake. And though they were still a half mile away…Ragnar could tell that they were reacting on seeing the rafts. Now clear, the Cromwells began to chug louder, picking up speed to rush to shore as soon as possible. The soldiers broke into a run.

That was it. Ragnar grit his teeth and scowled, and then raised the walkie-talkie to his mouth to give the order…

At long last, he saw it.

A faint green shape seemed to suddenly leap out of the trees, sailing over the line of troops. It landed a good fifty feet in front of them. Some of the tanks and soldiers halted momentarily, and looked to it while the others continued to march. They seemed to be puzzled at the leaf-colored object. However, regardless of what they felt…this object soon began to dash for the shore at incredible speeds. Ragnar saw this, and so did Cloud. As it grew nearer, much faster than the New Shinra were doing so, other people began to turn their attention off of the army and to this object as well. That was when Ragnar noticed something. The thing seemed to be changing colors. Most of its green suddenly faded, and was replaced with tan in its wake. Some sort of black color capped it. The people continued to watch as it came closer afterward…seeming to lose a bit of speed but still running faster than the New Shinra. At last, the details began to come out. It was an abnormally skinny-seeming, black haired young man. And as he came closer, it was obvious that his mind was stretched with panic, and he was struggling as hard as he could to get to the shore.

As the New Shinra continued to move forward behind him, the man finally came into full visual view. Ragnar recognized him as Zola immediately. He had lost his armor, his sword, and his boots…but he was back in human form. Now, as fast as he could run, he reached the shore and tore up the sand as he dashed to the raft. Ragnar raised the walkie-talkie to his mouth a moment later, and yelled out the order.

"Go! Now!"

Immediately, the second tugboat's engine roared to life. The panicked captain threw it into full speed. As a result, the lines snapped taught a bit quicker and more forcefully than on the other boat. The people on board were flung a bit forward. As for Zola…he ran the few more feet that were necessary, before he ducked and leapt up onto the raft himself. Moments later, his body was smacking down flat on the logs just as the raft began to pull away from the shore.

The other soldiers began to brace themselves. Now that they were in motion, they grabbed onto whatever secure lines they could. The people on the other rafts also hunkered down. Cloud and Ragnar themselves turned and looked in between them. Zola had landed right there, and was stretched out with face flat against the wood. He was heaving considerably, obviously having run a rather long way to get here. Ragnar put down the walkie-talkie and stared at him. His face showed neither anger nor pleasure. Cloud, on his part, stared at him coldly, but said and did nothing.

After a moment longer, Zola finally managed to turn his head. He looked up to Ragnar andslowly cracked a smile as he continued to pant.

"Thank you…General…" He half-moaned.

"Don't thank me yet." Ragnar answered back immediately. "I still haven't decided what I'm going to do with you."

Zola grunted a bit, and put his arms underneath him to start pushing up. "Still…just the same…" He began.

However, he couldn't finish. He was cut off as the sound of an explosion erupted behind the rafts. Immediately, Cloud, Ragnar, and Zola all turned and looked back out to the shore. They saw a plume of smoke and fire rise from about two hundred feet from shore on the land side. Moments later, the entire line of Cromwells began to fire. Yet as they did, their bad angle coupled with their short range ruined them. The shots blasted the soil harmlessly, not even getting as far as the sandy shore. Fast as they could go, the tugboat could match their speed. It was a last desperate act to try and stop the army, and it was failing.

"Just in time." Cloud remarked aloud.

"Yeah…hopefully." Ragnar added a moment later. "There's still that whole air strike thing to worry about. But so long as they can't use any targeting lasers, I don't think-"

At that moment…another ill bit of luck suddenly befell the Planet Protector Army.

The Cromwells were hopelessly out of range and lacked the speed to close the gap. They were rushing downhill, and so all of their shots had a downward component in their angle to begin with. Furthermore, their shots didn't have the power to even travel that far. And yet…one managed to strike a rock as it rolled forward. When it did, its body was suddenly lurched upward, aiming the main gun ahead and at a vertical angle. A moment later, the wild gunner at the helm fired. Coupled with the shock of hitting the rock, or perhaps a shot made with a bit too much powder…the shell fired…and launched far further than it normally was possible of doing so.

This shot sailed through the air, racing across the sky much farther than its mates had. It lost propulsion at last when it reached the beach area…but by then it was high enough to still fall a considerable distance before detonating. Ragnar cut himself off at this point, and looked up to see that one of the shells had made it through. The others likewise looked up and watched…and saw the shellsnake through the air. It continued to plummet as it went to the edge of the raft, over it, and then past it to the water beyond. Only then did it fall at last…and on striking the water immediately detonated.

Ragnar, the others, and the soldiers all recoiled and covered their faces a moment as a shell eruption went off in front of the boat. Water was thrown everywhere, dousing the people at the front end of the raft. The explosion, fortunately, was mostly smothered by the water. Yet as Ragnar winced and put an arm in front of his face…he heard another sound. It was like some sort of wire being rippled quickly…or a piece of sheet metal vibrating. On hearing this, he slowly pulled his arm down again, and looked to the front of the raft.

His eyes widened.

"…Crap."

On hearing this, Cloud and Zola removed their arms from their own eyes and looked to see what had caused Ragnar to say this. They soon froze as well. The other soldiers began to lower their eyes and watched too…only to likewise be stricken with panic and growing fear.

The line carrying the raft had been severed…and was now sliding out of the holes of the raft and falling uselessly into the sea.

Ragnar swallowed and turned back to see where they were. They had only put about a hundred yards between them and the shore at this point…still well within range. Already, their raft was beginning to slow. The inertia carried it a bit farther, but the tugboat had still been picking up speed when the cord was snapped. Now…the two rafts on either side of the cut loose one began to rush by, leaving their mate to slow down to a float in the seawater. It wasn't long before both rafts had fully passed it by, and were being yanked off into the distance along with the second tugboat. The soldiers on the final raft were left alone.

…And the enemy was still coming.

Ragnar licked his lips nervously, and began to look around at their situation. After that, he turned back ahead and to the land. The Cromwells, on seeing that one raft was falling behind, were firing more eagerly now. At the moment, their shots were harmlessly hitting the sand. But that would change soon. The other soldiers were still rushing forward, outstripping them as they ran to the shore. They were already halfway there…in range to begin pulling out the laser targeting mechanisms. The general felt himself begin to sweat. He snapped around behind him to the nearest soldier.

"Do we have any distance weapons on board?" _As if it would matter. We can't fight off the whole army from this raft._

The officer was growing nervous by now, as was the rest of the crew. But with their general here, staying calm and sounding commanding, he held it. He shook his head dismally. "Only ammo boxes and small arms weapons."

"What about materia?"

"Only two basal level attack ones."

Ragnar frowned and looked about a bit more. There had to be something here that they could use. In the end, he turned back to the man and called out once more. "Do we have any machinery? Anything that we could cobble together to make an engine?"

The man frowned and shook his head ruefully again. "We got mostly what was left over. Tents…medical supplies…lots of food…but no vehicles."

Ragnar balled his hand into a fist and smacked against the deck. He turned his head back to the shore. The enemy was still closing. The Cromwell shots were beginning to hit water now. The New Shinra soldiers had to be in range to start targeting them, assuming they hadn't already. And here they were…sitting ducks. It infuriated the youth. After all they had gone through…all the escapes with death over the past two days…this was where it was going to end. Stuck on this raft with nowhere to go… They could counterattack their enemy with their own rifles and guns, but they couldn't kill them all. And they were sitting ducks out here for RPGs…or the air strikes.

As if to accent that…Ragnar began to hear something on the sky. It started out faint, easily confused for the sound of a breeze. However…it quickly started to sound unusual, and grew in strength slowly and steadily. It sounded more like a tunnel as time went on…or things moving through a tunnel. And it quickly went from being rather mild in volume to being incredibly loud. It sounded almost as if it was tearing through the sky. Ragnar knew that sound. It was a plane engine…and it had to be closing.

The young man sighed and bowed his head dismally. This was where it was going to end. It seemed that at the end of everything…Wyvern was going to have his way after all. Death was closing in on them from all sides now.

"Here come the Gelinkas…" He announced over the growing roar. "I guess this is it…"

"I don't think so, kid. I've been in the military…and that's not a Gelinka engine."

Ragnar raised his head at that, looking a little confused. He turned his head to the side, and saw that Cloud had spoken. However, he wasn't looking to him now. He was looking behind him, up to the sky. And he wasn't alone. Zola and the other two soldiers were looking as well. The roaring continued to get louder…and in fact soon grew to be almost deafening. The youth soon began to wince in it…as well as in the air that began to blast against his face…

_Wait a second…air?_

On realizing this, Ragnar snapped around as well as the wind quickly grew into a gale. It started to whip not only at his hair and clothing, but at everyone's who was on the raft. They had already turned and looked up into the sky themselves, along with Cloud and the soldiers. The roar _was_ deafening at this point. Cloud reached up to begin covering his ears. But as he did, he grinned at the sight he saw…which Ragnar himself saw for the first time.

A large, sleek, shining and splendid airship suddenly was upon them. It swooped out of the sky from behind them like an eagle diving for prey. And yet, the pilot on board had to have expert skill…for they halted the ship just a mere two feet above the water, leveling it out at just the right moment. Ragnar and the others were blasted by wind and roared at by powerful jet engines for a moment…before both the sound and the wind died down slightly. The roar diminished as the great cylindrical engines around the craft slowed, and the wind began to be directed more straight beneath it. Again, the pilot on board showed their skill, for the ship pitched forward ever so slightly, moving itself onto the raft. Immediately, those in the way cleared out of it as he shoved its way in, pushing aside some cargo boxes and crates as it did so along its bottom. But then, it halted once again.

A hiss of steam erupted from the massive craft which now dwarfed the raft below in its shadow. Then…the side panel of the lower hull cracked open, and the craft began to let out a huge metallic hum. A large metal panel began to fall down, being lowered on hydraulic pistons, about ten feet by twenty feet. It swiveled around the bottom, appearing to be fixed on some sort of hinge down there. It continued to lower until it made an incline against the ground, although it still hovered a foot off of the deck of the ship when it finished. Ragnar saw this, and realized that it was forming a ramp…and that now it was opening up into the interior. Not only that, but he recognized what this was too…

"The Sierra…" Ragnar echoed aloud.

Suddenly…a rather grumpy-sounding, loud voice blared over a loudspeaker from the Sierra, even stronger than the jet engines.

_"What the hell are you doing staring around like some damn retarded cow for! Get on the damn ship, you stupid sons of bitches!"_

At the sudden loud urge of the unseen owner of the voice, the soldiers suddenly snapped out of their own awe and amazement. Immediately, they sprung to their feet and began to run for the craft. Luckily, there were no injured on this raft save for Ragnar. They had mostly gotten on the tugboats or on the first raft. They quickly reached the ramp, took the first large step up to it, and then ran inside. They abandoned their crates…but there was nothing for it now. The New Shinra and their Cromwells were still firing, and they were getting closer.

Cloud turned and put an arm underneath Ragnar's shoulder to help him up…only to get a surprise. Zola was already at his side, putting his own arm underneath Ragnar's other shoulder. The young general himself turned and saw this, and reacted with some astonishment. As for Zola, he nervously looked back to Ragnar in response…before giving an innocent grin and shrugging. Ragnar held a moment, but then shook it off. This was no time to be thinking about this. Between the two men, he was easily yanked off deck and began to be carried to the open airship. As he did, he couldn't help but call aloud over the jet roar.

"I thought you said that the investors wouldn't let you!"

He didn't know how, but somehow the unseen Cid must have heard him, for he yelled back over the loudspeaker.

_"The damn investors can kiss my ass when it comes to this! Why the hell didn't you call me sooner! Just get your damn smartallecky ass up here before I come down there and kick it up!"_

Ragnar managed a grin at this. He could learn to like Cid…

The two men brought Ragnar to the edge of the ramp. Once there, they both pulled back a moment, and then practically tossed the young general inside. Luckily, there were soldiers there waiting for him. They caught him as he was tossed into the craft, and immediately dragged him back. As they did, Cloud and Zola leapt in as well. Immediately, the metal hatch began to close once again. A second later, gunfire erupted from the nearest people on shore, and a few sparks went out from the metal hull. But it was too late. The hatch was already shut enough to protect the people within, who were moving in deeper anyway. In addition, the engines fired up once more…and soon the Sierra was roaring to life and sailing back into the sky. The Cromwells rolled into position a few moments later…but it was too late. Their shells were powerless to hit the airship as it sailed into the air.

Within a few moments, the Sierra was a distant silver sliver in the sky. From up above, the New Shinra did turn into an army of ants, flooding the shore…but powerless to finish the last of their quarry now snatched from their grasp. They had to content themselves with their victory of hitting the south for right now. As for the airship in the sky, it only waited until it was well in the air and far from any danger, before pitching its engines forward and firing off again. After that, it sailed straight for Midgar…to drop off its own passengers hours before the tugboats and their rafts would arrive.

It had been a long two days…filled with battle and agony. There had been treachery…insurrection…betrayal…and death. But in the end of it…the leader of the Planet Protector Army still lived. And in the end…he had made the wise choice regarding the escapees. Most who had deserted and come back now saw that he was truly the bravest one of them all, going almost alone into the middle of battle to try and buy them the time they needed to escape. They also saw how merciful he was by forgiving them…taking them from the Northern Continent shore and back to safety. Many of these people saw this…and felt guilt and shame not only at their own desertion…but at how easily they had accepted the lies of the dark man and the officers. They realized now the foolishness of trying to escape…and just howimportant their cause truly was, and how true their leader was. Their faith began to be restored…and in days to come some of these many would reenlist in the army with renewed vigor…while others would join the non-combatant areas to further service him.

The New Shinra had managed to rout them in the end of all things…but they had failed to destroy them.

General Ragnar lived.

The Planet Protector Army lived.

The fight was far from over.

* * *

Bahamut's new speed allowed him to catch up with Wyvern in no time. As he closed on his body, he could see that the cells had already divided, growing him a new arm. However, he still looked to be in considerable pain. He swept down on him, ready to give him even more…

Yet as the esper closed, Wyvern's eyes snapped open and filled with hate. Abruptly, he swung around as Bahamut came in, striking him across the face with his tail. The power made the esper recoil in pain, his head snapping to one side. Now, he flew away from the shimmering creature. Wyvern hissed, and quickly snapped around and shot at him again. A moment later, he was on him, hooking his fist underneath and pounding Bahamut in the stomach. He felt glee in his rapidly breaking mind to see blood come out of Bahamut's mouth at that. With almost insane fervor, he uppercut him after that, knocking him up and away.

However, Bahamut didn't stay stunned long as he rocketed away from Wyvern. His new strength was enough to weather this, and his body was regenerating once again. Quickly, he righted himself. He snapped his head down next, and quickly charged a Sol-Pyrin. In the midst of space, it was easy to gather the rays of solar energy going though the vacuum, and he was charged in no time. But rather than shoot Wyvern with this, he blasted behind him with no reinforcement. The result made him shoot forward like a comet, snapping out of his first momentum and rocketing back toward Wyvern. The monster had been shooting after Bahamut to follow up with a thrust kick…but now he froze, seeing him coming back with incredible force. That wasn't all. Soon, the esper was upon him, and he seized the leg of Wyvern. He kept traveling afterward, putting his power behind it as well…

And neatly snapped Wyvern's leg backward and ripped it off of his body.

The thoughts of Wyvern filled with agony. The shimmering creature writhed in pain as Bahamut sailed past him. The esper stopped himself soon after, and threw the shimmering appendage in front of him. In no time at all, he charged another Sol-Pyrin, and proceeded to obliterate this part as well. The situation had fully reversed from their last battle.

Now…Bahamut was the one dismembering Wyvern alive.

The thing spun around in violent anger. It began to hiss and foam at the mouth again. It grunted once more…and then its lower stump became fluid-like. It proceeded to lengthen like some sort of jelly liquid, and sculpt itself into a new leg. After that, it stiffened and became hard again. A moment later, Wyvern shot at Bahamut with his own incredible speed, and he moved so fast that the esper was once again caught off guard. Before Bahamut could react, Wyvern had smashed him in the face with a double fisted hit, splitting his jaw in half again and sending him flying again into the void.

Fuming with rage, Wyvern went off after him. He shot past him soon after, and went into his path. As Bahamut went by, he swung his double fists down again over his stomach, struggling to feel ribs crack again as he smashed down on him. A blinding flash of energy from both resulted as he hit him, and Bahamut curled up as he was thrown down. Still not finished, the enraged creature shot down past him again, and once more into his path. This time, he spun around and performed a roundhouse kick, striking Bahamut with inconceivable force yet again. Once more, the esper was ripped out of his path and flung forward. Wyvern felt bones break underneath that…to his grim satisfaction. Now that he was sailing away, Wyvern faced him, spread his arms out, and opened his mouth while spreading out his palms to hit him with three Mega-Pyrons at once…

But he never received the chance. Lifeless and broken as Bahamut had seemed, the esper suddenly sprung back to life as he sailed away. His bones had already reconnected, and his power was still brimming. As Wyvern opened wide…Bahamut opened his own mouth faster and fired yet another Sol-Pyrin. This one focused more on speed than power, and was far more concentrated. Wyvern gaped in surprise…but it was too late. The Sol-Pyrin sailed right toward him…and then went down his open mouth into his throat.

Moments later, the powerful blast detonated inside Wyvern's newly made cavity. The creature spasmed wildly as an eruption of solar flame was belched from his stomach. His body was wracked terribly, and his attacks were broken as his body was flung about like a rag. After finishing throwing up fire, Wyvern doubled over and heaved. Molten chunks of his body, fried and dead, began to be vomited out. The thing gagged for a moment longer…before its gagging was cut off as Bahamut dove forward and drove his elbow deep into his throat. Although the creature couldn't breathe, this cut off the only way for the dead pieces of it to move out, and its shimmering eyes enlarged as it clutched as its neck. Bahamut reared back after hitting him, and smashed his head two different ways with his own roundhouse kicks, snapping his head forward one way, and then bringing the heel back to hook against his face. Finally…the esper reared back, focused his power, and smashed his foot forward into the dazzled Wyvern's face. He went flying once again soon after.

Bahamut brought his foot back and began to pant again. He had already burned through a good portion of the Supra-Velo…but he was holding out for now. And now, his plan was beginning to work. As he tore away pieces of Wyvern, he was regenerating just as quickly. But each time sapped away at more of the thing's power. It was losing strength steadily now, and it had reached the point where even fighting back was beginning to rob it of its energy. Not only that, but Bahamut was fighting with a purpose once again.

He was forcing him away…forcing him toward the great glowing orb straight ahead of him…

Bahamut snapped his wings out and shot after Wyvern. The radiant being continued to be wrenched in agony for a moment…but then snapped up. Hissing, it opened his mouth at the pursuing Bahamut, and exhaled another Mega-Pyron at him. The deadly attack sailed toward him for a brief moment…before he suddenly vanished. Wyvern's eyes bulged as the attack went sailing past…and a moment later Bahamut reappeared on the opposite side, still coming forward. He wondered if Bahamut was using his own mind tricks or dodging…but he never got the chance to find out. The esper smashed him in the face with his elbow a moment later, throwing him even more violently through space. Wyvern's head was pitched to one side as his jaw was broken off from his face. Bahamut stopped just long enough to vaporize this part, and then shot after him again. Wyvern had an even harder time pulling out of his strain this time, whizzing through space as he was. When he did manage to crack his eyes open and regenerate his jaw, he turned out to see Bahamut racing toward him again. Hissing in rage, foaming fragments of his throat out of his mouth, he swung his own fist at him just as he sailed into range. Yet Bahamut was too fast. He simply swung his head to the other side, letting Wyvern's force slice open his cheek again, and then gave him another iron palm…this one smashing in his skull. Wyvern's body was more wildly flung into space, now racing past the second planet from the sun. Again, Bahamut hesitated to destroy what had flown off from Wyvern, and then went after him again.

The creature blazed through space even faster than before. Yet somehow…he managed to crack his eyes open yet again, and this time summoned all of his strength to go down and flatten himself out. He stopped a second later. Bahamut continued to rush at him, ready to strike him again. However, as he was about to hit, the thing hissed and snapped his own body to one side, letting Bahamut sail harmlessly by. Crying out silently in the silence of space, Wyvern swung his fist around and buried it deep into Bahamut's side, feeling more bones break underneath it. The esper hesitated, and his own eyes widened in pain. Fuming, Wyvern seized his still extended arm and dragged him forward, so that he could drive his own fist up into Bahamut's solar plexus. That done, he yanked him back, grabbed him by both shoulders, and furiously began to smash his own head into his. Again and again he struck, cracking open Bahamut's crest, and trying to batter his brains out…

Bahamut let this continue for a while until his blood began to float from his head, but then he managed to bring both arms up and cross them in front of his own forehead. Wyvern smashed into them a second later, but was blocked. Quickly, Bahamut reached out and grabbed Wyvern's own crest, and then brought it down hard onto his knee. Again, the creature's face was smashed in. After this…Bahamut opened his own mouth wide, showing off his dangerous teeth. Utilizing his bestial heritage, he twisted around and clamped them down on Wyvern's neck. He dug them in deep…causing the thing's eyes to widen in more agony. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around next. He held for a moment…forcing his power onto him…and then suddenly ripped Wyvern's entire head from his torso, neck and all.

Wyvern's anguished face was frozen in a look of surprise as he did so. Once he had ripped it off, however, he released the sizzling, burning appendage and turned to the headless body. Opening his mouth wide and unfurling his wings, he began to summon another Giga-Pyrin. His head quivered as the deadly orb of energy generated in front of him a moment…but then it was released as a powerful beam. Wyvern's body was immediately enveloped in deadly energy, and was blasted even faster than before into space. As Bahamut focused and let Wyvern burn, he tossed the head and neck into the beam as well. It too roasted in the heat…and was soon vaporized. But he continued to push, forcing Wyvern's body farther away…and closer to the sun.

Bahamut at last cut off the energy, and then rushed forward once again. The beam took Wyvern even faster than he could move at this point. It took him longer to catch up with him. By now…he had to have burnt through at least half of his power. Regenerating himself wasn't helping. But Wyvern was getting weaker too. There was a chance that he had actually finished him with that last move… However, he continued to thunder forward to make sure, making his own blazing trail through space. He continued to watch his beam up ahead burn, and continued to see the great yellow orb of the sun get larger and larger. He began to feel the strain against his own scales, resistant as they were to great temperatures. The heat was distinctly growing. But he wasn't there yet…and he had to move farther. As he saw his beam die out up ahead, he unknowingly slipped into the orbit of the first planet from the sun…

Then, he saw up ahead. His sharp eyes enabled him to see long before he reached the location, and he realized that Wyvern had freed himself somehow. His body was weakened after that though. His wings had been nearly melted off, and the covering on his arms and legs had almost been blown away too. But he still sensed life in him. Again, the stump on his head became liquid…and a new lump began to rise from it. After a moment, it began to form the shape of Wyvern's head and neck. As his face regained its features…he saw that they were tight and infuriated…but also more strained. After regrowing his head…he actually had to look down to his body and focus a moment. He first looked to his arms…and after a moment they were regenerated. Next he looked to his legs, and they soon did the same. Finally, he looked to his back, and at last they grew back as well. It was taking more and more energy for him to do this, Bahamut began to realize…and it was still slowing down. His last attack had taken a huge bite out of Wyvern's remaining energy. Even his glow seemed to be getting dimmer…

As Bahamut sailed in, the creature grit its teeth, and raised its head to try and lash out again at him. The esper sailed right for it, and he swung his fist at him as he neared. However…Bahamut was too fast again. Wyvern's blow struck nothing as Bahamut seemed to disappear in midair. A moment later…a powerful blow struck him against the side of his head, snapping his body to the side, as Bahamut leapt into the vacuum and shot down against his face, striking him as he did so with a thrust kick.

Wyvern flew away for a moment, before regaining his composure again. Still fuming, he shot back up and sailed toward Bahamut again. However, this time, the esper was prepared. He turned his head to one side to dodge Wyvern's first blow. He swung his neck back to avoid his other arm hooking him. Wyvern growled and tried to hit him with another thrust, but he dodged past this as well, snapping his head in another direction. At last, Wyvern snapped around and brought his tail forward, trying to smack Bahamut against the face. The esper flipped back in midair in response…and brought his own spiked tail up to slam against Wyvern's chin. The creature had its head snapped up, and more teeth flew out from its mouth. As it staggered back, Bahamut had more than enough time to quickly vaporize these before he ducked in and began to beat Wyvern in the stomach for all he was worth. His fists flew like machine guns, bashing into his stomach again and again. The radiant being could only gape in surprise as it was beaten, feeling more of its insides being forced from his mouth.

Bahamut kept pounded him until he was bent over, and then proceeded to swing his fist against his face, smashing it one way and the other. He crushed in his jaw one way, and then backhanded him the other again. He did this two more times, before he reached both of his hands forward and locked knuckles. Giving a silent yell in space, he swung his fists over his head and smashed them down onto Wyvern's skull, fracturing his crest and sending pieces of it flying away. The glowing thing was totally stunned at this point, aghast at how viciously it was being beaten. But Bahamut's own savagery wasn't done yet. He reached forward and seized both limbs of the creature…and then as hard as he could thrust both feet out and smashed them into Wyvern's body. One more note of agony ripped through the esper's skull as he heard the creature's anguished thoughts…before both arms were ripped from its sockets and its body was flung again…closer and closer to the sun.

As Bahamut watched Wyvern fly away, he began to pant again. His own brow would be covered with sweat if the dryness of space and the heat of the closing sun didn't immediately vaporize it. His muscles were starting to burn again. Once more…he was unloading everything he had against Wyvern, but this time it was working. The creature was weakening. Now, he had lost so much speed and power that he could dodge him. If Bahamut could sustain the Supra-Velo a bit longer…it would all be over. The esper once more opened his mouth and exhaled his deadly breath, destroying the latest pieces of Wyvern he had knocked off of him. After that, he shot forward yet again…closer to the growing heat…and pull of gravity.

Wyvern's agonized form writhed in space. But even these were getting weaker as he sailed closer and closer to his final destination… Somehow, anguished and teeth gritting, he twisted himself up and righted himself again. This time…his glowing, deformed hulk of a body slumped over. Straining now…his glow quickly dimming as it was replaced with the glow of the nearing orb behind him…he forced his skull to pop out again. His arms very slowly wormed their way back out of their shoulders, and his crest very slowly put itself back together. Even while he was still struggling to regenerate, Bahamut was on him again. The esper had no trouble keeping up with his regeneration speed now. However…he merely stopped as he reached the range of Wyvern. He didn't press the attack. He hovered with his fists balled and watched as the neither living nor dead creature struggled to put itself back together. At last, it succeeded. But now, it was so tired…it lacked the ability to keep fighting right away. Instead, it looked up…and saw the esper glare at him.

Bahamut watched as Wyvern's eyes widened. His lip seemed to tremble, as it struggled to keep its furious appearance and grit teeth. But deep in his red, powerful eyes…he sensed something else. It was something that Wyvern had been denying…some primal negative emotion within him that had underlied his desire to constantly have more power… Until now, it had been sated. He had become so strong…so mighty…that he had almost forgotten it existed. He believed himself totally invincible…unkillable…even a god. But now…as his crest started to fuse its cracks once again…he began to realize the horrible truth, just as he had realized it when he looked into the coming onslaught of Alexander.

He wasn't the strongest after all.

Now…that emotion began to bleed forth: Fear.

Wyvern had warped his entire world around him. He had twisted history and reality to suit his own constantly maddening thoughts. He remolded everything to match his fractured sanity. He had been wrong… He had accused Bahamut of being a curse on this world. The truth was…Wyvern believed himself to be cursed. Cursed by Bahamut. He did come back…and he was always stronger. But always…his brother was there. Keeping up with him no matter how mightier he was…outstripping him despite how much strength he possessed…foiling him again and again… No matter how mighty he became…he was always there. He always kept coming back…always was there to laugh in his face…force him down…ruin his chances to prove himself the best. His victories kept being snatched from him… He couldn't kill him. He had never been able to. He had wanted to kill him for so long…prove he was the best… But like an inhuman ghost…he kept coming back. He could never finish him. He could only take him to the edge…and then lose.

This wraith…this monster… He was always stronger than him…always better than him… He had it this time. He had everything. Fate…science…intelligence…power…all of it had been on his side. All of it had picked him. And yet…this creature…this nightmare before him…it had beaten him again. He was literally tearing him apart… He had been beating him to death for hours…almost an entire day…and yet he still came back in the end…looking like he hadn't done a thing…like he had wasted all of his effort. He was a new creature…and yet he was still stronger…

He couldn't be mortal or immortal…

He had to be the devil incarnate.

_…Why…?_ The creature asked. _Why…are you still alive…? Why do you keep coming back? Why…why can't I kill you? Why can't I surpass you for good? I had everything…everything on my side…_

Bahamut glared back at him a moment longer, his face merciless and stone.

_…The same reason I kept fighting when I was going to die, Wyvern._ He answered after a moment. _The same thing you couldn't understand. You see…I couldn't stop fighting because I wanted to. I couldn't even stop when my body ran out of energy…or was broken into pieces. It was something that, for thousands of years, you still don't get._

_It's because I'm not fighting for myself. Palad…Rydia…Terra…Ragnar…all of them were counting on me. It wasn't just because they believed in me that I kept going. It was because I knew I was the only thing standing between them and death. My life was no longer mine to do with as I pleased when that happened. I had to keep going…because they needed me yet. And there are people who need me now. Perhaps my creations are doomed to die…but there will also always be people who need me to stand up for them…people who are powerless to stand up to people like you. And as long as they exist…I can never truly die, even if I wish to. _

_You think I've been selfish all these years, Wyvern. The truth of the matter is that I ceased having a life of my own the moment I stood up to face the Four Fiends. Since then…I became a greater servant than those beneath you. I serve the world, and I live and die for the people on it. Because of that…I can never stop. Not fighting you. Not fighting anyone who threatens this world or people. _

_I hoped one day you would understand this…understand why I did back at Terratopolis what I did. I hoped that one day…you would want to join my servitude. But I was a fool. I should have known that you would always be independent…the true, total independent…who feels nothing except care for himself. And I know now that you'll never understand. And as long as you don't…then I can't let you live knowing that you will not. As I said earlier, Wyvern…this ends today._

Wyvern continued to glare at Bahamut for a moment longer. His eyes were still a mixture of fear and rage, and he seemed unable to pick between which one he wanted to show the most of. He continued to slump, and his light flickered as he tried to keep on. In the end, he slowly looked behind himself. The sun was much larger now…almost large enough to encapsulate Wyvern in Bahamut's eyes, from that distance. Afterward, he turned back to the esper. His twisted, demented face continued to glare at him, ravaged by thousands of years of hate, fear, and greed.

_So that's it…_ He finally said, his tone still weary. _You figured it out… My body can continue to live so long as a part of it survives. That's why you've annihilated every piece you broke off from me. And now, you're going to force what's left of me into the sun…to burn up what even you can't destroy…_

Bahamut glared back silently. He knew that Wyvern already knew that this was the truth. The shimmering creature glared at him a bit longer. He had lost his radiant look now. His twisted, sunken face made him look like the true monster he was. There wasn't even a shell left of what Wyvern had once been. He wasn't an esper or a creature of Gaia anymore. In the end…he managed the smallest of grins.

_In that case…I have one final thing to enjoy on my way to the grave…assuming I even go there._ Wyvern responded, his voice getting that wily edge on it again, and turning vile and wicked. _I was built to live in space, Bahamut… Even without energy, I can survive. But you…you've been burning yourself out with that Supra-Velo, haven't you?_

Bahamut didn't answer and didn't change.

A chuckle sounded in his brain. _That means you're almost on your last legs…having drained any juice you have left in you out. Without it…there's no way you can survive in space. You're going to die out here…and this time, there's no one left to revive you. Not that it would matter… Without any energy reserves stored inside you, you'll still die. _

As Wyvern spoke…Bahamut noticed that his wing flaps were beginning to extend. Not only that…but they soon began to ripple rather than shimmer…seeming to be moving into the core of Wyvern's body.

_…Then I guess I'll just go out killing you, Wyvern, same as always._ Bahamut answered. _And this time…I'll really rest in peace…knowing that there's no way you can return. No magicite…no body parts left…nothing will be able to bring you back now._

Wyvern slowly managed to extend his wings to his sides. As he did…Bahamut started to sense something. His energy was beginning to increase again. And it was increasing quickly. He was drawing something into himself, and it was powering up his body once more. His glow was beginning to brighten again, and his grin started to widen.

_Oh…don't worry, Bahamut…my body will still be in plenty of pieces._ He chuckled. _You see…this is as far as I go. All I have to do now is force out the last of your power. And I think my brand new Omni-Apex is suitable for that…_ He sneered in demented glee. _Then you'll run out of juice, trying to stop it…and you'll be dead. But I'll still be around…to make my way back to Gaia once again… Meanwhile, what's left of _you_ will go into the sun instead._

Bahamut didn't react to this. His face stayed cold. But in Wyvern's mind, he merely thought he was a fool. He had him now. His plan was perfect. He was just being egotistical, that was all… He thought he could stand up to this…an attack of the dead itself. He'd find out how wrong he was. Weakened as he had become, Wyvern knew he could make this last attack stronger. Already, the power he summoned was passing his own basal power level. It was steadily increasing faster. As Bahamut stood there defiantly, he began to chuckle louder in his brain. He'd never see it coming… He might even blow him away with this shot himself. What a treat…to see him burn…

_This has to finish him…it has to! Nothing could survive it!_ The mad creature thought as his body continued to shimmer faster with its new pale light. He felt his own cells grow in heat and power…until he felt the energy he was draining begin to burn inside them. Yes…death was the strongest here. It had to be. It had been enough to turn the continents of Etteca into cinders…evaporate the oceans…turn that world into a lifeless rock… It would eliminate him…totally destroy him. There wouldn't be ashes left.

And yet, he wasn't moving.

_Giving up, fool?_ The monster sneered in its growing-more-unstable mentality. _Realizing that I'm still going to win? Realizing that all of this was for nothing? Keep standing there, imbecile! You're finished! I swear to you…I'm going to be the one to end this! ME!_

Still nothing. Wyvern felt himself beginning to quiver with the new strength. The edges of his mouth began to split. His eyelids started to separate. His body began to get pulled tight around its synthetic frame. He was dripping with energy now, filling up and more and more power as he hovered there. But still, Bahamut wouldn't move. He continued to stand there and stare, not changing in the least. The thing grinned like a devil, seeing that his power was now greater…that there was no way that Bahamut could survive. He cracked his mouth open wide, and mouthed the words to his attack that couldn't be heard in the depths of space…

_Mort-Pyrin._

The light seeped out of Wyvern, and he turned into a spectral creature of blackness as what appeared to be a beam of dark matter itself erupted from his face. The stars and the sun were blotted out as a sizzling, burning mass of black energy fire forth from Wyvern's open, taught face, and burst forward. Although it was black…soon the rest of space seemed to turn even darker around it. Some sort of energy cast off from it, bathing the pure black beam in the center in a haze of burning energy, like flames around a coal… But the center itself was darkness…and erupted forth with such speed that it appeared to immediately form a beam, and not have any beginning or end to it. And that beam immediately consumed Bahamut…who vanished into the burning darkness.

Wyvern continued to put out his power into it, blasting the beam further into space. In the void around him, he could see it continue to move…but it was already stretching for hundreds of miles…thousands of miles… Still it continued to burn. It ate away at the lining of the cavity in his mouth. His throat was vaporized. His teeth melted…and the edges around it were beginning to be destroyed. Such a horrible attack was never meant to be unleashed on anything…for there was nothing that could withstand it. But now…Wyvern's full measure of hatred and fear came out in it, desperate to see the ghost before it burn into nothing…

The thing pumped as much energy out as it could, desperate to spend the last of its force destroying him. He only had to destroy him…then it would be over. Over forever… He could come back, but he just had to kill him first…rid himself of the demon once and for all… It pushed more and more, straining itself and burning its own body away…just wanting to watch Bahamut die for good… Just having to finish him one last time…

At last, it gave out. The thing closed its mouth, and slumped over. Its power was nearly gone. Its body stayed dark, nearly black now. Only the orbs of its eyes continued to shimmer. The rest of it was totally drained. It looked ahead, and saw its black beam fade out into nothingness. The stars and light of the sun slowly began to fade in again. It was fortunate that no planet or moon had been in the path of this terrible weapon. If it had…it would have been severely damaged, and millions of lives annihilated. Fortunately, the deadly energy continue to spiral into space, leaving nothing in its wake…

Save for one thing.

The orbs grew lighter as Wyvern's eyes widened. His jaw loosened again…in total disbelief. He was right…he was a monster. He was a demon. He was a ghost… Slowly…he began to shrink back and cringe from it, cowering, overcome by his own madness…

Bahamut stood there, totally unchanged.

_It…it's…not…not possible… _The terrified being announced, trembling in fear at his still hard face. _You…you…you're a monster…_

The esper continued to stare silently.

_Get…get away from me…you demon! You devil!_ Wyvern spat in terror, beginning to wave his arm in front of him, and shield himself behind his other. It was like a child wanting monsters to go away, and he whined as pathetically as one, hiding himself as best he could beneath his own arm.

Bahamut continued to glare at Wyvern a moment longer, his look cold and harsh. But then…to Wyvern's utter surprise, he vanished into thin air. One moment he was there…and the next he totally disappeared. The terrified creature dropped its arms, and looked up to see what had happened in astonishment. Bahamut was gone… But where? How…?

Then…Wyvern sensed the power.

At once, his face froze in a look of terror. His panicked mind registered it…the sametrick he himself had done before. He thought he had been obliterating Bahamut with the Mort-Pyrin. The truth was…he hadn't been aiming anywhere near him. He had been so enraged…so stricken with panic and disbelief…that he didn't realize that his own mind had a block put in it. And using it…Bahamut had easily moved around and out of the way, leaving only an image in his wake. He had been hovering just above the attack the entire time. But that wasn't the only thing that he had concealed while he had run…

He had also concealed his own growing power.

But now, Wyvern saw it. He couldn't look away now. He couldn't move. He couldn't do anything but hover there in shock and terror. Slowly…Bahamut lowered himself down in front of him. As he did…Wyvern saw rays of light radiating from his wings, fully extended and summoning power. His own body shimmered and glowed. The replacement was now complete. Wyvern was a dark, miserable creature…while Bahamut's own iridescent scales gleamed with power and might. He now was surrounded by pure, dazzling light as the energies of the living flowed into him. Not only of those he knew…not only of the denizens of the world…but the energy of the Lifestream itself flowed into him. His mouth was open, and the point on his mouth held back a great shimmering ball of gathering power. As he slowly let himself rest in front of Wyvern…the dark creature was overshadowed by the dazzling light. It was so intense that Wyvern could almost hear it…even though there was nothing around to make noise for it… His power not only transcended his by far now…but it surpassed his own Mort-Pyrin.

The dismal creature stared on at Bahamut…totally beaten. Its face was twisted away from evil now. It merely stared pathetically…sadly out at the death staring it in the face… There would be no coming back this time. No second chances. This was it…

For the briefest moment, sounding like the brother he once knew thousands of years ago, Wyvern meekly moaned in the esper's mind.

_Big B…__I…I don't want to die…_

Without the slightest hesitation or pity, Bahamut opened his mouth.

_Terra-Pyrin._

Wyvern's scream was swallowed up in the silence of space as his black body was speared on the dazzling white from Bahamut's mouth. The massive beam enveloped him and ripped him out of the sky, and soon hurtled him deeper through space…toward the great red orb just ahead. What was left of his body that wasn't fried began to vaporize immediately, the colossal white spear in his chest eating away even as it threw him deeper into space. The energy spread out, becoming a dazzling beam that seemed to dim the sun itself. Even Bahamut had to close his eyes to keep from being blinded by it. As for the great beam, it totally enveloped the creature, bathing him in its radiance and turning him white again as it bore him away.

The creature's last thoughts were of incredible agony as the energy broke off one piece of it after another. Each piece that came off of it was instantly obliterated. Each cell held as long as it could before bursting into white flame and disappearing. Wyvern's face melted and distorted, becoming a twisted blob version of what he had been. His body began to flatten and fragment, spreading more ashes in its wake that were too obliterated. And still…it was pushed closer and closer to the sun. The heat began to rain down on it, joining the heat of the Terra-Pyrin. It only grew hotter as he went closer and closer. The white beam finally began to die as Wyvern fell into the gravity of the sun itself. Then…yellow, burning light began to envelop him instead. The ooze that was left of his body boiled and began to snap and pop off. The fluid in his cells vaporized and lysed everything left in him. Still he fell…no longer able to stop himself…until he found himself being forced into one of the great flames of the sun itself…

Bahamut cut off the power at that, and clamped his mouth shut. He opened his eyes again, and glared out coldly at the sun before him. He had the strength to look into it now…and he watched the last of his Terra-Pyrin disappate. At the same time, he sensed ahead. Somehow, in spite of the enormous amount of energy pouring off of the star in front of him, he managed to scan for Wyvern. He caught the briefest trace of him for a moment…before that burned up as well. After that, he sensed nothing. The sun, oblivious to its victim, continued to rage and burn as it had for billions of years.

The esper stared at the great red orb for a moment longer, his look harsh and unmerciful. His pity had long been choked up by that thing. He hovered there frozen, continuing to look into the flames of the star, as if he could still see what was left of Wyvern vaporizing inside of it.

In the end…he slowly shook his head at it.

And in spite of everything else…he caught himself sending this mental message into the flaming orb in front of him.

_…Goodbye, brother.

* * *

_

To be continued...


	61. Epilogue: A New Day is Dawning

Bahamut stared a moment longer at the burning star. As he did, he felt the last bits of his Supra-Velo begin to fade out. His arms and legs were beginning to ache again…not just from being sore but from oxygen deprivation. He had been able to tolerate a month in space…but not fighting as hard as he had been doing. He had nearly spent the last of his air. He began to feel weak and feeble again. His hands started to loosen, no longer able to hold them in fists. His wings began to drift. His eyelids began to lower… In the end, he realized that Wyvern had been right. He may not have been busted up now…but he was out of energy. He guessed he had anywhere from an hour to five minutes of air left. After that, he would black out again…and he would be dead. He had nothing left. He couldn't send himself back to Gaia now…

Finishing Wyvern would once again cost him his life.

This time…it looked like he would be gone forever too.

The esper bowed his head. He had known this the whole time. He had never intended to survive his fight. This had been a kamikaze mission. Again…he had managed to save lives by stopping Wyvern at the expense of his own. History was repeating itself…and this time it would be the last time. He could no longer make magicite. Even if he could, it would be sucked into the same hell that Wyvern had fallen into soon enough. Death would finally take him…and with him the last of the espers would be gone for good.

He felt he should be ready to accept this. After all…not long ago, he had been ready to die. He had nothing left, after all. He lost Shinza now along with Terra, his race, and everything else he ever had. And this might have been his destiny…to go out making sure that Wyvern was gone too. He should have been used to sacrificing now. He had lived long enough…

And yet…he couldn't feel that way now.

As he began to hover in the void, unable to move himself anymore, he thought back to his student. He was the one thing he had left. And truth be told…he had felt some affection for him. True, Bahamut had trained various people through the ages…but he felt an unusual connection with this one. Perhaps it was because he was the first boy he had run into since Terra…since he had learned to value more simple things and regular life. There was one way that mortals sought to continue their legacies. That was through their children and pupils…passing on what they learned to them. And Bahamut knew he had a truly concerned young man with Ragnar. He had one who was molded after his own heart in days long ago. He loved the Planet…and he loved the espers. He loved the ancient world the way it had once been…and was one of the few who would still respect what had passed when all else had faded. And he had enjoyed spending time with him…helping him on his way…seeing him improve from what he had been and go about his great mission…

He wished…he could have seen him finish it.

Bahamut closed his eyes at that, and prepared to sink into his final sleep. It wouldn't be painful, he didn't think. He would just pass out, and that would be the end of it. Now, for his final minutes of life…he was alone in this dark, silent void. How typical… That was what he was now, after all. Alone… Or at least…he would have been without Ragnar. It didn't matter anymore… It was all gone and over. Hefigured he should bea bit glad, that drifting into the sun would be how he would go. He saw what he was now…how destructive he was. He had never fathomed that he would have had that kind of power. Even if he lived…his existence would be a threat to worlds and to Gaia, just as Wyvern had been. If he did go back…he wouldn't even want to live like this. He would have preferred that his ZERO form ceased to be in the end…even if that meant that he would be nothing too.

He only had one thing left to do now…give Shinza and her race the pity and mourning they deserved. There wasn't any other Ettecan left to do it. And in the end…it had been her hint that had allowed him to finish Wyvern. In a way…she had been the one who slayed the monster, kept him from destroying anything else. He wanted to think of her before he went… Perhaps, after his spirit energy returned to the Lifestream, his soul would meet up with hers in the next place…along with Terra…

Bahamut began to think of Shinza soon after, trying to remember her and serve out a silent memorial in his mind…

However…he didn't get far.

The esper's face twisted into confusion. Something wasn't right here. He remembered something…but he shouldn't have. He suddenly recalled a conversation between himself and Shinza. But even as he recalled it, he grew puzzled and shook his head. That…had never happened. He was sure of it. And yet now…he was remembering it. Was it a dream? Was it his precognition? What was it? He didn't know…but suddenly it popped into his memory. It was impossible…but it came none the less.

Confused…Bahamut tried to think back to it, and remember what the memory was about.

* * *

Bahamut floated in the suspension tank with the breath mask on his mouth. Below him, he had hoses and tubes connected all over his body. But these were more technical…more advanced. This wasn't how it had been months ago, when he had been stuck on board Shinza's research vessel. Now, they were rebuilding him, just as they rebuilt his arm. He was coming back as something new. Behind him, a considerably large device was wired up to his brain. They were replacing it now…switching out the neurons one by one, and letting them replace themselves. He had never felt easy about this. What if he lost his memory? What if he changed? The thought made his non-functional stomach turn. He was more than eager to get the brain test ready and done with. He looked up and out of the tank…

Shinza was standing there. Her glasses were on and she was in her lab coat and dress. However…Bahamut didn't see her though his mind's eye or through infrared, like he should have in the visor. Somehow, he saw her as clear as day. It was as if his eyes had already been rebuilt…although they would take months to complete at this point in time. Bahamut said nothing in response to this, however. He didn't even feel confusion. He just focused on Shinza as she smiled, and listened to her as she spoke. He didn't need to read her mind either. He could hear her clearly…

"Hi, Bahamut." She greeted pleasantly. "Remember this day?" She chuckled a bit after saying that. "Of course you don't. That's because this is a false memory. It never happened. Somehow, I think you'll manage to guess that on your own. You see, in order to help victims with brain damage and memory loss on our world, we actually have the technology to implant false memories inside them, and then set off things to trigger them. Some stimulus that is unknown to them at the time. It's a really safeguarded technology. However, we've been doing it for a while on you. We had to, in order that your new brain would know how to work its new body once it was complete. Those are just aptitudes and talents…wisdom, if you will. However, this is a bit of knowledge that you're about to hear…

"I had Dr. Maester insert this memory into your mind. I did it to tell you something that's important…important right now for you to know. If you remember this, it's because the stimulus that I feared would arrive has happened." Shinza hesitated here for a moment, and bowed her head uneasily. She gave a wince and a shrug. "I kind of hope you never see this…because I set it to go off in two different events. One is that something arose that could beat you. I don't think a thing in the universe can do it…but if it did then I'm rather scared at what kind of monster that would be. The other, far more likely, event…is that you grew displeased with your ZERO body, and you wished that you didn't have it. In other words…you might be considering suicide again when you think of this memory. I truly wish you wouldn't, Bahamut. You're a great and noble creature. You're kind…understanding…and gentle. More so than you realize. The universe needs more people like you, regardless of who they are. Everyone would benefit to know someone like you." Shinza held a moment, and then bowed her head a bit more and murmured. "I know I have…"

Bahamut said nothing and didn't react. He only continued to stare at Shinza, and waited as she stayed low and paused. In the end, however, she raised her head again, took in a deep breath, and continued in a more normal voice.

"…Your ZERO body has a special ability built into it. Dr. Maester meant this as an emergency measure. It's by no coincidence that we gave you the ability to turn back into your initial and Neo forms. It's a special measure. If you're about to be beaten…you have one final option. You can use this ability to convert your own ZERO body back into your Neo body. The armor…scales…extra wings…all of them will be consumed and processed into energy in order to power up your Neo body. Likewise, from this point…your Neo body can be consumed to return you to your original form. In effect…you have two 'extra lives'.

"If you're not about to be beaten and you're considering suicide…" Shinza hesitated here. She inhaled deeply, and bowed her head again. "…Then you know how to do this too. It would be far more easier to destroy yourself in one of those weaker forms…" She paused again, and then looked up uneasily.

"But Bahamut…I pray that you won't do it. I know you think that for years I only wanted you to live to further my career…" She paused again, and winced as she did. "…But the truth is, you're my only friend. You're the only one who I've ever been able to really talk to. I've felt like my life has so much more meaning since I met you. I'm glad I met you. Before you…I didn't feel like I was accomplishing anything in my life. Even with my research and position…I still felt like I was just drifting through life. It was you who began to teach me the value of living and interacting with others. You've meant a lot to our world…but you've meant our world to me. I hope…if nothing else…you see this memory one day so you will know that."

Shinza hesitated again, and then looked up, and forced herself to give a smile. "Good luck, Bahamut…in whatever you do."

* * *

Bahamut was frozen. Seeing Shinza in that way…it was like she was there again. He could remember her saying those things…being in front of him… Even though he knew it wasn't real, he could hear her and see her just the same in his mind's eye. She had said such things about him…such flattering great things about him… A man who thought he had nothing left in his life…and she had showed him just how much he still meant.

The esper thought that he was done. He thought he was just clinging on as something that should have died…but hadn't. But now…in the wake of what he had said to Wyvern…in the light of this memory of Shinza…he thought anew. Until now…he had begun to think of life as a curse…something without meaning that he couldn't get away from. But…what if it wasn't? What if it had all been as Wyvern said? If he had lived until now to have a purpose? That he was supposed to be here, even when the rest of his race died? True…he had many losses…but he kept receiving more in their stead. All he ran into eventually died…but now he began to wonder if they didn't truly live. Shinza hadn't been upset that she was dying. She had spent her last breath telling Bahamut how to survive. And now…he knew that she hadn't truly lived until she had met him. Even when he thought he was finished and washed up…he continued to inspire…

He wasn't done. Long as his life had been…he realized that there was still more. Maybe not in himself…as Wyvern had tried to find…but in others. In all of the lives he touched, there was a little more joy he could bring…another mark on the world for a new peaceful generation. Things did fade. Nations crumbled. Lives ended. But that was only half of history. As many ends as there had been throughout time...there was always at least one more beginning.Life was constantly being renewed and reborn every day. Each new person who arose bore a new potential hope for the world. And in time…that hope would grow and mature, and it would bear fruit…scattering the seeds of a new peaceful generation across it. Perhaps all things had to end…but for every end there was always a new start. There was always something fresh and new and alive…

And as he realized this…he realized there was always a place for him.

Palads…Light Warriors…Terras…Shinzas…Ragnars… There were people like that filling the world and filling time. Great, noble people with boundless potentials and pure hearts. People who were living in darkness and doubt and fear… People that Bahamut knew he could help. People that he could show their true calling and destiny…and elevate them beyond the gloom that surrounded them. And as he nourished each of these lives and helped them to grow, the world blossomed around him and the face of Gaia was renewed. And if it should wither and die…another seed would show up…a new person to be shown the way to the glorious future they could carve for themselves…if only they could realize what they were capable of…

Bahamut saw this…and saw history itself. No longer was it a chain of death and wars to him. It had potential. It had life. It was a story of the world being saved from the brink again and again by those who cherished goodwill and peace. Just as he had served the Planet…so too did they…ready to make the world safe again…ready to wash away the blood of war and grime of destruction…ready to usher in another glorious age for their children and their children's children… And Bahamut himself…he began to realize that he had a hand in this…and managed to see it happen again and again throughout his time…knowing what he had done to bring it about.

The esper knew what he wanted now. He wanted to return to Gaia. He wanted to take up his place as watchman again on the human race. He wanted to see new generations of Light Warriors arise. He wanted to watch his pupil grow in power and intelligence. He wanted to see the life that he would make for himself, and the world he would change.

For the first time in centuries…Bahamut wanted to live.

_Thank you, Shinza… In the end, you taught me some things too._

The esper snapped out of his thoughts. At once, he was back in space. The sun hovered in front of him, and he was surrounded by the void and heat. He had to get out of here. He had to get back to Gaia. Just as the new memory had appeared, he soon realized that the new ability appeared as well. Suddenly, it became clear in his mind as day.

Then, he realized he had a problem. If he turned back into Neo Bahamut here, he would be at full energy. But then what? He could generate a shield around himself to protect him from the crushing effects of space…but that would last only about two days. In his Neo body, it would take longer than that to return to Gaia. Besides…he was nearly out of air. He had only minutes left… It could give out at any time. The esper began to panic. What could he do? How was he supposed to get back?

In the end…he could think of only one thing.

Quickly, he spread out his wings, and began to search out for spiritual energy again.

The strongest force in the battle that had been unleashed was his Terra-Pyrin. It had gone the fastest and possessed the most thrust. It shot out like a beam of light rather than a streaking flare. If he could power it up once more…just gain enough energy to shoot once again…he might be able to push himself back to Gaia. He had no idea how close he could get…but hopefully it would be enough that if he converted into his Neo form right after…he could still get back to the world before he suffocated. It was a long shot…but it was all he had. He didn't have enough power to fly himself. He could only do this with a Terra-Pyrin, for it absorbed energy external to himself. And so…he continued to gather.

Bahamut tried not to lose it as he worked quickly. Soon, his wings began to gather in the spiritual power. Luckily, a lot of it was still swimming around from the first attack. The radiant glow soon began to form around him again, and the rays of light began to be conducted into him. Unfortunately…he couldn't go as strong as before. If he did, he would never be able to hold it. And he couldn't put his own power into it. Even now, he felt his body beginning to buckle and strain. Sweat began to break from his brow, and he felt himself grunting as the orb began to form in his mouth. But still, he gathered more. He really couldn't afford to strain his body any more…but he needed more power. This had to be far stronger than a Giga-Pyrin to work, and so he kept charging. His throat tightened. He winced as he tried to keep hold of it. He began to let some of it slip out…but still he pushed more in. He just had to outstrip the loss for now. He had to get more…as much as his weak body could still hold…

At last, that was it. He was at his peak. The sphere in his mouth wasn't nearly as dazzling as it had been with Wyvern…but he could do no more. Any more and he would lose as much as he got. In fact…he already felt it slipping away. It was time. Quickly, he folded his wings in and against him. Grunting to hold himself, he put his legs together and his arms at his sides, and let himself lean backward. He had to turn his body into a living missile…make it as least resistant as possible. He could sense the life coming from Gaia behind him. It shone out more distinctly than any other world in the solar system. Lowering his head, he aimed it at the sun, and put it at such a trajectory that it would shove him straight back to it. He only hoped something didn't get in the way. The force of this blast would tear his ZERO body apart…but running into something would most certainly kill his weakened body.

_Palad…Leviathan…Terra…Shinza…everyone… I'm really going to need your help on this one._

At that, Bahamut opened his mouth and fired.

The esper felt his vertebrae stretch and crack a second later. The force was so great it ripped his wings off of his body, and he actually felt his horns begin to bend and his scales start to get stripped from his flesh. It didn't matter. It flung him into more agony…and now he lacked the energy to regenerate…but he knew he could make up for it in the end. He only cared that his body was now hurtling backward through space, back to home… He let the pain happen. He let his own mouth begin to melt, his beak deform, and his crest begin to liquefy. He was heading back…and he kept focusing his energy as he flew…forcing himself to push on and on.

Space around him became a swirling oblivion. The stars streaked by likea meteor shower. His brain almost felt like it was being compressed as light streaked by too quickly for his neurons to pick up. He saw only darkness…and heard and felt nothing but his own pain. Once more, he was a sole being in the universe, alone and with his thoughts as he raced on. He could barely even think…couldn't sense any energy as he flew. He merely closed his eyes, and hoped and prayed that it would be enough…

The force began to die down, but Bahamut kept traveling. In the frictionless void of space, he was able to dash much further on much less energy. Even as the Terra-Pyrin faded, he had enough thrust to keep moving. And so he did…continuing to whiz through space. As the velocity kept slowing, he felt his bones begin to slide together again. The force on his scales lessened. His brain began to expand and relax once more, and the nubs where his wings had been began to come back. He began to feel more agony and pain…more injuries…weary limbs…and death around him.

It was time.

Immediately, he sent the command to his mind.

Light enveloped Bahamut. It wasn't normal. It seemed to be a pale green…rather like Bahamut's own scales were in this new form. What more, the light came through oddly. If filled in the cracks on his flesh, and began to stream outas if thebright light shone from within. It spread throughout his body quickly, covering him, and illuminating him through fractures all over him. In between every injury…every scale…every opening on him the light shone out, casting is pale green glow around him. It was as if his scales were nothing more than an armored shell…concealing some great power within it. As this happened…his scales began to darken. They lost their iridescence, and became dull and hard. They stiffened and seemed to dry up behind the light. They shriveled next, peeling away from the cracks of light that surrounded them…

Then…something happened. Bahamut's back suddenly split…right from the back of the head down to the lower body. If there had been noise, a sort of wet cracking sound would have resulted. Shortly after cracking, however…the pale green light died. It faded back into the flesh of Bahamut ZERO. However, the scales stayed withered and dry….useless and dead. Abruptly…another wet snapping sound came out as the back of the creature bulged…and out snapped two bright red lines of fleshy material. On exiting, they immediately lengthened into long, firm rods…and seemed to harden as they did so. After they had…they began to unfurl, stretching out some thin red material away from them and out from them, fanning out as it did so. The bulge continued to grow out of the crack, revealing that it was red like the material as well.

At last, they fully extended…and became airfoils. After that happened, the dried Bahamut ZERO lurched. A moment later, with more wet snapping sounds, a red scaledback rose from the scales. It yanked away from the old body, revealing yellow scales as well on the opposite side. With a ripping noise, two red forelimbs suddenly yanked from the dried body and came out, grasping the sides of the "husk". A second later, they pushed up…and yanked out a long neck with a red, draconic face with one long horn…the face of Neo Bahamut. The creature continued after this, pulling itself out. It was like a cicada molting into a new body.

Soon after exiting…a ring of light enveloped this red creature. Before it had fully pulled out, the ring swung around him, and began to spiral. It picked up speed as it did so, starting only as a ring, but eventually turning at a blinding pace and forming a series of ripples in a sphere shape. It kept turning after that…and finally became solid. A barrier of energy now enveloped the creature, protecting it from the crushing vacuum of space by creating pressure equal to Gaia around it.

Neo Bahamut quickly ripped his body out the rest of the way, and discarded his husk of a body. As he did, he suddenly felt air seem to rush into his lungs. That made sense. In his ZERO form, the air was stored in his tissues. But now, all that was left was pumped back into his lungs once more. It was more than standard, and soon the esper had to buckle down in order to contain it as it rushed to fill his lungs to tidal capacity, actually pushing down on his diaphragm. But in the end, he did hold it. The esper had no idea how long he could go on a gulp of air in this body…but he feared that it wasn't much. This form was built for power, not efficiency. This was his last breath…and it would be his final one if he didn't get back. But now, his body had been restored. His Neo form was at full power, without a scratch on it. It was nothing to hold the barrier in place that now surrounded him. With that in mind, the esper looked up to see how far he was.

His newly red scales began to turn pink.

He was only to the second planet.

Gaia was still a tiny blue ball far in the distance.

The esper forced himself not to panic. It would only use up his remaining air. But this was horrible… He hoped to be at least to Gaia's moon. His Neo form was strong…but it wasn't that strong. There was no way he could fly back with just this… His body wasn't powerful enough, and he hadn't the energy. He didn't have the air to live that long either. The creature cursed mentally. He had just decided to change his life…he wanted to live…he wanted to see his pupil continue…and yet Gaia was still out of his reach. He was stopped here…so close and yet so far… If only he had the power of his ZERO form…just for a few more moments… Using it, he could have flown to Gaia in five minutes…

On thinking that, however…an idea suddenly occurred to the esper.

He _could_ get the power of his ZERO form…at least, a fraction of it. The fraction he normally used for space travel. He was Neo Bahamut again. He could perform the Sol-Velo. The result would pump him up with so much power that his muscles would threaten to rip his skin…and he would consume his remaining air much faster than normal…but he would also be able to fly to Gaia much faster than before. Of course…he could just rush his own demise… He wasn't even sure how long he could live on one breath of air in his normal body… At that level of power, how long could he possibly last?

He didn't know…but he didn't have time to find out.

Immediately, he performed the Sol-Velo…and even as it launched he took off at full speed for Gaia.

Bahamut grit his teeth as he felt his muscles bulge. His organs began to work faster again, and suddenly he felt sharper, stronger, and more agile than before. It was nothing compared to the feeling of his ZERO form…but it was rather mighty. His body quickly picked up speed, and soon he was racing across space like a beam of light. He looked up and focused himself on Gaia…and did not look away again. He began to calm himself down…try to limit his need for air…and stay focused just on his goal.

The blue planet slowly began to grow closer…far too slowly for Bahamut's wants. His body began to throb soon after. He ignored it, but kept pushing. It only got worse though. He struggled to keep himself moving forward, and it was beginning to cause an energy strain. He had to channel power over his own airfoils to keep them moving. He also kept feeling his muscles bulge…stretching his skin…crushing in on his bones… Yet still he held. The seconds ticked by as he tried to calm himself, feeling his pain slowly growing as he continued to strain himself… He had to get back there… He had to go home.

As he closed in to the halfway point…it finally hit. His lungs were starting to burn. Sensing this, he grit his teeth harder…and pushed himself even more. He felt his heart rush faster…and he managed to put on more speed. His muscles bulged again…and he felt some of his scales beginning to rip. Parts of his bones seemed to be pinched again. He felt his eyes pushed forward, and the gums of his own teeth felt like they were beingshoved out of his skull. But that was the price he paid to go even faster… It worked somewhat…forcing him onward the precious distance closer…

Bahamut's lungs continued to hurt. They were growing worse…beginning to want air. Bahamut forced himself to hold in, and hoped that he could hold a bit longer. He was beginning to feel pain throughout him. Fast as he was going, coupled with air loss…he felt his body starting to hurt. It was getting more and more painful to keep pushing… But still, he forced himself on. He felt the strain continue against his flesh and bones. He felt like they were going to break again. As he kept shooting onward…the lack of air began to affect him. As he devoted more and more of his remaining strength just to keep going…he started to take away from the energy around him. He stopped focusing on keeping his shield up…and the pressure began to come back in on him.

The esper's body began to spasm. His diaphragm tried to spontaneously breathe…and received nothing for its efforts. It made him gag…and he nearly arched up. He was starving for air now. His body was beginning to burn. His muscles were hurting. His face was turning even redder as he failed to receive what his body desperately needed. He started to break down…letting the barrier fall even more. He began to feel pressure pushing back against him as his body pushed out. He felt his skin begin to rip. Blood began to ooze out of fractures in his scales. His eyes…being crushed on both sides…began to slowly cry tears of blood. His teeth gnashed as they too spat out the crimson fluid. He felt himself start to slow down…as he finally passed by the moon's orbit. It was getting to be hell. He had to struggle to keep his body from thrashing about wildly. He began to think of air…and that was all he could think about. Gaia swirled in front of him. His thoughts of everyone else faded. He thought only of air…needing air… He tried turning his rage and anger to the world…toward flying to it…forcing himself on… He tried draining solar energy again…using it to push him on more and more… But his body was seizing. Lactic acid was filling his muscle fibers… His face turned from red to blue. He had to breathe…he had to breathe now…

Bahamut continued to slow down steadily, gritting his teeth and writhing. But he kept pushing. His head was swimming. His thoughts were growing hazy. Dizziness was beginning to come over him… Yet still he pushed. He had to keep going…a bit more…a bit closer… He had to get back… He was so close…almost home…almost back to mother…to his pupil…to everything…

_Must push…must push…_

Finally, it happened. Bahamut lost the ability to keep the barrier up. It dropped around him, and crushing pressure closed in on all sides…beginning to squish his blood and guts out through his cracks and orifices…

Before Bahamut suddenly felt his body bathed in heat. A tremendous force slammed into him, and it felt almost like hitting a brick wall at full speed. He was nearly dazzled as he smashed into it, but somehow he forced himself on further, and went into it. As it did, his body was enveloped in fire. Horrible melting heat surrounded him, and his bulging eyes, about to burst from his skull…began to burn in the heat that surrounded him… Yet though it all…he knew he hadn't hit a force. He had felt the result of moving out of a vacuum into a cloud of gas…

He had entered the atmosphere.

Blood oozing everywhere, Bahamut opened his mouth and struggled to gasp. It was a horrible sound. Edema immediately seized his lungs, and blood was vomited out everywhere. He received nothing for his efforts. The atmosphere was almost completely hydrogen up here. However…he somehow continued to blindly charge forward. He had lost most of his speed by now, between smashing and having his body finally give out. But he was back into the gravitational pull. And now…he was plumitting down again…and picking up speed as he did so.

Bahamut writhed and gagged for a moment, struggling to get in anything. The lack of pressure ravaged his body, making him spill blood everywhere, crushing his muscles against his bones…squeezing his brains into jelly. The heat continued to envelop him as he fell down. For a few minutes of hell, he blindly writhed forward, spiraling through this airless, pressurized hell, burning alive…

But then, as he struggled to gag…he began to feel a little something enter his lungs. It wasn't much…but he received it. It was barely enough, and he felt like he was being smothered, but it did make him stop writhing. And as he continued to fall…more of it began to come. His eyes were mercifully released…and he felt them begin to sink back into his skull. His body began to shrink again. As it did, he dropped the Sol-Velo. He had no power for it left anyway. His muscles immediately shrank…and his bones felt relief. His body was still strong. Although he was in an area of pressure that could kill a human…he could withstand it now. His body slowly began to limp again…relaxing as more true oxygen began to enter his body. It was drained of most of its power after that last event…but it still had some left. And now, it began to focus on the most critical part…healing Bahamut's lungs to enable him to breathe the area he was entering…

Bahamut gasped and tried to breathe more through the heat. As he did…he began to feel the wind against his skin. But it wasn't really the wind…it was him plummitting downward headfirst. It was the rapidly thickening atmosphere sailing by him. Slowly…the heat began to die, and the air grew cold. His blood began to thicken and stay on his body, hardening as it did so. He continued to fall…and began to enter into the area of the world where birds could live. Next…he passed into where some mammals could survive as well… More precious air filled his lungs, which rapidly began to clearblood and reconstruct. His regeneration wasn't nearly the way it was for his ZERO form…but it was still strong in this body. His brain was released as well, and as air began to reach it again…his thoughts began to clear once more.

Weakly…Bahamut opened his eyes. Now, coldness struck them. They were damaged from space…but he could still see. He was passing through whiteness now…a great mass of whiteness surrounding him. Down and down he sank, passing through this world of white streaks for a few fateful moments… But then, the whiteness disappeared…and below him the world opened up wide and spacious.

The world…

His world.

He was back on Gaia.

Somehow, the esper managed to make a weak smile. He was back. He had returned to his world…made it out of the hell of space…made it back from the fight with Wyvern… Air was filling his lungs again… He felt the warm sunshine beating down on him again. It wasn't blistering hot or teaming with raw power…it was just the pleasant sun, warm and wonderful. And the world…the wonderful, wonderful world of Gaia…stretching beneath for him to see and enjoy…just like back when he first arrived. The ocean stretched out everywhere…shimmering and swirling eternally…

Yet now, as Bahamut's brain began to recover…he began to realize he wasn't quite out of the woods yet. He was free falling to Gaia at a pretty high speed…high enough to damage him rather badly in his weakened body. He had already passed the clouds. Now…the water was coming up fast, and from his height it might as well have been steel… He realized he had to do something. But he was so drained…so sore…so weak…

Still, somehow, the esper grit his teeth. Broken and falling as he was…he forced himself slowly to turn upright. The greater surface area hitting the wind slowed him down somewhat, but he was still closing and closing fast. He was only a mile from the water now. Bahamut grunted and groaned. He drew more energy from the sun…struggling to summon enough of it… He took in one more deep breath, feeding his starved muscles oxygen… He fell to a thousand meters… Very slowly, he closed his eyes and put power into his airfoils. Five hundred meters… Giving one last grunt…the first sound he had uttered in hours for anyone to hear…he cried out and forced his airfoils to unfurl… At a hundred meters…they finally began to weakly open, and he forced them to go to work…

A mere ten meters from the water…the air beneath Bahamut's wings caught them…and he was snapped violently backward as he went down the rest of the way. It was so powerful it nearly ripped his airfoils…but it cut his free fall speed to a fraction of its velocity. An instant later…his body crashed into the ocean, sending up foam and water everywhere.

After a few seconds, Neo Bahamut spun himself around, thrashing in the water like a dying insect. He cast up water around him crazily, struggling to put his head above water and keep breathing.Finally, hesnapped his body back, putting himself into a supine position.Once there, he stopped thrashing. His limbs fell loosely into the water, and rested there. He rocked roughly for a few moments…before the water around him began to calm down. He gaped and gasped as his mouth sat out of the water, gulping in more air. He didn't move anything else. Slowly…he began to float there, motionless and in the middle of the ocean.

The esper gasped for what seemed like forever. Ten minutes…thirty minutes…an hour…two hours… Days, perhaps? He didn't know, but he never remembered the sun setting. It felt like forever though…floating in this endless ocean and struggling to breathe. But he did finally calm…and he did finally relax again.

When he finally felt like he had enough air in his lungs…he smiled and let out a loud, long laugh.

He was alive…and it was over.

His bones had nearly been broken. His muscles were strained. His body was covered with lacerations. However…all of these things would heal. His lungs would take the longest, and his eyes would take quite some time too. It could be months before he was in good enough shape to be at full capacity again. But in the end, he would heal. He wouldn't be crippled or disabled. He would have full use of his Neo body. For once…his fight with Wyvern had not cost him his life or his confidence. He would be back to full health…and he would be back on Gaia.

It was finally done. It had started thousands of years ago with Wyvern walking in on his assembly…but now it was over. The nightmares…the fears…the pain…it was all gone. He actually held for a moment…unable to believe it for certain. After all, a cell could have survived…and that would be all he needed. He stretched out his mind to make sure…and found that it was true in the end. He could sense a massive power passing into the Lifestream…and he knew the signature. At long last, Wyvern was returning there, both his spirit and his soul. No magicite this time…not even a fragment of him. And his soul had moved on again. There was no way for him to come back.

Wyvern was finally gone…forever.

It had taken lifetimes… Bahamut's life had been through so much that he could barely remember what it had been before… The life he once had was but a distant memory… It had been one agonizing struggle after another…but they were at an end. In the end…he was the final victor. He was the true final esper now…

Bahamut supposed he should have been sad. In the end…he had to kill him. There was no other way. He had become too warped and mad. But before that happened…he had been his best friend. He had been his true brother. It was almost impossible to imagine those days back in Ultima Nexus…but at that point in time, he and Wyvern had been inseperable. It was incredible…ridiculous to imagine…that what he had with him had been what they had turned into. No one could have expected it or known that day they woke up, innocent children in the same nest. This was how it had ended…with him totally oblitering him as he forced him into the heat of the nearest star…

And yet…despite all of that, Bahamut didn't feel sad. He felt joyful…liberated…alive. Long ago, he had already mourned the loss of his best friend. What he had been fighting since then was a demented monster…and now the monster was gone. The thing had been the last shadow in his past…the last nightmare that haunted him…the last part of his history that had lingered on. And now…he felt free. Free and alive to carve out a new life for himself… Free to live without the dread and terror of his eternal foe… Free to drink in the sun and the rain and rejoice in being alive… The time of darkness was at an end, and the last of the dark parts of esper history was put behind them. At last…he would be truly at peace in this new world…in his new life to come…

Knowing this, Bahamut closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, and then fell asleep, floating on the ocean.

It would be his first dream without nightmares in a long time.

* * *

A green, glowing grid displayed a technical readout of land areas. Based on the shading and general formation, anyone that had ever looked at a globe would have been able to see that this was part of the Northern Continent and part of the Eastern Continent…in particular the areas of Midgar and Shell Village on both. However, this was a technical readout, and as such it was obvious that it was being displayed for some higher purpose. From the green and black color, it seemed that it was for some sort of military reconnaissance. And in fact, it was.

This readout was being displayed against a wall in the main office of the New Shinra HQ Dome, right above the main desk. A special screen had been deployed there. It was a good spot for briefing, after all. And the army had many needs to actually illustrate some of their movements with examples. As such, it was a typical piece of equipment that General Leers desired. The computer program was continuously updated with the real time data, so that he could always see what was taking place with his army from his own terminal. However, he had brought this map up to help illustrate the situation for the newest members of their force…the four individuals that happened to be seated at the table at the moment.

Leers himself had swiveled around in his chair and had his back to them. He wasn't worried about these guys, however. He knew they had proven more than loyal to their employers in the past…unlike that Nrevyw person. True, he had delivered on much of what he promised. But now, no one knew what had happened to him. It was like he had vanished from the face of Gaia. They hadn't even heard anything from him since he walked out to go to the military zone. Good riddance, in Leers' opinion. They had both gotten what they wanted, and he was glad to be rid of him. These new four individuals were far more trustworthy…

The general raised a laser pointer and motioned it across the map on the screen, illuminating points of interest. Icons began to light up as he did so, dotting the landscape with various buildings, troop icons, and weapon icons.

"As you can see, we've managed to route the enemy from our shore." General Leers explained. "However…we intended to stamp them out. We failed in that respect. A good number of them escaped and fled to Midgar. I've since received word that they have funds and supporters there…so I'm sad to expect that we haven't heard the last of them, regardless of the beating we gave them. Therefore…we're planning to strike them again as soon as possible.

"The navy is currently moving to our position on the shore. We'll begin construction of docks as soon as possible, and once we have established a reliable base we will advance on Midgar with an invasion force. Regretably, we cannot launch an air strike. The Gelinkas can only take off and land from the Dome, and currently they wouldn't be able to get that far and back without refueling. We're working on that, however. In the meantime…this new bogey that appeared…this airship… It's based on an improved model of the Highwind, which was a one of a kind flying fortress. It's unlikely that our own clumsy aircraft can deal with it. We'll have to work on that as well."

With that done, Leers turned off his pointer, and spun his chair back around. He typed a key on the keyboard at his desk, tapped into the controls of the room's machinery, and the green screen switched off. He tapped another one, and the lights of the room turned back on.

"In the meantime…I'm sure we'll find quite a few jobs for your group to do…and we have quite a bit of money awaiting you for your services. I have something lined up right now, in fact. Are you interested?"

A red haired, loosely-black-suited, wily looking man took a long drag from his cigarette. He slowly removed it, and puffed out a rather large cloud of smoke, before leaning it over and proceeding to calmly extinguish it on Leers' table, not seeming to care that this made the general stifle a frown and quiver a bit in irritation.

Reno gave a calm shrug in response. "Sounds alright with me." He turned his head lazily around at that, and looked to the other side of the table. "What do you guys think?"

A burly, bald-headed man raised his arms and set them on the table, locking his hands together and letting his huge knuckles crack from within his black gloves while doing so. He adjusted his neck a little within his own black suit, properly worn and adjusted. He turned his head over to Leers soon after, and peered at him through his stoic black sunglasses.

Rude gave a nod. "…Fine."

In response to this, however, the one sitting closer to Leers and down from him frowned. A blond-haired, high strung woman who frequently adjusted her tie as if it annoyed her cast a glance around the table before turning to the man at the head herself. She crossed her own arms, crumpling her own black suit, and kept on a rather grumpy look.

"Only if you agree to tell us what you know about Tseng's disappearance." Elena threw in at last, casting a critical glare to General Leers. However…it caused the other three fellow members of the Turks to turn and look to him as well. Rude, Reno, and the other weren't as disapproving looking, but they did stare at the man and didn't break off.

Leers sighed in response. "I already told you that we did not call out any hits on your group. We had no need to. I had no interest in Tseng or the rest of the Turks until recently. Now…if, on the other hand, you were hired by a different party and/or came here of your own accord spying…then I'm not responsible for any John Does that were shot for intruding. You four, of all people, should understand that."

Elena grit her teeth in response and glared daggers at Leers. She balled her hand into a fist and began to rise.

Reno, however, was perfectly calm and gave a shrug. "Sounds reasonable to me."

On hearing this, Elena snapped her head around and gaped at Reno in shock. "Are you kidding me!" She nearly outburst. "What if this guy's the reason Tseng went missing?"

"Tseng knew the rules of the game going in." Reno calmly answered, casting Elena a sideways glance as she stared at him incredulously. "You should know them by now too."

Elena fumed, trembling in anger where she was.

Reno sighed at seeing this. "Don't get your panties all in a twist." He continued. "Tseng wasn't the kind of guy who would let a few roughneck guards get him, assuming he even went up here. This guy didn't do it. But he might have access to records that could help us find out." With that, the Turk turned back to Leers. As Elena continued to quiver in rage, he calmly gestured to her. "I believe that is what my…colleague…was getting at. Am I assuming right?"

Leers gave a nod. "Of course. Whatever you need."

"Then we're in." Rude announced, speaking once again on one of his rare occasions. Two of his fellow Turks gave a nod in response. Elena, on her part, crossed her arms again, frowned, and leaned back in her seat with a near pout on her face.

General Leers gave a small smile. "Thank you very much." He answered. "Although…from last I heard…there were only supposed to be three of you since Tseng left."

Reno gave a plastered smile. "We've been recruiting." He calmly answered. With that, he gestured to the silent Turk behind him. "This lovely back here is 'Clyde Arrowny' with a gun. But that only seems to make sense…assuming that the last name she's using implies what I think it does…"

"I've told you a thousand times that it does, Reno."

This female voice, silent before now, now finally broke out. There was something strange about it. It didn't seem like the voice of an assassin. It seemed much softer…milder…even more pleasant. However, it also showed a depth of maturity and seriousness, showing that soft as the voice sounded…the woman behind it was no merciful angel. Her voice did cause the others in the room to look to her, however.

Resting back in her chair, legs crossed, arms calmly folded over her waist, was the new female member of the Turks. She seemed rather lithe…and her face and complexion seemed a little too soft to be a fighter. However…her stunning green eyes, which burned with a vivacity that seemed almost supernatural…were the hard ones of a trained killer. She raised up a hand to brush back a strand of soft, brown hair that had dangled in her eyes. The rest was tied back behind her in a loose braid that extended down past her shoulders. She turned her gaze up ahead to focus on Leers a moment later, and proceeded to introduce herself.

"Krystea Anne Valentine. Don't forget it."

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's finally over! In all likelihood, "The Wyvern Battles" was the longest portion of "The Servant". The only section that could possibly match it in size is, unfortunately, the next one. However, at this point in time, I'm not sure how long that will be. I'd like to say that I'm halfway done or more, but I'm not sure.

Hope you've enjoyed the four Wyvern Battles, even if they got a bit tedious. The next section of "The Servant" is called, "The Aleron Saga". Look for it to show up in a few days. (BTW, the name Aleron hasn't appeared yet in this story. The only clue I gave as to what this next saga will be about is contained in some of Bahamut's hallucinations...)

Here's another important note. If you're a big fan of other FF games but hate FFVII, now might be a good time to stop reading this fanfiction, ending on the high note of Bahamut beginning a new life on Gaia. As I cautioned when I started this fanfiction, I warned that "The Servant" would eventually turn into mostly a FFVII fanfiction rather than a crossover. That part starts now. Almost allof "The Aleron Saga" is in the domain of FFVII, and almost all of the last two sagas of "The Servant" is as well. There will be bits of FFVIII inall three, but for right now you won't be hearing anything about it for a long time. As I warned before, most of the content in "The Aleron Saga" originally came from an FFVII sequel I wrote in which Bahamut was a minor, though important, character. I've tried to give him a bigger role this time around and edit out most of the extrenuous pieces, but you'll have to wait and see.

Thanks for reading this far, and I hope that the story (which is starting to be my own rendition of history from this point on) will continue to entertain...


End file.
